It was 2003 when I saw my first Sears Modern Home Model #124. I’d visited Rebecca Hunter in the Chicago area, and she took me to Crystal Lake to see “an authenticated #124.” It was all very exciting and Rebecca had even arranged for an inside tour. That was a very happy day.
More recently, Pat Kluetz left a comment at my blog that she’d discovered a Sears Modern Home #124 in Amherst, Wisconsin and it was for sale! She was kind enough to leave a link to the site.
Having read the listing, I was surprised to find that the Realtor didn’t mention this is a Sears House. I wonder if they know?
Many thanks to the unnamed Realtor who snapped all these wonderful photos! And thanks to Pat Kluetz for leaving a comment at my blog.
And if anyone wants to know what I want for Christmas…
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To see the original listing, click here.
You can visit Marguerite’s #124 by clicking here.
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My oh my, what a fine-looking house and it's in such wonderfully original condition. It's listed for $175,000 and for those of us living near a coast, it defies belief that a house like this (on 2+ acres) could be purchased at such a low price.
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This is my favorite photo, for so many different reasons. For one, it really highlights the beautiful condition of this 104-year-old house. Not only does it have original wooden windows, it also has wooden storms. Wow.
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The entire front porch is so inviting. Those white wicker chairs help too.
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And it even has a private drive. Be still my heart. Santa, are you listening?
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Sears House. Wisconsin. Two acres of bucolic bliss. Mature treees. Wow.
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Look at the size of those eaves! Notice all the windows across the back of the 2nd floor? Make a note of those many windows. More on that later. BTW, is that a ham radio antenna?
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And there are interior views too! I suspect that fireplace mantel is not original to the house. That's just not the type of brickwork you'd see in an early 1900s house.
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That staircase is a beauty, and a good match to the floorplan.
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You're left wondering: Who's their favorite football team?
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Sears Modern Home #124 was offered first in the 1908 catalog. The image above is from the 1914 catalog.
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It last appeared in the 1916 catalog (shown above).
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Pre-WW1 kit homes are pretty rare, and yet #124 appears to have been one of their most popular models. With 1930 square feet, this was one of their largest houses.
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Check out that bank of windows on the 2nd floor (by the landing). That's a whole lot of windows.
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Look at all those windows! The house in Amhurst, Wisconsin is a perfect match - front and rear!
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It's an unusual house, but lots of charm!
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What a beauty! And such a good match to the catalog image. Why isn't it being promoted in the listing as a kit house? And you wonder, why would anyone leave this little slice of heaven?
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Here's the first #124 I ever saw, and it's in Crystal Lake Illinois.
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Located in Montvale, New Jersey, this #124 is also in beautiful condition. Those river rock columns are stunning. (Photo is copyright 2013 Marguerite Deppert and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.)
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Even tiny Taylorville, IL has a Sears Modern Home #124.
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Dale Wolicki found this #124 in Augres, Michigan Check out the river rock on the column bases. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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And they're even in the deep South, and with fancy columns! This house is in Lincolnton, Georgia. (Photo is copyright 2012 Steve and Teresa Howland and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.)
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Another commenter mentioned this #124 in Rensselaer. New York. Thanks to another unnamed Relator for sharing this photo. This house is lcoated at 913 Washington Avenue and is also for sale.
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And Kris left a comment at my other blog on #124, saying that he'd found this house in Medina Ohio.
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Modern Home #124 appeared in the 1911 Seroco Paint Catalog.
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Even though Modern Home #124 was offered only from 1908-1916, it proved to be a very popular house.
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And while we've found the 124s in Montvale, Taylorville and Crystal Lake, there are still many MIA!
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To see the original listing, click here.
You can visit Marguerite’s #124 by clicking here.
Want to learn more about America’s front porches? Click here.
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Hi Rosemary, we have a Sears Kit Home that we are selling. So you know of an appriopriate venue/website to let fans of Sears Homes know that it is available?
It is located in the North East corner of NY State (near Plattsburgh, NY), 15 minutes from Lake Champlain and about an hour each way to Lake Placid, Burlington VT and Montreal!
It has amazing woodwork in it. Here is the link: http://www.remax.com/realestatehomesforsale/50-west-church-street-west-chazy-ny-12992-gid400019105279.html
Thanks for this resource. We just purchased a 1914 #124 In Saco Maine. We are currently trying to refinish the entire interior. The layout is a bit different than the standard. I imagine you could do customizations if you choose to.
At the time this was the mayors house and he was trying to lure Sears (and was successful) into bringing manufacturing to the town