I live in a quaint town and was told my home was a Sears home, but I can't locate for certain that this information is correct. I did locate a copy of the plans in a magazine of what is now called, "Ladies Home Journal" where the home was for sale in 1898. Is this too early to be a Sears home?
I am in my early 40s and have been a widow now for 4 years. I sunk lots of money into the home and can't any longer as I lost my husband's State Pension and am still fighting that cause, but solo, no attorney to assist. I wanted to have the windows redone rather than put in vinyl ones, and stay, but I can't while working as a school teacher.
I don't want to state this is a Sears home if not, however, the city has this listed as a Sears home and the trolley car that stops by every hour states it is a Sears home. I can't afford a lawsuit later down the line if for some reason this is faulty information.
It is from 1898, has the original hardwood floors with the brass butler bells(refinished now) and some of the original light fixtures. It is a beautiful two story home. Could someone guide me in the right direction. I am not sure yet where I am moving to as the homes in other states I am intersted in are much higher price range than in Oklahoma.
Any experts? Would seeing photos and the information that is on file at the local musuem be of help to someone who might assist me? Thank you for reading this post and helping me if you can.
Deb, 1898 is too early for a Sears home but your best bet is to post a pic so us amateur sleuths can hone our skills, at some point Rose Thornton will drop by with an expert opinion. Rose wrote "The Houses That Sears Built",just click on her profile for an e mail address if you can't wait. Do post a pic anyway.
If you have a 1908-built Sears Home, that's a rare bird indeed. I seriously doubt it could be a Sears Home because of the date. All Sears Modern Homes sales records are long gone, but Sears sold very few houses prior to the early 1910s.
Often these legends get handed down through the ages for a number of reasons, but the most prevalent reason is this: Sears started selling building materials in 1895 and folks would order "a whole house" from the building materials department. In other words, they'd order paint and tar paper and nails and lumber and millwork and mantels and flooring and on and on.
The building materials were shipped via boxcar and someone would toddle down to the railroad depot and pick up their house and haul it to the building site and build a house. And it all came from Sears.
So, does that make it a Sears Home? Not in my opinion. A Sears Home is a home that was one of the 370 designs offered by Sears Roebuck from 1908-1940 *and* was made of the building materials that Sears shipped as part of that kit.
I'll be happy to take a look at a photo. Send it to thorntonrose@hotmail.com. Please put "from A&C forum" in subject line as I am swamped with emails these days.
Rose Thornton author, The Houses That Sears Built
<Rachel>
Posted
My daughter and her fiance has rented a house outside of Dundee MI and were told it is a Sears house. They were told it was a show house. There are several out buildings along with this house.
Also the town where I live in Ohio, Columbus Grove, has a couple houses that they say are Sears houses, and there are a few more up town that look very similar to the houses we are seeing on the internet.
I am in the process of getting pictures from the one at Dundee MI. My daughter is sending them to me. The house has been altered over the years on the inside and a room has been added on the back but otherwise the outside from what we can tell remains the same.
