Updated February 25, 2018: I’m still interested in finding these houses in Atlantic City! If you know where they might be, please leave a comment below!
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A few days ago, I was looking through the pages of my 1923 Sears Modern Homes catalog when I happened upon this page (see below). According to this little graphic, there were four Sears homes built in a row somewhere in a 1920s neighborhood in Atlantic City, NJ. I’d imagine there are many other Sears Homes in the area, too.
I live in Norfolk, Virginia and as soon as I can locate the general area of these little pretties (with a little help from my friends hopefully), it’s my intention to drive up there and check out the rest of the city.
There was a massive Sears Mill in Newark, NJ, so I’m confident that there are many Sears Homes in and around the New Jersey area.
In posting this info, I’m hoping and praying some kind soul that’s familiar with the area will drop me a note and tell me where to find these four little Marinas in Atlantic City, NJ. Simply post your response in the comments section (below) and leave an email address and you’ll hear from me pretty quickly.
To read more about Sears Homes, click here.
On a different note, want to read about a quiet hero? Click here.
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The Little Marinas of Atlantic City, NJ
This is a Sears Marina. This is a close-up of the house I'm looking for in Atlantic City, NJ
Close-up of the "other" Marina with a shed (flat) former. There's one of these in this grouping in Atlantic City, NJ
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Everything I know about the Sears Homes in Atlantic City, I learned from this paragraph in the 1923 Modern Homes catalog.
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Cover of the 1923 Sears Modern Homes catalog
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Coming soon! Another fun tie between Atlantic City and Sears Homes? On "Boardwalk Empire," Nelson van Alden (aka George Mueller) orders a kit house from a mail-order catalog! While he's shown here with a Bennett Homes catalog, the running story line says that he bought a kit home from Sears and Roebuck.
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To read more about Sears Homes, click here.
On a different note, want to read about a quiet hero? Click here.
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In Mays Landing NJ at the Intersection of Rts 40 &50 there are 3 or 4 house that look very close to the one pictured in the color brouchure, my granmother grew up in the area and I remembered her saying they had been there as long as she remembered she was born in about 1918.
I grew up in Staten Island with a large Sears & Roebuck Garage I used to think it was a joke when my Father said that. As I grew older I heard stories about people buying the houses and having them moved to their own property. I would contact the Historical Society in AC or Town Hall . I have never turned up any paperwork on the Garage. I’m sure you have tried but I will try to investigate online. Please let me know what you find out. Thanks
The Atlantic City Free Public Library Archivist Heather Halpin Perez forwarded me some of the information on The Sears Homes Blog to see if I could help.
I’m an Atlantic City historian, on the Board of the Atlantic City Historical Museum, Asst. Curator of the Atlantic Heritage Center (the former Atlantic County Historical Society) and a collector of Atlantic City memorabilia. I have a very, very extensive collection including an immense reference library.
In all my years, believe it or not, I don’t remember coming across anything relating to the Sears Homes. I would be very interested though in helping you in anyway possible.
My time is very limited with endless other projects that I’m involved with but I’ll be happy to assist you including touring the city if you should visit. I was born and raised in the Inlet area of Atlantic City and lived on Absecon Island all my life.
I have an idea of where we could start. I think, if you’re interested, we should communicate at least initially by phone to exchange thoughts and comments.
If you will email me with a response, I’ll forward my card to you with all my contact information.
You can “Google” my name, including my nickname “Boo”, and see some of the numerous things I’ve been involved with. Your name wasn’t included in any of the information that was forwarded to me.
I look forward to hearing from you. “Boo”
@Allen “Boo” Pergament
Hey Allen, I’ve sent you an email. Let me know if you get it. Heck yes, I’d like to come to Atlantic City and have someone help me find my way! As I said in my email, I suspect you have many more Sears Homes in Atlantic City than those four I found in the old catalog.
@Don
Do you have a street address for that location? Something more than a route number? That’d be helpful so I can look up the little pretties on Google! 🙂 Thanks for the post.
Believe it or not, Sears has a list of where all the houses they shipped are/were. There was an episode on one of the history/ home channels about Sears homes. That’s how I know they do. So you may want to try to get in touch with Sears in Chicago
Uh Tom, if you saw an episode on TV of something about Sears Homes, I was probably *on* it. There are no lists. That’s what makes finding these houses challenging. During a corporate house cleaning, all sales records were destroyed, sometime after WW2.
As to being in touch with Sears, I’ve provided expert testimony for them in court cases and have been to Hoffman Estates to give lectures to the employees. I’ve also worked closely with the folks who manage Sears archives since 2002.
Again, I’m sorry to say – there are no lists.
Rose
I feel like I’ve seen a house like this in the Venuce Park region of Atlantic City. If so there has been a lot of flooding in the past so these homes may not have made it.
But my suggestion since you’re not local, would be to use Google Earth’s street view and take a virtual tour through the city.
I have a pic of one that may match, send me an email and I’ll reply with the photo.
If it’s not one of the homes you are looking for, you can type the address on the top left of the picture into Google earth and go from there. Hopes this helps, good luck!
Lots of neighborhoods were torn down in the 90s and 2000s when the casino industry grew. There’s a good chance they are gone.
LOL That Bennett “catalog” cracks me up!
Nice “prop”.
There are Sears or catalog houses in Ocean City, NJ. Do you have an interest in those? They are still standing.
Yes, the four Marinas in Atlantic City, NJ are still there.
You know where to find me. 🙂