Do you like “quirky”? Then you’ll love this Sears House!
In the opening paragraph of the catalog page, the prosaic writers described Modern Home #124 as “a great favorite.”
It’s certainly one of my favorites – for so many different reasons!
For one, it’s very easy to identify. You’re not going to drive past this house without remembering it!
For another, in all my travels, it doesn’t have any “look-alikes.” In other words, I’ve not seen any similar designs offered by any other kit home companies (such as Aladdin, Lewis, Gordon Van Tine, Harris Brothers, Sterling, etc.), and I’ve not seen anything like #124 offered in any plan books.
And thirdly, it’s just an interesting house with some quirky (and lovable) features.
So take a look at the pictures below and tell me, have you seen this house? If so, send me a photo!
And according to the catalog, these houses have been built in Texarkana, Arkansas, Washington, DC, Greenwich, Rhode Island, Grand Rapids, Michigan,Montvale, New Jersey or Youngstown, Ohio. And if you’re in New York state, there were 124s built in Brooklyn, Dunkirk and New York city.
If you’re near those cities, I would love to see photos of our #124 today! 🙂
To learn more about how to identify kit homes, click here.
From the 1916 catalog
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It was also featured in the Seroco Paint Catalog (Seroco - Sears Roebuck Company).
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Good floor plan - and spacious too.
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This bungalow was surprisingly large! And lots of closet space, too.
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As of 1916, it had been built in these cities. As of 1918, it was gone from the catalog.
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Here's a lovely #124 in Augres, Michigan. (Photo is coypright 2010 Dale Patrick Wolicki and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.)
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Sears Modern Home #124 in Taylorville, IL.
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#124 in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
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Same house in Crystal Lake, photographed in 2003.
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The 124 was first offered in the very first Sears catalog (1908). It apparently was a strong seller, and appeared in their catalogs under 1917. It was probably removed because it looked a little "dated" in 1918.
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UPDATE! Rachel Shoemaker – the indefatigable researcher – has found another #124 in Lincolnton, GA at the corner of Humphrey and Dallas. It sure would be nice to have a photo!! Anyone near Lincolnton?
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To read the next fascinating blog, click here.
To learn about Sears biggest and fanciest house, click here.
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The Mitchell-Parks House in Lincolnton, Ga is a Sears #124. Perhaps someone will go take photos for you 🙂
@Rachel Shoemaker
Rachel, you never cease to amaze me!! You’re a wonderful investigator! The amount of stuff that you can find online is just incredible! I’m still dazzled by all those court records your found! WOW!!!
Hi, We moved into house No 124 in Montvale, NJ this past year, and were amazed to find that so many others existed around the country!
It’s really cool to see what other people have done with the house.
I have a few pics of our house that I’d be happy to post, I’m just not sure exactly how to do so….
Hi Marguerite,
Please send me the photos! Send them to Rosemary.ringer@gmail.com and please include permission for me to publish them at the website. 🙂
Rose
Hi, Rose, I had sent you a picture 5 or so years ago of this model in my town. Maybe it wasn’t that good because both of those Sears houses here had snow on them. But here they are from google maps:
No. 124
http://goo.gl/maps/IZb3e
The Westly
http://goo.gl/maps/AEi72
No. 124 was advertised as a Sears kit house when it was listed some years ago. It used to have flanking bushes that had beautiful sprays of white flowers that really set the place off. Looks like they’ve re-landscaped. I actually found the number and called the owner of the Westly, asked him about his Sears house which I think I remember he said everything was still original in it.
I don’t know if you’ve known of this house but I found it’s for sale from another site, it looks like a Crescent to me but it says it was built in 1938 (?).
http://listings.listhub.net/pages/NEFMLS/694157/?channel=zillow
@Kris
Hi Kris. Looks like Medina has lots of older Sears models. The No. 124 is just wonderful. Thanks for sharing that. If you check out the zillow listings right now (Dec 14, 2013), it looks like the house at 528 E Washington St. might be a No. 122.
Thanks, Cindy! I had to get out my book for that, it sure looks like it could be.
The upper story side windows are a little different but I was also comparing a lot of the lay-out inside and it looks very well like it might be a Sears home.
I might just give the agent a call and suggest they could check the beams for numbers. But as you probably know, it was built in 1913 the last year of this model.
Thanks for pointing this out!
Also, I’m just going to add,- that no. 124 in Medina, I used to eyeball that all the time passing by, it really looks grand in person, kind of gives me an impression of a southern estate.
It was a surprise when it was listed as a Sears home, and upon that discovery is what changed a curiosity to a further interest in Sears homes.
To see #124’s “cousin,” (Sears Modern Home #178), google drive to 105 S 21st St, in Ord, NE
The Sears #178 was first offered in 1911 and discontinued by 1915/16. It is very similar to the more popular #124 which was first offered in Spring 1909.
However, the #178 is very distinctively different from the #124.
And, I think this is also a #124.
913 Washington Ave in Rennselaer NY
I own the Rensselaer, NY house, and it just went up For Sale after some more remodeling:
http://www.trulia.com/property/3059064893-913-Washington-Ave-Rensselaer-NY-12144
A neighbor who grew up in the house (his family bought it from the original builder) says it was a Sears home.
I’m sure it’s a variation on Number 124 – the bathroom is bumped out with a front dormer, and an original addition on the back (formerly a back entrance, with the milk bottle door still intact), is now the pantry and laundry room.
I believe the architect for this model is Walter J. Keith of Minneapolis, MN. Keith’s Model 1070 appeared in The Ladies’ Home Journal, January, 1904.
You can also see her in a 1908 architectural book called “Bungalows, Camps and Mountain Houses”, and even the Pee Gee Paint Catalog: “Homes and How To Paint Them”.
She was already pretty famous when Sears signed her on!
The newest photos of 913 Washington are on the realtor listing, but you can see details on all my architectural history research here:
http://hatcherhouse12144.blogspot.com/2011/04/architecture.html
@Beth
How interesting, I found out the same thing! LOL There must be some truth to it 🙂
I have that very magazine. As for what I found, it appears in Keith’s first. There were a couple of versions of it too, size I think if memory serves me right. Story and a half vs true 2 story maybe?
As for Sears offering it, it wasn’t until sometime in late 1908 that they would borrow the plan and offer it. It was one of many patterns that they would “borrow” through the early years.
As for the Ladies Home Journal house, I’ve not found it, yet. I haven’t put much effort in the search though. Do you know anything of it?
However, Sears would later (1913) redesign the plan and the #210 aka Milton was born. The #210/Milton is the same house but now more of a colonial than bungalow.
We recently discovered that we own a model 124 as well. It can be found at 2881 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in Milwaukee, WI.
It was built in 1909 for Judge Linebarger, and was the childhood home for his son Cordwainer Smith. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordwainer_Smith