For 12 years, I lived in Illinois and I spent many happy years seeking and finding kit homes throughout the Midwest. In 2006, I moved back “home” to Virginia, and I’ve spent subsequent years looking for kit homes in the south.
I’m surprised at how many I’ve found in this part of the country. An even bigger surprise was the abundance of kit homes I found during a brief trip to Atlanta. The houses pictured below are the tip of the iceberg, I’m sure. There just wasn’t time to cover the whole of Atlanta.
Take a look at the photos below and enjoy the many pretties of Atlanta!
Btw, if you know of a historical society and/or civic group that’d be interested in sponsoring my return to Atlanta, please leave a comment below.
Enjoy the photos!
Where’s Rose now? Back in Illinois. Read about her NDE here.
And if you’d like to learn more about the kit homes in the south, click here.
This lovely brick Alhambra is located in the heart of Atlanta!
This was Aladdin’s fanciest home: The Villa. This image is from the 1916 Aladdin catalog. Aladdin was a kit home company that (like Sears) also sold kit homes out of mail-order catalog. In Atlanta, I found more Aladdin kit homes than Sears kit homes. Not surprising, as Aladdin had a massive mill in North Carolina.
The Aladdin Villa in Atlanta! And it’s surely one of the prettiest Aladdin Villas that I have ever seen. It is perfect in every way, and a spot-on match to the original catalog image.
The Aladdin Pasadena was a very popular house
An Aladdin Pasadena on a main drag in Atlanta!
Aladdin Pomona, from the 1919 Aladdin Homes catalog
Aladdin Pomona in Acworth, a suburb of Atlanta. This Pomona is in beautifully original condition! Note the details around the porch gable, and the flared columns and the original siding. It’s a real beauty. Unfortunately, I shot the photo when the sun was low in the sky. Hence, the long shadows.
The Sears Osborn from the 1921 Sears catalog
One of the most interesting finds was this contemporary Sears Osborn. It looks like an Osborn – kind of – but it’s too new and modern. And look at the cornice returns. Most likely, this Sears Osborn is a reproduction, built by a real fan of Sears Homes!
One of my favorite photos is this Sears Magnolia in Alabama, just a few miles from the Georgia border. Apart from the slightly different dormer up top, this house is a good match to the catalog picture. No, it’s not Atlanta, but it’s pretty close! And there are only six known Magnolias in the whole country!
If you know anything more about these houses, please leave a comment below. Or if you’d like to contact Rose Thornton, please leave a comment.
If you’d like to keep reading about Sears Homes, click here.
To buy Rose’s book, click here.
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We did have a little bit of fun finding them didn’t we? Even tho the Atlanta traffic almost drove you over the edge!
I believe I am living in a Sears home in Norfolk, MA. I have yet to find the hard evidence, but I’m determined to find something! The foundation is fieldstone. Was that typical of a Sear’s house? I recently read that most Sear’s homes have concrete foundations – I have seen many of what I believe are Sear’s homes with either brick or fieldstone foundations. Thanks!
Hi. We bought and restored “The Osborn” in Atlanta, GA shown above.
If you would like to see before after photos of the interior and exterior, please go to our site at http://www.heirloomdesignbuild.com.
Look under our restoration portfolio.
Thanks!
Dave Radlmann