The Aladdin Edison must have been a very popular house for Aladdin. It was small (600 square feet), affordable ($750 in 1914) and from an architectural standpoint, a real cutie pie. According to the 1914 catalog, it was “One of the prettiest little bungalows ever built.”
The Aladdin Edison, as seen in the 1919 catalog.
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In 1914, it was known as the "Denver."
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There were minor differences between the floorplan for the Denver (1914) and the Edison (1919).
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In the 1919 floor plan, the dining room has been moved to the front of the house and a bedroom has been enlarged. The bathroom got a lot smaller though. Good grief - six by eight? You'd have to step into the hallway to change your mind. Oh wait, there is no hallway. And a bedroom lost a closet.
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It wasn't until I started putting this blog together that I realized there were some other differences, too. The dormer on the Denver (right) is not as high on the roofline as the dormer on the Edison (left). That's a significant difference. The Denver (right) has four small windows across the front. The Edison has two big and two small.
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But I'd have to say I like the Edison better. And look at that hammock on the front porch!
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And here's a pretty little Edison in Norfolk. Looking good, too! However, it should be very afraid. It's perilously close to Old Dominion University, and colleges are notorious bungalow eaters. Will it live to see its 100th birthday?
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It sits right next door to this Edison (on 49th Street). Will ODU be able to resist gobbling up TWINKIE Edisons? Doubtful. Two little Edisons together - forever. I hope.
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In April 1923, this ad appeared in the Ledger Dispatch newspaper (Norfolk). My new full-time job is reading through hundreds and hundreds of pages of old newspapers, looking for information on Penniman. In the process, I do find some really unexpected and cool stuff, such as this ad. Even in 1923, it was described as "beautiful." Is it the blue house or the green house there on 49th Street? I wonder. But if you take a close look at this house, you'll notice that it has all the same furniture as the Edison in the 1919 catalog. Oopsie. Looks like J. Wesley Gardner infringed someone's copyright! The ad also says it has a poultry house in the back yard.
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Here's a cute little Edison in Hopewell, VA. Ah but wait, look at that dormer! It's a Denver!
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Another Denver in Hopewell, VA.
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This Hopewell Denver has a "sensitive" addition. Looks darn good!
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Oh NO!!! It's had its eyes gouged out!!! This poor dear is in Hopewell, too.
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The tree in the front yard is dying of embarrassment.
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The Edison seems to be prone to abuse. This unfortunate thing is in Lynchburg. Wrought iron? Really? And I'm not sure why there are two reflectors at the base of the step. Is it so people won't drive into the living room at night?
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Roanoke Rapids, NC also has an abundance of Edisons. This one is a little rough around the edges.
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This one is "all fixed up" (shudder). It's also in Roanoke Rapids.
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This one needs some love, but the Japanese Lanterns are a nice touch (Roanoke Rapids).
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And I saved one of my favorites for last. It's a a sweet little Denver in Crewe, VA. Seems likely that the addition (left front) was done when the house was originally built. This house is on Route 460 on the left side heading east. I always wave "hello" when I drive past it. Something about this little bungalow in Crewe always makes me smile.
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To read more about Penniman, click here.
How many kit homes does Hopewell have? Click here to learn more!
To learn more about Roanoke Rapids and their amazing collection of houses, click here.
To contact Rose, leave a comment below.
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Can you get to the upstairs in these homes???
I am a real estate agent in Nebraska and have a listing like this. I didn’t know much about them until I read this and spoke with the owners’ daughter. It looks like it has an upstairs, but no stairs inside the home.
You have to get on the roof to get to the upstairs. Any more info on these???
Please Advise
Mary Christiansen
All the Hopewell Edisons you posted are located in A village. There was an additional section of Aladdin homes built in B village that included the Edison. On 1st Street, which is now Main Street, there were five.
Second Street had four more and 4th Street had two. Out of those eleven there are four left.
I lived in Bogue Chitto Mississippi years back and my neighbor had a house just like this and he used to use a rope ladder to get to his upstairs part.
It just hung off the side all the time. Kinda strange I thought.