Or so my husband tells me – frequently.
But I’d have to say that Sears Modern Home #190 was not one of their better designs – in terms of attractiveness.
Perhaps others thought so, as well, because I’ve only seen one of these kit homes and it was in a tiny town in Illinois. Sears Modern Home #190 was gone well before 1918 (when Sears Homes were given names). I’ve only seen it in the 1912 catalog. It’s not in the 1910 and it’s not in the 1916, so apparently, it didn’t last too long.
From the 1912 catalog.
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An unusual floor plan, for sure. Plus, it has a coat closet?? That's unusual. The polygon bay (first and second floor) is the most prominent feature on this little house and makes it easy to identify. On a house of this vintage, you may find a centered bay on the first floor, but it's unusual to see it extend to the second floor.
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Kind of has a face only a mother could love.
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Is this Sears Modern Home #190? The porch roof is different (shed vs. hip), but porches get rebuilt , plus there was a tornado that went through this area in the 1930s and did a lot of damage to a lot of porches. My first impression (and second and third) is that this *is* the #190.
This actually looks *more* like Modern Home #190 because (unlike the house above), this home has in Richmond has the massive cornice returns.
To learn more about kit homes, click here.
Did you know that Buster Keaton did a short on Sears Homes?
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I found one in Edwardsville, Ill. It appears to be either a HB #84 or a Sears #190. It’s at 410 Springer Ave. The construction date shows 1913 so that is possible!
@Rachel Shoemaker
BTW…..the #190 was offered 1911-1914 🙂