For years and years, we’d always believed that the 1939 and 1940 Sears Modern Homes catalogs were identical, and that the 1940 catalog was a straight reprint of the 1939. Reading up on “The Croydon” we learned that this wasn’t the case.

In the 1940 catalog, the Croydon looked like this.

In the 1939 catalog, it looked like this. Remember that feature in “Highlights Magazine” where readers were invited to spot the differences in two images? Let’s play that game here. 

Here, I’ll make it easier.

The Croydon that Jeff found in Hastings-on-Hudson is a beautiful match to the 1939 catalog image.  (I’m assuming you figured out the difference between the 1939 and the 1940 by now.)  Photo is copyright 2015 Jeff S. Alterman and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And here’s a fun close-up of the detail on that bell-cast asymmetrical front gable. I love this photo and am so tickled that Jeff’s keen eye decided to zoom in on this. Plus, it shows that the Croydon had functional shutters – very unusual for a Sears Home. Only a handful of models had working shutters; most were ornamental. Photo is copyright 2015 Jeff S. Alterman and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Reason #1,489 that vinyl-siding salesmen should be legislatively banned from old-house neighborhoods. Technically, this is aluminum trim (not vinyl) but c’mon. Instead of peddling your putrid products so aggressively, why not suggest to the homeowners that this particular piece of front-facing trim be left uncovered, and simply be re-painted once every 10 years or so. Photo is copyright 2015 Jeff S. Alterman and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Back to the happy comments: The Croydon was a beautiful house. What a pity that this model in Hastings-on-Hudson may be one of only a handful ever built in the country.  However, this one is in beautiful condition. Photo is copyright 2015 Jeff S. Alterman and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

That upstairs is actually spacious, with two bedrooms and a full bath. Photo is copyright 2015 Jeff S. Alterman and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

If you ascend in your Sears & Roebuck™ drone and remove the home’s roof, this is what you’ll find.

As Sears Homes go, those two bedrooms are pretty spacious.

Did you figure this out? The 1939 model (left) has that dramatic bell-cast roof reaching almost to the ground, together with a short brick pedestal on the right side. The 1940 model (right) doesn’t have those eye-catching features.

Did you miss that small pedestal adjoining the gable when you first glanced at our Croydon in Hastings-on-Hudson? I sure did! BTW, if one of my smart friends can give me the proper architectural term for that, I’d be grateful. I’m tempted to call it a “sideways cheek” but that is probably not right.  Photo is copyright 2015 Jeff S. Alterman and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Thanks so much to Jeff for sharing his expertise and his photos!

While “google driving” around a bit in Hastings-on-Hudson, I found this glorious Sears “Gladstone” around 17 Hillside, which Jeff tells me isn’t included on the main list. I’d love to come to Hastings-on-Hudson sometime a do a proper street-by-street survey! I found several Sears Homes (and a rare GVT house) in a short time in this delightful New York town.