We moved into a Craftsman style house built in 1924 and were thinking it was possibly a kit house... BUT I was reading that the kit homes came with drywall and ours has the old lathe and plaster. Did they all have dry wall and I should use that as a disqualifier? I'm new at this, and so far have not been able to locate my home in any catalog or images on the web. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Penny,

It is simply untrue that all kit homes came with drywall. No, way does that disqualify your home as a kit.

My 1916 Aladdin catalog says: "Lath and Plaster or Aladdin Plaster Board --Your Choice".

My 1928 Sears catalog says: "Sheet Plaster and Plaster Finish, to take the place of wood lath, 92.00 extra." So plaster was cheaper at the time.

We have another site that has all of these catalogs and more : Antique Home.

What would be really great for IDing your home would be a picture. Please post one for us, we love old houses and there are people here that can help.

Sorry it took so long to respond w/ a picture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pennyjo/

is where I put them. I couldn't figure out sizes etc - still quite illiterate on here. But I did get some!!!
Any idea of what kind she is? Thank you
{added photo}

An added note: On either side of the chimney there was a window. If I look closely at the clapboard I can see where they were removed. There is a moulding around the window frames.(Like what you would find inside). Currently there are OLD thermal panes attached on the 1st floor windows that detract from the panes. I think the top dormer windows are replacements because they open out and are solid glass with fake panes.

Maybe that might help someone visualize her in her prime. Thank you

Well, she's not a sears. But she is pretty nifty looking!

Donna

Thank you. I understand that you are the Sears expert so I can cross that Company off my list and take those books back to the library! I knew that would be too easy! So onward and upward...

Any suggestions? The Assessors seem to only have the picture and characteristics in their books. No plans nor builder info. I do know who the families were that lived here... from the city directories. We are the 5 family. The saga continues...

Well HI AGAIN! I have been going through alot of websites and library books without ANY luck in trying to identify WHETHER OR NOT my home might be a kit home. What lead me to believe that it might be is the fact that it is in the designated historical district of Everett WA. Every house here is unique and most are beautifully restored. The late Sentor Henry M Jackson's house is a block away! I wanted to try to start retoring the home to the "way it was".

In the forums educated guess, am I beating a dead horse? Do you feel that this is a normally built not a KIT home? I doesn't change my love of it but I need to figure out where to start and what to do and style to go with ect. ect ect... HELP! I'm so confused... Thank you Penny

Penny --

I've looked at several of our books here (Aladdin, Sears, Harris) and don't see anything similar. It looks like the original front porch was enclosed and a stoop added? Was it?

Aladdin and Pacific Ready Cut both operated on the West Coast, so I suppose they are possible, but with all the wood here, it's just as likely that it was a stick built house put up by an individual or local builder.

With all the timber industry in the Pacific NW, kit homes wouldn't have necessarily been anything special.

Rikki

Rikki,
Good question about the stoop and porch enclosure - the windows and the trim look the same as the rest of the house and I have hung a picture on that wall and it is lath/plaster.

I think you are right tho because we have a fireplace in the dining room - not the living room. So I have a cute little craftsman style home that is quirky (like we are) - that most likely is not a kit but a PUZZLE! Gotta love it! Thanks for all the forums help - I will be in and out! - KISSEZ, PENNY

It's neither Sears nor Pacific Ready Cut Homes, nor any of the others with which I am familiar. However, it sure is a cute!

Rosemary