One of Sears most popular kit homes was The Gladstone. It was a small foursquare, but apparently its design, size and price appealed to thousands of American families. It was most certainly on of Sears Top Ten Most popular homes.
Below are some pictures of The Gladstone.
The Sears Gladstone - 1916
Close-up of the Sears Gladstone. One distinctive feature is that teeny tiny window inside that large hipped dormer. Another is that third window on the front wall.
This Gladstone in Champaign, IL is almost in perfect condition. Note the original columns, and that itty bitty window in the big dormer window. BTW, in Champaign, it's either in the middle of snowing, getting ready to snow, or just finished snowing. This photo is "B."
A Sears Gladstone in Carbondale, Illinois
Gladstone/Langston from the 1920 catalog. There's very little difference between the Sears Gladstone and the Langston. Other than the placement of a couple windows, they're the same house.
The salt-treated porch railings, foundation lattice work, and satellite dish are probably not original, but this is a Sears Gladstone (verified).
The spacious porch on this Gladstone was closed in, but the remodeling was done in a sensitive manner. You can still see the unique porch columns with their flared blocks at the top. This Sears House. The fireplace was added. This house is in Carlinville, IL.
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I happen to like the style of these contemporary houses. Built like the old times, it makes for a cozy scene.
Aha! I finally found the name. We have a 1920 Langston. And those signature pillars are crumbling. We are having work done on it now.
We think we have either a Gladstone or Langston here in New Bern NC – tax records say built in 1925. Do you have any records of one of your houses making it to New Bern?