Ooh, we’ve now got an update on this blog, with contemporary photos of the house in Greeley!!!
In 1916, Sears published a booklet full of testimonials from happy homeowners. Within the pages of that testimonial was this image, captioned as “Greeley, Colorado.” This is a Sears Avondale (see photos below) and of the 370 mail-order homes offered by Sears, this was one of their best! If you know where this house is, I’d love to have an address. I’m hoping it’s still standing.
Apparently, this photo was taken about 15 minutes after the house was built. The landscaping around the structure is still in pretty rough shape.
Please leave a comment below if you know the address or the area where this house is located.
What exactly is a Sears House, you might be asking? They were kit homes, sold right out of the pages of the Sears Roebuck catalog in the early 1900s. More than 370 designs of kit homes were offered – everything ranging from Arts and Crafts bungalows to foursquares to Colonial Revivals. These homes came in 12,000-piece kits and were shipped to all 48 states. Sears promised that a man of average abilities could have these homes assembled in about 90 days.
Today, the only way to find these kit homes is literally one by one. And that’s what I do. When I decided that Sears Homes would be my career, I endeavored to memorize each of those 370 designs of Sears Homes. Now I can drive the streets of small town America and find the Sears Homes – one by one. But it helps if I know the address!
To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.
This image appeared in promotional literature from 1916. Apparently, this photo was taken about 15 minutes after the house was completed. The landscaping is a little raw.
A clearer photo of the Avondale, from the 1919 Sears Modern Homes catalog
The best of both worlds: Ham radio antenna mounted on Sears Avondale in Litchfield, Illinois. Nice house, too.
Catalog picture of the Sears Avondale
Sears Modern Homes were sold from 1908-1940
I have not seen this house in Greeley. I do however live in a sears house in Colorado Springs. I have been trying to identify it for several years -noone seems to recognize it. I know it is a sears house because I have some of the original papaerwork and I have a copy of a testimonial catalog page which has a picture of the house. I would like to get the original foor plan of the house to see if it has been altered much. I can certainly email pictures of the house and the testimonial page. I would appreciate any help on this.
Thanks, Richard
The house from the promotional brochure from 1916 is Schiller’s Sears Hawthorne in McHenry, Illinois. It’s still there. It was built with the cement blocks. Maybe even from a Wizard block making machine!
The house in Greeley, Co that was built by Senier was built with bricks.