This blog originally appeared at this site November 2011. That was more than two years ago, and I thought it’d be worthwhile to print this again. Enjoy!
In September 2002, I flew to Akron, Ohio to work with a producer for a new show that was tentatively called, History Detectives. They were very excited about launching the new program with a story on Sears Homes. I would appear on the second episode, in a story centered around some purported Sears Homes in Firestone Park in Akron.
The filming started at a beautiful Sears Magnolia in Canton, Ohio. What a thrill that was, to see my first Sears Magnolia up close and personal!
The filming took place in March and it was very cold in Ohio. Seemed like it was either snowing, getting ready to snow, or just finishing up with snow. I never saw a blue sky during my time in Ohio.
Despite the cold weather, it was a happy, happy event for me – all the way around. Throughout the eight days of filming, I was treated like a queen and I had my own “gaffer,” who fetched me donuts and hot cocoa and gloves and any little thing my heart desired. What fun!
Years after that big event, someone sent me an article about the building of that Magnolia in Canton, Ohio. It was written sometime in the early 1990s by a Canton history buff, T. E. Prather. The title was “Magnolia: Neo Classic Revival Revived!”
What’s remarkable about this article is that it quotes the 94-year-old builder who helped build the Magnolia in 1923. (Unfortunately, it was a short newspaper clipping, and there was no newspaper name attached! I’d love to know where this originally appeared.)
Clarence Swallow was the builder of nearly 300 homes in this area, and in 1923, he was a 27-year-old carpenter. He was hired by Canton Attorney Leroy Contie, Sr., to supervise the total construction of Contie’s Magnolia.
The catalog price of this pre-cut house was $5,140. With the price of the Ridgewood lot, plastering, electrical work, plumbing, plus other extras, te total cost of the home was approximately $18,000.
Swallow explains how the crates of numbered, top-quality, pre-cut lumber and supplies were brought to the building site by horse-drawn wagons. Swallow and his two-man crew sorted through the giant jig-saw puzzle of packages and began construction in the summer of 1923.
The framing went up on the pre-formed concrete foundation through the summer and autumn. By the first snowfall, the Magnolia was under roof. Then Ennon Plumbing, Eclipse Electric, and several plasterers worked through the winter as Swallow and crew completed the interior trim work.
The six fluted yellow poplar Corinthian porch columns were precisely set in place to support the two-story front portico. The side lights [flanking] the front entrance and an elliptical fanlight under a second floor balcony were the center focus of the main entry.
The original elegance of this early 1920s Magnolia has yielded a small bit to being unoccupied over the past couple years. Yet it has been featured in the Smithsonian (November 1985) and was the featured home of Ohio Historical Society’s publication , Timeline in early 1989.
To read my second favorite blog about the Sears Magnolia, click here.
And we found an eighth Magnolia in West Virginia! Read about that here!
To read more about Sears and Firestone Park, click here.
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The Magnolia was the finest house that Sears offered (cover 1918).
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Although I never did see one with a red roof.
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It was offered from 1918 - 1922, and sold for about $5,000 (depending on year). In 1920, the price hit $9,990 due to post-war hyperinflation of building materials.
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One of my favorite Magnolias in Benson, NC.
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Another gorgeous Magnolia in West Virginia.
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The Magnolia in South Bend (which is currently for sale). Photo is copyright 2012 James Layne and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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This Magnolia in Piedmont, Alabama is looking a little rough, but it's recently been sold and maybe it'll get a new chance at life. It does need some lovin'.
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A brick Sears Magnolia in Pennsylvania.
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And a STUNNING Magnolia in Syracuse, NY. It's also a real beauty. (Photo is courtesy of Mariel Proulx and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.)
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Rest in peace, old Maggy. This was torn down in 1986. Sigh. Photo is courtesy Nebraska State Historical Society and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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To read about the Magnolia in Lincoln, Nebraska, click here.
To see the inside of a Magnolia, click here.
To buy Rose’s book, click here.
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What a great story. As an aside, my 3-year-old daughter was sitting next to me as I was reading this.
When she glanced over and saw a picture of the Maggie, she exclaimed, “I sure love that house, I’m going to live in that house.”
What can I say, she has great taste!
You can’t beat this story!
Look at them all lined up! Beautiful!
One of the most exciting times for me was looking for the West Virginia Magnolia. Thanks to Bing aerial view for making that discovery possible! THAT was an exciting night 🙂
That Magnolia is in Benson, North Carolina, not SC. It is beautiful even though it is a funeral home!
JoAnna, you’re right!
That was a typo, and it’s been a typo for a long, long time!
Thanks for pointing that out!
Rosemary