Whilst driving around Hampton, I found more than 50 kit homes in this historic river city.
Not surprisingly, there are almost as many Aladdin Kit homes in Hampton as there are Sears kit homes. Aladdin (like Sears), sold their kit homes through a mail-order catalog. These were true kits – shipped in 12,000-piece kits – and arrived at the train station “some assembly required.” Each kit came with a 75-page instruction book that told the neophyte home builder how all those pieces and parts went together.
Learn more about identifying Sears kit homes here.
Read about the kit homes in Buckroe here!
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The Aladdin Brentwood was a beautiful home.
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And here's the picture-perfect Aladdin Brentwood in Hampton.
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One of my favorites, the Aladdin Shadowlawn (1919 catalog).
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What a beauty! A perfect Aladdin Shadowlawn! Just perfect.
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The Aladdin Pasadena was another very popular house for Aladdin.
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And there are several of these in Hampton. Here's one!
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And here's another!
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The Sears Fullerton is a big, bold and beautiful foursquare (1925).
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This Sears Fullerton in Hampton is a perfect match to the catalog page! (Minus the red Ford truck, that is.)
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One of the characteristic features of the Fullerton is that broad dormer with one tiny window. This house still retains its original siding and windows!
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Another fun find was the Sears Hathaway (1925 catalog).
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Perfect in every way! (Minus the red Ford truck - again.)
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In addition to Sears and Aladdin, I also found a kit home sold by Lewis Manufacturing.
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The Lewis Shelborne - looking just like the catalog image above!
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The Sears Alhambra was a perennial favorite (1919 catalog).
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And Hampton's Alhambra is dressed in brick!
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Gordon Van Tine was another kit home company that sold mail-order homes in the early 20th Century. The model shown above was known as "The Roberts" (1921).
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This one in Hampton faces the water - and it's been supersized!
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To learn about the kit homes I found in Newport News (East End), click here.
Learn more about identifying Sears kit homes here.
Read about the kit homes in Buckroe here!
To read about the kit homes of Norfolk, click here.
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Any more Hampton homes to share?
Jumping for joy that my home neighborhood is being recognized for the beauty and variety that it has.
Can’t wait to learn more from Rosemary Thornton and her persistent eagle eye!
I heard you speak yesterday at the Ft. Monroe Historical Society and bought your book. Have looked for the addresses of the Hampton Sears, etc. Homes in the Old Wythe Area, but did not find and the one at Buckroe.
Could you send me some explicit directions in finding the Hampton addresses of the Sears, Aladdin Homes so I can go ride by and see them.
Thanks, Mary Burtnette