When my dear friend Dale heard the saga about the threatened demolition of the Pop Culture Building (a mail-order kit home) at BGSU, he offered to send me photos of the other kit homes he’d found in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Bowling Green has an impressive array of kit homes, and I’m confident that there are more than we’ve documented below. For instance, in Rebecca Hunter’s book (Putting Sears Homes on the Map), she found that a Sears Argyle was built in Bowling Green in the 1910s or 20s.
Where is it now?
Either Dale didn’t see it (which is possible, as we rarely have time to examine every house on every street), or the Argyle also got in the way of progress, and met a fate similar to what may befall the Sears Lewiston.
Fact is, colleges are notorious bungalow eaters. Seems as though colleges are often positioned in the heart of early 20th Century development, and as they expand and grow, the working-class and middle-class bungalows from the 1910s, 20s and 30s get gobbled up and spit out as landfill rubble.
The Wardway/Sears Lewiston at BGSU is a rarity, and less than 25,000 Wardway Homes were built (from 1909-1932). Even more interesting, based on my research, the Wardway “Lewiston” at BGSU may be the only one of its kind. To learn more about that home’s unique history, click here.
At some point, we need to stop destroying these historically significant homes.
Demolishing old houses is not very environmentally friendly, either. According to “The Slate Roof Bible” (2003, by Joseph Jenkins), 28% of the debris found in landfills is from demolition or remodeling.)
I’m still hopeful that Bowling Green State University will reverse their decision and not send 300,000+ pounds of kit home (sans additions) to the landfill on August 7th.
At the very least, this house should be MOVED and not destroyed.
Special thanks to architectural historian (and co-author) Dale Wolicki for providing the photos of the kit homes in Bowling Green, Ohio.
To read more about the potentially sad fate of the kit home at BGSU, click here.
UPDATED: To read about the realistically smart idea of MOVING the BGSU house, click here.
To sign a petition to help save this house, click here.
Can this house at BSGU be moved? Heck yeah. Here's a Sears Lynnhaven (similar in size to the house at BGSU) rolling down the road to its new location.
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The Sears Willard was a popular house. Here's a picture from the 1929 Sears Modern Homes catalog.
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Picture-perfect Sears Willard in Bowling Green, Ohio. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Sears Arlington as seen in the 1919 catalog.
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Another beautiful Sears House (The Arlington) in Bowling Green. On a side note, Sears Homes were not pre-fab, but pre-cut. There's a big difference. In one of the early reports I saw on the Lewiston kit home at the BGSU campus, it said the house was pre-fab. Not true. These mail-order kit homes from the 1920s and 30s were pre-cut. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Sears Rodessa was a cute, but distinctive bungalow (1921).
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The Sears Rodessa in Bowling Green on High Street. You'll notice from the image above, this house is in mostly original condition. This is a rare treat to see these more modest homes unmolested by the asbestos/aluminum/vinyl siding salesmen. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Unless it's sitting at the landfill, there's also a Sears Argyle somewhere in Bowling Green. I'd be grateful if someone in Bowling Green would let me know if they've seen this house - and better yet - get a photo!
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Notice how the porch floor extends a little bit beyond the primary wall? That is a very distinctive feature, and makes it easier to identify this house.
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And our Sears Lewiston (1930 catalog).
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The house at the BGSU campus is so darn interesting, because it's a Sears design, but it was ordered from Montgomery Ward. The school could not possibly have picked a better building for the "Popular Culture" program. Photo is courtesy BGSU Pop Culture House. Yesterday (August 1st), the little house apparently borrowed someone's smart phone and using mirrors and lasers, took a picture of itself. This is one remarkable house. And then, the little house posted its own photo on its own Facebook page.
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In addition to the kit homes from Sears and Wards, Bowling Green also has a kit home from Lewis Manufacturing (Bay City, MI). This was also a national kit home company (like Sears and Wards), that sold houses through their mail-order catalogs.
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Another pristine example of a kit home in Bowling Green. This is the Lewis San Fernando. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Also from Lewis Manufacturing, this is the Lavitello, a classic bungalow (1924 catalog).
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Another beautiful bungalow in excellent condition. And it still has its original casement windows. Man, I love this house. Guess it's a good thing it's located safely away from the bungalow-eating state university? Elsewise, it might be feeling a little "disheveled" and living at the landfill. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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The Wardway Sheridan was a popular house for Montgomery Ward (1929 catalog).
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Another fine-looking Wardway Home in Bowling Green. Soon, it may be the *only* Wardway home in town. š Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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And the amazing Dale Wolicki even found a George Barber (pattern book) house in Bowling Green. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Last but not least, a picture of the house on BGSU campus. The house on the left was taken soon after the house was completed in February/March 1932. House on the right is the Sears Lewiston from the 1929 catalog.
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To learn more about the house at BGSU click here.
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I looked through Bowling Green via google maps the other day trying to find that Argyle, but had no luck.
I did however find another “Barber looking” house but I couldn’t find a design no. to match it to. Those of us who research and study these houses are aware of the architectural features that identify the houses or the company they came from …. much like a designer can spot a “Prada” handbag at first glance š
I have seen comments that say the PopC house has been remodeled beyond recognition and is of no historical value now.
That is simply not true.
Thanks to Virgil’s daughter we know what the house looked like in 1931/32 and it looks amazingly the same! That back addition doesn’t diminish its value.
Many old houses are added on to and this addition has not taken away any of the architectural features that identify this house as the Sears Lewiston/Colchester. If you read the previous blog you can see catalog images of hardware and doors compared with photos of the house taken just a few days ago. Surprisingly the interior still has much of the original hardware and that itself is rare! As old houses get updated hardware, doors etc get changed out.
The person who decided this house was in poor condition needs to get out more!
There are people who live in houses in far worse shape that are deemed “livable”. How is it so easy for a city/state agency to *condemn* a property for their purposes?
And, that Argyle? Yep, I bet the university devoured that bungalow too. I bet it’s now a parking lot. Sad sad sad.
Where does it stop?
Bowling Green has lots of great architecture. Whenever I am headed south on I-75 I have to stop and drive through its neighborhoods.
This is so cool! As a current BG resident, I spend quite a bit of time out walking with my two year old. I’ll keep my eye out for that Argyle! Thanks again for all your hard work on behalf of our beloved Pop Culture House. It really means a lot!
Given the level of information you have it strikes me that you probably already know about this but …if not…Tuff Shed offers pre-fab kits for full size houses.
One I’m particularly interested in is a Garage Apartment Home.
The apartment is over a two car garage. It’s delivered in similar way as the old Sears houses. Very affordable too.
KG