In 2010, I visited Chicago and spent a few days with my friend Rebecca Hunter. After tooling around town looking at lots and lots of Sears Homes, we sat down in her beautiful dining room and made a list of the Sears Homes that neither one of us had ever seen.
It’s been my experience that the 60 most popular Sears Homes represented about 90% of their sales. Over and over again, we see the same designs, the Mitchells and Lynnhavens and Gladstones and Craftons and Argyles, etc. Sears offered 370 designs of Sears Homes, and of those 370 designs, there are 108 designs that neither Rebecca nor I have ever seen. This is quite remarkable, as the two of us have seen something approaching 10,000 Sears Homes. That’s a lot of Sears Homes.
Dale Wolicki says that it’s likely that some of these designs were never sold or built. In other words, they never went beyond being pictures in a catalog. He’s probably right.
For those Sears Homes aficionados, here is the list of Sears Homes that neither Rebecca or I have ever seen:
Adams
Adeline
Alden
Almo
Amherst
Amhurst
Amsterdam (Updated! Someone sent me photos of an Amesterdam in Scranton.)
Arcadia
Bayside
Branford
Bristol
Cambria
Canton
Carlton
Chesterfield
Chicora
Cleveland
Coateshead
Colebrook
Corning
Corrington
Croydon
Dartmouth
Durham
Estes
Fairfield
Fulton
Gainsboro
Glen View
Hampshire
Harmony
Hopeland
Kenfield
Laurel
Lenox
Letona
Lorne
Malden
Marquette
Melrose
Milford
Millerton
Model # 141
Model #104
Model #107
Model #116
Model #122
Model #130
Model #134
Model #136
Model #139
Model #143
Model #157
Model #158
Model #159
Model #165
Model #166
Model #175
Model #176
Model #177
Model #182
Model #183
Model #191
Model #195
Model #198
Model #199
Model #202
Model #204
Model #216
Model #228
Model #241
Model #264P159a
Model #264P206
Model #264P207
Model #264P243
Model #264P252
Model #36
Model #59
Model #64
Model #70
Model #C2001
Nantucket
Natoma
Nipigon
Norwich
Oxford
Pennsgrove (updated! Saw one in Baltimore, thanks to a reader!)
Portsmouth
Seagrove
Sheffield
Sherwood
Silverdale
Spaulding
Springwood
Stone Ridge (Updated – found one in Ocean View – Norfolk, Virginia!)
Sunny Dell
Tarryton
Torrington
Trenton
Valley
Vanita
Verndale
Vinemont (Donna Bakke – may she rest in peace – found one of these in Ohio.)
Wareham
Warren
Webster
Below are some photos of Sears Homes from my recent trip to Illinois:
Sears Osborn in St. Charles, Illinois
Sears Newcastle in northern Illinois
Sears Matoka in St. Charles
Sears Fullerton in Elgin, Illinois
Sears Del Rey in Wheaton, Illinois
Sears Marina (2024) in West Chicago
Sears Kilbourne in Lynchburg, Virginia
Sears Glenn Falls in Christianburg, Virginia
Sears Americus in Roanoke, Virginia
Sears Martha Washington in Bedford, Virginia
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Hi,
I know this is not in your area, but there IS a Sears Chesterfield in Clawson, Michigan. if you look at the galleries on our website, I have a photo of it. So at least one of them was built – Its the only one I have ever seen.
Dear Rosemary,
I am the research editor at Country Living magazine – I believe we spoke briefly several years ago – and I’m wondering if you know where to find images of the Modern Home models from the 1911 catalog.
In particular I wanted to know what model 116 looks like. I’m trying to confirm the provenance of a 1911 house in Yakima, WA, that is supposed to be Sears. I wonder whether it might be a Whitehall (rather altered), or maybe the model 116 – it has a certain similarity to the model 115 and I thought, maybe…this could have been the next model. I would be happy to send you a photo or two if you’re interested. 1120 S 17th Ave Yakima WA.
Cheers,
Jy
Hi,
I just came across this blog post when researching sears homes. I noticed that you hadn’t ever found a model 122 home. Supposedly a home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is one of that model. Here is a link to a recent real estate listing of this home. It is a registered historic landmark. I don’t know if the claim is true that it is a model 122, but thought I would mention it to let you look into.
@Elizabeth
http://www.trulia.com/property/3002444667-24-N-Middle-St-Cape-Girardeau-MO-63701
Sorry, here is the link
Apparently there is a 1925 Sears Craftsman Natoma house for sale in Butte Montana. I am looking at homes in the area and came across it. I can’t confirm whether it is or not, but it is listed as such. here’s a link. Hope that helps. =)
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1337-Evans-Ave_Butte_MT_59701_M82749-63737?row=10
Dear Rosemary,
There is a Springwood in the museum village on Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida near Fort Myers. I have your books, saw this home, and knew I wanted to communicate this to you. I’m glad I found this web site! The Springwood has even been restored to near original condition. If you want I can probably get pictures. It’s amazing.
Yes, please check your email and send me some photos of your Springwod!!! 🙂
I own a Laurel model Sears home if you’re interested. I live in Phoenixville, PA.
I own, and am restoring, a Sears Bungalow Model 177 on 28th Ave., Spokane, WA, 99223, USA.
