For years and years, I lived in the St. Louis area and that’s where I wrote my books on Sears Homes (and where I did all the research). In 2006, I moved back “home” to Hampton Roads (where I was born and raised), and it was pure fun to spend my spare time hunting for Sears Homes.
Here are a few of the houses that I found. BTW, if you find this interesting, please spread the word about this impressive collection in Hampton Roads and email this link.
And if you think you know the location of a Sears Home, please send me a note at thorntonrose@hotmail.com.
These are just a few of the kit homes I’ve found in the area. Heretofore, I’ve found 52 in Portsmouth, 75 in Norfolk and about 15 in Chesapeake.
To read another article about Sears Homes, click here.
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Sears Westly
Sears Westly in Portsmouth on King Street. Photo was taken in 2004.
Sears Westly in downtown Suffolk
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Sears Crescent
Sears Crescent in Larchmont section of Norfolk
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Aladdin Kit Homes (a competitor of Sears) was very popular in Hampton Roads, probably because they had a massive mill in Greensboro, NC and shipping charges would have been affordable. Sears sold about 70,000 homes during their 32 years in the kit home business (1908-1940). However, Aladdin started in 1906 and went to 1981, selling about 75,000 houses.
This Aladdin Colonial pictured below is in Suffolk. For years and years, people believed the house pictured below was a "Sears kit home." This is not uncommon. This house (below) *is* a kit home, but it came from Aladdin, not Sears.
Aladdin - another kit home company - offered the Aladdin Colonial. This one is in Suffolk.
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This is a kit home from Gordon Van Tine, a competitor of Sears in the kit home business.
Here's a Gordon Van Tine in the Ocean View area of Norfolk - and in perfect condition!
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Aladdin was very popular in the Hampton Roads area. Here's an Aladdin Venus. Note the casement windows.
This Aladdin Venus still has its original casement windows. It's in Colonial Place (Norfolk).
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A darling Aladdin Shadowlawn in Chesapeake, VA, just across from Lowes Hardware Store on Portsmouth Blvd West. This house was moved from another location, about a mile due east on Portsmouth Blvd and it appears to be in harm's way yet again - with all the retails shops that have sprouted up around it.
Another Shadowlawn peeks from the pine trees on this quiet street in Suffolk.
Aladdin Shadowlawn from the 1919 catalog. Note, this Shadowlawn has a porte cochere.
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The Beckley (from Sears)
This is The Beckley, which is in use as the Sexton's Office at a large cemetery in Newport News.
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I've also found several homes from Gordon Van Tine in Hampton Roads.
This pretty little #594 sits on a large parcel of land in Chesapeake's Deep Creek area.
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And this is a Sears Americus, which was a very popular house for Sears.
This Sears Americus is in Park Place on 27th Street (Norfolk). Sadly, it's been turned into a duplex.
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Sears Whitehall from the 1928 Sears Modern Homes catalog
Sears Whitehall just off Colley Avenue and 28th Street in Norfolk
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Aladdin kit home: The Virginia
Aladdin Kit Home - The Virginia - in Norfolk's Colonial Place
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Aladdin Kit Home: The Pasadena
Here it is, right in Norfolk's Lafayette/Winona neighborhood
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As mentioned, Norfolk is full of Aladdins and here's the Aladdin Edison
An Aladdin Edison in Norfolk, within a few yards of the ODU campus.
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Aladdin Detroit
A perfect Aladdin Detroit in Chesapeake
Wow! I love that these houses are still standing. I recognize the last house in Deep Creek. It’s on George Washington Highway.
These homes are full of charm.The detroit on Geo Washington is my fav. The upstairs had the bath with the bear claw tub to complete the charm,hardwood floors,chair rails and of course the history of its formers owners
They’re all my favorite. š I was surprised to find a plethora of kit homes in the Deep Creek area, with about a half dozen of the little pretties on George Washington Highway. Interestingly, there are more Aladdin Kit Homes (which was a company based in Michigan) than any other type (here in Hampton Roads). Aladdin had a mill in Greensboro, so that may be part of the reason we have so many.
I especially appreciate the GVTs and the Aladdins since I don’t know as much about them as I do the Sears!
OOOOOOOOOOOooooo! I can’t wait to see what we find in Atlanta and environs!!!
Beautiful, Rosemary! Extraordinary research. You have such a great eye for the revealing details.
You missed a couple located in Riverfront in Norfolk!
The only one I know of in Riverview is the Aladdin Sheffield. š
Does anyone know how to locate Sears homes in Charlottesville, Virginia? I love these designs.
Margaret Haupt
Rose’s Reply: I found several in Waynesboro, Staunton and Christiansburg, but I’ve never looked in Charlottesville. Send me photos of suspected kit homes!!! š Send them to thorntonrose@hotmail.com.
We currently live in Northern Virginia but consider Hampton Roads our home away from home since we spent so much time there. Our first house was a craftsman, built in 1927 at 5-Points, likely not a kit house. I’ve always loved the idea of a kit house and may end up back in Hampton Roads since the kids are there. Recently found out our little town allowed a kit house to be destroyed so a larger house could be built. Such a shame.