It’s two, two, TWO houses in one! The catalog page featuring the Sears Arlington promoted it as a “Colonial House with a Bungalow Effect.”
Maybe we should just call it, “The Colongalow”! [Kah-lon-ga-low]
And what’s not to love about the melding of two housing styles?
Everyone who loves old houses has a soft spot for the Bungalow and the Colonial, and the Arlington features elements of both (or so the ad promises).
And our Colongalow has a maid’s room, which isn’t something you’d expect to find a kit home. There were a handful of Sears Homes that offered maid’s quarters, but the Arlington is one of the most modest (within that grouping).
Thanks again to Becky Gottschall for finding and photographing the Arlington in Pottstown shown below.
To learn more about The Bungalow Craze, click here.
You can read more on Pottstown here.
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I'm not sure where the "Colonial" element comes in. Classic Colonial Revival architecture features symmetry inside and out, with a centered front door, central hallway and staircase, and symmetrical windows on the home's front. If someone can point out the Colonial influence on this classic Arts & Crafts bungalow, I'd love to see it! (1919 catalog)
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As you can see from the floorplan, it doesn't boast of a center hallway with a center staircase. And yet if you look at the room on the back left, you can see it boasts of a "maid's room."
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However, it is a spacious home with fair-sized bedrooms.
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That maid's room is pretty tiny, but at least it has a closet.
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In the Baxter's home, Hazel's room was also right off the kitchen and yet look at the size! But Hazel wasn't your average maid, so maybe that's why she got such a suite deal. (Image is from "TV Sets: Fantasy Blueprints of Classic TV Homes," Mark Bennett, copyright 1996, Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers.)
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In addition to the spacious bedroom, she also had a walk-thru closet and her own attached bath. Plus, Mr. Bee bought her a great big color television for that nice en suite. Hazel had a good arrangement in the Baxter's home, and both "Sport" and "Missy" loved her dearly. But I digress. There are only a handful of Sears Homes that featured "Maid's Quarters" and our "Colongalow" was one of them. (Image is from "TV Sets: Fantasy Blueprints of Classic TV Homes," Mark Bennett, copyright 1996, Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers.)
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Becky Gotschall found this Arlington in Pottsdown, Pennsylvania. The porch was enclosed, but it was tastefully done. And it's the only brick Arlington I've seen. Photo is copyright 2015 Becky Gottschall and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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The large gabled dormer still retains its original siding. Photo is copyright 2015 Becky Gottschall and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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That appears to be a kitchen window that's been enclosed toward the home's rear. Photo is copyright 2015 Becky Gottschall and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Rachel Shoemaker found this Arlington in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photo is copyright 2015 Rachel Shoemaker and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Is this an Arlington at 212 George Washington Highway North in Chesapeake, Virginia? After studying it for a bit, I'd say probably not. It appears to have a broken porch roof, and that is NOT something a buyer would ever have customized! (The angle on the Arlington's front porch is the same as the primary roof.) Photo is copyright Teddy The Dog 2010 and may not be used or reproduced without written permission. Admittedly, she did not take the photo, but she did find the house.
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One of the world's most perfect Arlingtons in Gordonsville, VA.
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The floorplan showing The Baxter's Home came from this book, which is a mighty fun read. It features all our favorite TV homes from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Personally, I love looking at floorplans and this book answers a few questions about the Petrie's home, and the Taylor's home and the Baxter's home and more.
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To learn more about The Bungalow Craze, click here.
You can read more on Pottstown here.
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I LOVE the Sears Arlington! It’s one of my favorite models Sears offered.
About that house in Chesapeake, Virginia; is that a break or bend in the roofline where the dormer hits? Talk about customization! They centered the front door too.
PS: You should be careful arbitrarily assigning names and styles to Sears homes. There are some that seem to take offense at that. š Oh, et il confond vraiment l’un d’entre eux !
We have a nice Arlington a few miles from me. Looks to be in mostly original condition.
Walked past it during a garden walking tour. It was such an unusual looking house.
Jerome, what city is this? I just found an abundance of fake Arlingtons in Alliance, Ohio (one of which is at 605 East State Street).
I’m thinking someone had a plan book version of this house!
@Bulldog
Oh, you mean my new term, “Colongalow”? š
I like it!
@Sears Homes
I had to check that out that house on State Street. What a house headache! Looks like they have a half dozen variations of it! :-O
And yes, my knee is jerking here, there are a few patterns of this “colongalow” out there.
@Sears Homes
I took a longer look at those “imposters” in that area. One of the most noticeable differences, aside from the variations to the dormers, is the rear of the house. None of those have the shed dormer on the back which the Sears Arlington does have.
They also have a truncated roof in the back which the Arlington does not have. Not only is it seen in the catalog image but the floor plan as well.
Yeah, there are a slew of them in Alliance. They’re also missing the gabled bay on the side. I think we should call the fake ones “Darlingtons.”
What do you think?