Last month, a Jacksonville reporter contacted me and asked if I knew of any kit homes in the area. We exchanged a few emails, and much to my surprise, she said that she’d found a kit house, and in fact, she’d found a rare house: Sears Modern Home #179.
Reading her email, I thought, “Sure you did. Right. And I bet that there are three Sears Magnolias around the corner and a whole block of Aladdin Villas just down the street.”
With a little digging, we found an address for this #179 and then (thanks to Google Maps), I “drove” to the address. Sure enough, it was a picture-perfect Sears Modern Home #179 (read about that here!).
Across the street from Modern Home #179, I found another delightful surprise: An Aladdin Georgia, and just like its pristine neighbor, the “Georgia” was also in beautifully original condition.
Jacksonville, Florida has two more kit homes than I would have thought likely and both are jaw-dropping gorgeous. And what a nice bonus, that this time, it was the reporter that told me about this rare Sears House!
Now about that Aladdin Georgia…
Did I mention that it’s a beauty? And the home’s owner did not realize it was a kit home prior to my discovering this house, and I would have never discovered this house if it weren’t for that resourceful reporter!
Thanks so much to Tracy and Bethany for supplying these wonderful photos!
To learn more about Aladdin click here.
The Aladdin Georgia as seen in the 1919 Catalog.
*
Aladdin Georgia was offered in two sizes, with two floorplans.
*
Floorplan #2 was two feet longer and two feet wider.
*
In the mid-1910s, Aladdin built a "Georgia" in Bay City, documenting the progress day by day. The house was "move-in ready" in about 20 days. These were the days before portable saws, and for a small-time or novice homebuilder, the average two-bedroom bungalow would require more than 4,000 cuts with a hand-saw. (The electric portable saw was first marketed in the early 1920s.) Pre-cut lumber presented a huge savings in time and effort. To have a house ready for occupancy 20 days after construction began (not including foundation work) was a remarkable achievement.
*
The photographic record of the fast-built Georgia (about 1915).
*
Note, this house was framed using platform construction, NOT balloon! And the foundation was not included in the "built in 20 days" time-frame. Note the shingles in the foreground.
*
According to accompanying text, the carpentry work (framing in and sheathing) was done by one carpenter with two helpers. By day two, the house is framed in!
*
By the fifth day, it's taking shape.
*
On the 7th day, the two workers saw all that they had done and they were very pleased. Note, the guy on the scaffolding is taking a smoke break.
*
Day eleven has arrived and it's looking substantially done (exterior).
*
Twenty days later, it's complete, inside and out.
*
Finis!
*
Oh my goodness! There's the house in Jacksonville! What a dreamie house! And it's in such wonderful condition! Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
*
Oh baby! Excuse me, haven't I seen you somewhere before, like a glossy magazine featuring the most beautiful bungalows in America? Where have you been all my life? Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
*
Nice comparison of the subject house and the vintage image. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
*
And the home's owner was kind enough to supply some photos of the home's interior. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
*
It's a house filled with windows and light. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
*
From the living room, looking into the dining room. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
*
This fireplace is in the dining room, and those narrow cabinets are actually pass-throughs to the kitchen. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
*
What a house!
*
Do you know of any other kit homes in Jacksonville? Please leave a comment below!
*
To learn more about how to identify kit homes, click here.
What fueled the bungalow craze? Germs!
* * *
The Aladdin Georgia in the construction picture still stands in Bay City and looks really good considering it’s 100 years old.
That Jacksonville Georgia is probably one of the most authentic unaltered examples I have ever seen!
Where is the original home in Bay City located? I reside in Bay City and I’d love to get some photos!
What do you suppose might be in the *back* of the yellow one?
It appears to have an addition.