I know it is a model 177 because yesterday the 89-yr old woman whose father built it in 1923 gave me a photocopy of pages of the catalog of the model 177 house and it is identical, inside and out.
It is a large 1.5 story (4 bdrms/2 baths) with main gables facing away from the front, and a huge front porch with a flying header beam – 36 feet without a post! Its 1st floor plan is awesome.
I can send you a picture if you’d like.
Happy bungalow hunting!
James
I just bought a Milford model, and it still had the blueprints that came with it. I am located in Upstate NY. Haven’t moved in quite yet, need to do just a little fixing up, but it’s in pretty good condition.
Carrie, that’s quite something!!
Can you send me pictures? Please send them to Rosemary.ringer@gmail.com and put, “I love your books more than anything,” in the subject line.
If you put, “Sears Homes” in the subject line, it will disappear into the crowd. LOL.
Rose
I identified an Alden upon walkthru looking for a new home this weekend.
You can’t turn around in Charleston, WV (Especially Kanawha City) without looking at one.
@KCKitHomes
Here it is on google maps
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.327127,-81.587515,3a,75y,191.32h,83.43t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sjCaAfcSBaYh5O3FYe-VXWg!2e0
It’s the white house. I verified the floor plan to a ‘T’! It has an addition on the back.
Hi,
I’ve spent a couple days in Charleston, WV and I think we found more than 40 kit homes. I didn’t see an Alden.
Please send me a photo: Rosemary.ringer@gmail.com.
Think there is a version of the Sears ” Tarryton ” in our old neighborhood. Located at 155 Dance Dr Hamilton nj
We just purchased a Sears NIPIGON log home, that has been re-sided in the past. We believe a 1940 kit not 100% sure, and we think left over and purchased and erected after the war.
It was moved by boat to it’s present location on an island in 1958 for a lake front cottage. Just google 3694 Memorial Marblehead and you’ll see it.
This is an exciting site!!
We just sold our home that was built in 1907 in Spokane, WA. 1208 S Wall St. Spokane WA.
Our neighbors on the North side also have Sears houses. One is the Newcastle style. Mine and the third house down, I’m not sure.
I was looking up different Sears homes online to see what pictures come up and I came across this article about kit homes in Westlake, Ohio. They supposedly have a Chicora, but no address is listed.
I am not sure if you know what it looks like, but I thought maybe you could spot it on Google maps. http://westlife.northcoastnow.com/westlake-historical-society-talks-sears-homes/
I am told that this house is the Torrington but reversed! The garage was made into a family room and a new garage added to the back in 1949. It has beautiful interior woodwork. http://www.estately.com/listings/info/211-briarcliff-rd
I live in central WI, I grew up in a Sears home, Plan No. 143. My uncle built it in 1910, I have the building material list. I don’t know the name for this home. The owners now, have changed it a little bit. I have a picture of it some time after it was built.
I saw a Springwood Sears House on Sanibel Island in Florida, in Sanibel’s Historic Village. I believe it is named the Morning Glory. The design and floor plan is just brilliant!
The Alamo (2033B) is in Panama City, Florida.
Sears Alden or Sears Newcastle?
My next door neighbor’s home is a Sears Roebuck Kit home, but I’m not sure of the model.
My home was built in 1938. My parents live on the other side of this Sears home, and theirs was built in 1940, which based on the development of our street places this Sears home somewhere in that range.
The sad thing is that one of the owner covered this beautiful home in vinyl siding, replaced all the windows-but a tiny casement at the back–with vinyl ones.
The original siding underneath was made of redwood and curved outward slightly.
The owner also ripped off the multicolored slate roof.
The most offensive part of this story is that prior to these atrocious “renovations,”my mom told this owner, an antiques dealer, that she must really enjoy owning a piece of history, that the home was a Sears home.
The owner was insulted and acted as if this were the most distasteful thing.
Needless to say, when the original owner’s daughter drove by just to see her childhood home, she was horrified to see the “home improvements.” Sigh.
I’d love to send some pictures to see if someone can identify the exact model. My gut tells me that it is an Alden.
I believe I live in a Nipigon in Antioch Illinois.
However, my grandparents dug a lower level for the kitchen, dining room and laundry. My dad raised the home and put a new foundation in 1995.
When he raised the house he put as much of the original log back on. The house is on the lake and has beautiful fireplaces.
I would love to confirm!
Diane,
I’ve sent you an email. Hope to hear back.
Rosemary
Hello,
I believe that I live in a Letona. It has been slightly altered over the years, however the layout is clearly there. The cool thing is, if you read the 1911 catalog for this plan, it states that this home was built in Beech Grove, Indiana which is where I live. My basement cement block has a date of February 1911. So I’m guessing the plans would have been bought in 1910. The catalog page also says 5 panel doors. We have the original doors and hardware.
I would be happy to send pictures, if you like.
I just did a story on Sears homes, including a Silverdale in Northampton Massachusetts https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/are-you-living-in-a-sears-kit-home-/1620827079
We’re moving shortly to a house which fits the size and look (but has had some alterations) to no. 264P252!
We purchased a cabin in 2003 on Deer Lake in Chalk Hill, Pa. We were told it was a Sears kit. We are now doing some renovations and I found it in the Sears Archives.
I see on your interesting site that you have not seen a Nipigon log cabin. I would be happy to send you pictures if you are still interested.