Less than 30 miles from Philadelphia there’s an entire neighborhood of Sears Homes. According to the 1921 Sears Modern Homes catalog, they’re in Chester, PA.
The houses were built in the early 1920s by a company known as “Sun Ship Company.”
It’s possible that this entire neighborhood has long since been demolished, but if it’s still there, I’d love to find it. If you’re familiar with this area, please oh please leave a comment below!
To learn more about how identify Sears Homes, click here.
As seen in the 1921 Sears catalog, the houses in Chester, PA.
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Close-up of the Sears Homes in Chester, PA built by Sun Ship Building Co.
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The houses in Chester appear to be "The Arcardia."
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And just on the other side of Philadelphia are these Sears Homes in Plymouth Meeting (Pennsylvania).
These homes were built by the American Magnesia Company.
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Sears Homes in Plymouth Meeting, PA.
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A close-up of the houses built by American Magnesia company in Plymouth Meeting, PA. The first house on the left is the Gladstone (see photo further down). The next house (one-story, with hip roof) is the Sears Kismet (see directly below).
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Kismet
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From right to left, you see the Somerset, Gladstone, Starlight, Winona and Marina.
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The first house you see on the right in that photo above is the Somerset.
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In these homes you see a Gladstone/Langston, which should be easy to find!
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So, where are these houses now? I’d love to know! 🙂
To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.
To read about the exhumation of Addie Hoyt, click here.
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Hi, Rose! The homes in Plymouth Meeting were torn down when the turnpike was constructed. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Lara, thanks for letting me know. I was ready to drive up there and take a look!!
You saved me about 10 hours of travel time!
Hi Rose, I just stumbled on to your website.
I love the old Sears Homes! I live about 20 miles from Chester (West Chester, PA), and occasionally go into Chester.
Not a fun place these days. Sun Ship is now Sunoco. They have a web site, http://www.sunship.org.
The ship yard is now closed and demolished. Harrah’s built a casino and race track. I have walked that area and didn’t see anything looking like the Sears homes, but I wasn’t looking either.
If any are left, they are probably either in really bad shape, or falling down. Probably won’t be back in Chester until August or September. If I have a chance, I will go looking.
Hi Rose,
I need to make a correction, Sun Ship is not Sunoco now, Sun Ship closed, Sunoco moved.
I found the another web site with the location of Sun Village. Let me know if you would like what I found. Since February, you may have gotten this info yourself.
Hi Cathy,
I’m still most interested in finding out about these houses!
Please let me know what you’ve found!
Rose
I own a home on the 1000 Block of Oakmont Street in Philadelphia, PA 19111, in the Burholme Section.
Our home was originally built circa 1925. The 1000 Block of Oakmont is right off the railroad line. I believe that my home is a Sears Home and that several of the neighbors on my block also own Sears Homes.
City of Philadelphia does not have Permit Records that far back. (Permits start being kept in current records circa 1933.) My home looks like a Sears Home, but was extensively remodeled circa 1955 Lumber is not marked where I can see any numbers.
I still have some of the original interior doors (not marked). I am looking for a way to verify. Any thoughts?
@Bob Singer
Bob, here’s a link that tells you how to authenticate a kit home: https://searshomes.org/index.php/2011/05/21/is-that-really-a-sears-kit-home-nine-easy-ways-to-tell/
Check out West 23rd and West 24th Streets in Chester, Pennsylvania.
There are quite a few homes from this era with similar design.
I used to work in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
The building that we worked out of was a Sears house. I don’t know what year it was built but the family that owned the property told me that it was.
It can be seen at 211 Ford Rd in Bala Cynwyd. The kit was shipped by rail and brought to the site.
The house looks to be a Langston or Gladstone type. The front porch has been enclosed so don’t let that fool you!
@Janny
Janny, I checked out those streets but didn’t see anything that really looked like a Sears House.
From 1983-1993 we lived in a 1917 Gladstone Sears House in Pennsauken, NJ on the border of Merchantville. There are railroad tracks through the middle of Merchantville.
The cover photo of a book on Sears homes was taken there and the area has a lot more.
Also, the towns of Haddonfield, Haddon Heights and Audubon in Nj are loaded with Sears houses.
My mom grew up in that area of Chester, and she said that all those houses were torn down may years ago.
She said they were along 2nd Street or 291.
Aerial photos of Ridley Park, built by the Emergency Fleet Corp (across the Chester Pike) look promising.
@Cathy
There are also Sears Homes in Westchester, near the Goshen Firehouse.
I actually live in one in Aldan, and know of four others in this city.
I have a Sears home… I’m in the Folsom section of Ridley.
Alhambra style.
@Andrew c
Yes, I live in one.