It must have been hard to write magniloquent, enchanting copy to accompany (and pitch) each of the 370 models that Sears offered in their Modern Homes catalog. And yet, some of these descriptions are pretty darn good – such as this one.
The Maywood two-story home bespeaks simplicity and worth. Designed after the finest in modern architecture, it makes an ideal home. Viewed from any angle its lovely proportion and balance is outstanding. Every line is expressive of quality, durability and good taste.
Now that’s good writing!
The Maywood was first offered in the late 1920s, and was a popular house for Sears. It had a good floorplan, and (unlike most Sears Homes) the rooms were all fairly spacious (by 1920s standards).
The Maywood was patterned after a popular housing style, so not every house that looks like a Maywood is a Maywood. Take a look at the pictures below to learn how to differentiate the real deal from the look-alikes.
The Maywood, as seen in the 1928 catalog.
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Unlike many Sears Homes, the Maywood had a good floor plan with spacious rooms.
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Upstairs, it had three good-size bedrooms.
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Maywood in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Maywood in Dayton, Ohio. Porch on left has been enclosed.
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Not surprisingly, Decatur, IL has several Sears Homes, including this Maywood.
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Ohio seems to be the mecca for Sears Homes. This one is in Dayton.
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This house is in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. At first glance, I thought it was the Maywood, and now I don't think so. The Maywood is 32' wide. This house might be a little bigger than that. Plus, this house has more space around the second-floor windows. It just looks like a BIGGER house that our Sears Maywood.
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A very nice match!
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To learn about Indiana’s $1 million Sears House, click here!
To learn more about Goodwall Sheet Plaster and its fireproof qualities, click here.
To make Rose’s day complete, leave a comment below! 🙂
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Rosemary, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your posts every day! I love learning about all these Sears homes and seeing recent photos of them. You do such a great job pulling them all together. I am totally hooked on these things now – thanks to you!
Best,
Sarah @ house-crazy.com
So I got one right? That’s the first Maywood I ever found on my own!
@Dale Wolicki
Dale, you’re a funny guy!! I can identify 14 Aladdin kit homes, but you can identify all 370 Sears Homes!!! 🙂
Speaking of which, can you re-send me a photo of that Sears #174? It’s the one with the four bay windows hanging off the four corners of the house. It’s kind of a foursquare-looking thing…
You found it, took a photo, sent it to me, and now I can’t seem to find it. This was about 2008 that you sent it…
I have searched my computer for DAYS and don’t know what happened to it!
I have found three of the Maywoods here in West Virginia.
However, I did not realize they were Sears homes until today. Really glad I found this. Thanks