From 1948-1951, Sears sold prefabricated houses known as Homart Homes. These small houses were shipped by truck (not train) and arrived in sections measuring 4′ by 8′ to 8′ by 8′. Fasteners were included with these diminutive homes, and the houses were bolted together at the site. They were very modest homes with very simple lines and shallow roofs. Most were 600-850 square feet.

Based on some educated guessing from reading old catalogs, fewer than 3,000 Homart Homes were built.

And now I need a little help from my friends. The 1949 Homart Homes catalog lists several addresses where Homart Homes were built. I’d love to have photos of these houses to publish at this site. I’d be so grateful if someone could get me a photo of these houses. When photographing houses, remember to remain on a public right-of-way (street or public sidewalk) when shooting your photos.

The addresses (as found in the 1949 Homart Homes catalog) are:

Albert C. Helm, 615 North 10th Street, Monmouth, Illinois.

R. W. Countryman, 614 E. Avenue, Nevada, Iowa.

Dale Keeth, 495 Melmore Street, Tifflin, Ohio

Lawrence Clemen, 1845 University Avenue, Dubuque, Iowa

Harold Snell, 426 4th Street, LaSalle, Illinois

Clarence Wyman, Cerro Gordo, Illinois

Richard J. Gilbert, Gox 565, New Glarus, Wisconsin

Jeffrey Hicks, Route 2, Box 479, Pekin, Illinois

Elmer Timm, 3238 Schlueter Road, Madison, Wisconsin

Pictures from the original Homart Homes catalog is below. The house you’re photographing should bear some slight resemblance to these modest homes below. Rarely, cities will re-number houses, so these addresses are not guaranteed to be Homart Homes, but it’s 99% likely that they are. Because these homes are so modest, they often undergo extensive remodeling.

To read Part I (more info on Homart Homes), click here.

To see pictures of Sears Modern Homes, click here.

To buy Rose’s book, click here.

Homart Homes were very modest prefab homes offered after WW2. Today, it's nearly impossible to find these houses, because they were so plain and in subsequent years, most have been covered with substitute sidings.

For the most part, these were very modest homes.

Look at the size of the rooms in this first house!

This was their most spacious Homart Home, but you can see from the photo below, this is also a pretty modest house. One of the bedrooms is 7 feet by 9 feet. As long as Junior never outgrows his crib, this should work just fine.

This was the largest Homart Home offered in the 1950 catalog, and it's not very big at all.

Homart Homes arrived in sections, which were bolted together.

These porches could be a clue in identifying Homart Homes. Every Homart Home offered in the 1950 catalog had this unique configuration on the front stoop.

A variation of that unique woodwork around the stoop.

An old Sears Homart (prefab house) sits on the edges of the city, not far from the Sears Mill in Cairo, IL. Homart Homes were post-WW2 Sears Homes that were shipped out in sections, which were then bolted together at the building site. These were radically different from "Sears Modern Homes" which were pre-cut kit homes. And usually, they just don't "age" as well as the sturdier "Modern Homes" (Honor Bilt homes).

To learn more about kit homes, click here.

To buy Rose’s book, click here.

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