Gordon Van Tine homes are not as well known as Sears, but they were a substantial competitor in the mail-order house business.
GVT was founded in 1866 (as a lumber supply company) and evolved into a mail-order house company about 1909 (according to GVT expert, Dale Wolicki).
By contrast, Richard Warren Sears didn’t start selling watches until 1886! Sears issued their first building materials catalog in 1895, and their first house catalog came out in 1908.
Gordon Van Tine was based in Davenport, Iowa, but they had mills in Mississippi and Washington State.
Another little interesting tidbit: Montgomery Ward also sold kit homes, but all their orders were fulfilled by Gordon Van Tine. In fact (unlike Sears), GVT handled all the details for Wardway Homes, from architectural design to catalog printing to order fulfillment.
Sears hired a staff of architects to create their house designs, as did Gordon Van Tine. Montgomery Wards hired Gordon Van Tine!
And the best part – according to the advertisement for the GVT #114, the architects at GVT were “bungalow experts”!
Several years ago, Dale sent me this picture of a GVT #114, which he found in Pennsylvania. It wasn’t until I started studying the very early GVT catalogs, that I actually placed the model that Dale had discovered.
We know that there were at least two of these houses built (testimonial shows one in Iowa), but it’d be fun to know if there are more than two!
To learn more about Gordon Van Tine, click here.
Thanks to Rachel Shoemaker for scanning the 1913 and 1916 GVT catalog!
And thanks to Dale for sharing his photos!
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This graphic (1913) explains why kit homes were typically located within 1-2 miles of railroad tracks. The logistics of moving a house from here to there typically involved a vehicle with 1-2 horsepower (as shown above).
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And GVT first started doing business when "Lincoln was president..." (1929 catalog)
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Model #114 as seen in the 1913 GVT catalog.
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I love this part: "Our architects are bungalow experts." Were they also foursquare experts? Colonial experts? Neo-tudor experts? Or just devout "bungalow experts"?
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Intriguing little house, isn't it? Notice the windows on the side and front, with the diamond muntins in the horizontal window that traverse the smaller windows. Nice feature, and makes it easier to identify.
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Only two bedrooms (as designed) with a small den on the front of the house.
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And here it is in Manheim, Pennsylvania on North Hazel Street. The dormers have been enlarged, perhaps to create better light and livable space on the second floor. The house has had some other modifications, but the question is, were these changes done when the house was built? I think that's the most likely scenario. Picture is copyright 2009, Dale Patrick Wolicki and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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If you look at the house from a side street, you can see that unusual window on the side.
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And there's another GVT #114 in Iowa!
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To learn more about Gordon Van Tine, click here.
Thanks to Rachel Shoemaker for scanning the 1913 and 1916 GVT catalog!
And thanks to Dale for sharing his photos!
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I LOVE the 1913 catalog!
I’ve found several of those testimonial homes.
However, I’ve not found this one! I need more information other than ‘Built in Northern Iowa’ LOL
If I come across it I’ll let you know.
That’s a sweet example that Dale found! Thanks to both of you for sharing.
I just bought this model home 4 weeks ago in Sanford, Florida.
I am in the process of stripping the mahogany woodwork and the paneling/wallpaper from the walls to expose the original plaster walls.