The Sears Berwyn was an extremely popular house for Sears, and probably one of their top 20 best selling homes.
Sadly, due to their popularity, I’ve also seen them in a variety of mutated forms. See pictures below.
One of the defining features of the Berwyn is that enclosed arch on the front porch. Also look at the roofline along the back wall. That’s also an important feature for identifying the Sears Berwyn. In the mid-1930s, the Berwyn got a name change and became known in the Sears Modern Homes catalogs as The Mayfield.
Last week, whilst driving around Hampton, Virginia with Pat Spriggs, I found this Berwyn with a broken arch support. Few things in life are more painful!
Who thought it'd be a good idea to put in wrought iron on this porch? Sheesh. Sears Berwyn in Hampton, VA.
Close-up of the broken arch support.
Sears Berwyn as seen in the 1929 Sears Modern Homes catalog.
White Sulphur Springs (Virginia/West Virginia border) also has a little Berwyn. This one is clad in cement siding.
Here's a Berwyn in Elgin, Illinois. It's also clad in substitute siding.
And who thought *this* was a good idea? This is in Kirkwood, MO.
This Berwyn is looking much like its original catalog page (as shown above and below). It's in Rock Falls, IL.
This is what makes identifying Sears Homes so difficult: Remodeling and expanding. This Berwyn is in Lynchburg, VA.
In later years, the Berwyn was known as The Mayfield. Same house, different name.
Is there a Mayfield in your neighborhood? If so, send me a photo!
To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.
To buy Rose’s book, click here.
* * *
I LIKE the Berwyn. Quaint, indeed.
We own a Berwyne/Mayfield in Ohio.
We own one in Sterling. It looks exactly like the yellow one with the squared off arch. Our is white with red shutters.
We have this model home in Saranac Lake, NY!
The original owner removed the two smaller living room windows and opted for a large picture window to accommodate his wife’s African violets collection. (House faces due south.)
My parents bought our Mayfield home in 1962. It is in Yonkers, NY. I love my childhood home and will never sell it.