In May 2012, I gave a talk at the Rialto Theatre (in Raleigh) on Sears Kit Homes, sponsored in part by the Raleigh Historic Development Commission and the Raleigh City Museum.
Raleigh has an abundance of kit homes, which I find fascinating. In addition to Sears, they also have kit homes from Aladdin (based in Bay City), Harris Brothers (Chicago), Sterling Homes (Bay City), and even Montgomery Ward (Chicago).
Scroll on down to see some of the kit homes that I found.
And to read another blog I did on Raleigh, click here.
To read about Raleigh’s museum exhibit on Sears Homes, click here.
To listen to Rose’s interview on WUNC, click here.
First, one of my favorite finds: The Sears Winona (1921 catalog).
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Perfect in every detail. Just perfect. What a treasure.
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Another wonderful Sears House: The Westly (1919 catalog).
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This Westly in Raleigh is perfect in every detail. Wow. Original railings, too.
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The Sears Whitehall (1916 catalog).
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Another Raleigh Sears House that's been thoughtfully maintained.
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And there's this a Harris Brother's kit home, too. Notice the rounded front porch.
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Known as Model 1000, this was one of their most popular homes.
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Another favorite is the Modern Home #163 (1916 catalog).
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Be still my quivering heart - what a match!
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This was a home sold by "Sterling Homes" in Bay City (1932 catalog).
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Another fine match! What a cutie!
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Another remarkable find is the Sears Avalone - a classic Arts & Crafts bungalow.
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And here it is in all its original splendor. Look at the detail around the porch columns. WOW! And it retains its original siding and casement windows! Double WOW!!!
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Close-up of those wonderful casement windows on the Avalon.
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And another favorite house found in Raleigh was the Americus (1928).
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Again, it's in perfectly original condition. Raleigh = Sears House Heaven.
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Sears Argyle (1919 catalog).
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This is a classic Sears Argyle with a little bonus: The attic was pitched a little more steeply to create extra space. That was a common "improvement" for these little houses.
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And another Argyle, also in beautiful shape. Notice how the porch deck extends a little beyond the exterior wall of the house. This is a classic feature of the Sears Argyle.
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The biggest fanciest house that Sears offered was the Magnolia.
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And there's a *beautiful* Sears Magnolia in Benson, NC (near Raleigh).
And if you’re near Raleigh, don’t forget to visit nearby Roanoke Rapids. They have a town literally filled with Aladdin (kit homes). Click here to learn more about Roanoke Rapids.
And there’s also Rocky Mount, which has an abundance of kit homes.
To read about Addie Hoyt, click here!
See you on the 19th of May!
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Hi Rose,
I stumbled on your website researching a home that our local preservation group is featuring on a tour: http://www.opendurham.org/buildings/robert-fetzer-house?full
Based on your site, I believe we have many, many more Sear’s homes in Durham. I can’t wait to drive around my neighborhood and play “I spy”!
I’d love to come to your event, is it open to the public?
Thanks,
Katherine Jordan
Preservation Durham volunteer
Good golly, what a BEAUTIFUL house!!! Where has Durham been hiding all my life??? I’d love to see more! Wow, wow, WOW!!!
Please show me more pictures!!
Rose
rosethornton@cox.net
Those Sears homes were amazing. It’s hard to believe they were selling for just $5K. Now they’re probably worth closer to $500K.
Great to see your blog. I live in an Aladdin kit home, The Brentwood.
I have been searching for other Brentwoods in NC, SC, and VA. I have additional history on Aladdin if you are interested.