Fellow Sears House Hunter Carey Bullock found this one-of-a-kind customized Sears House in Canton, Ohio by doing a search at the local courthouse for mortgage records. It’s one of many ways to find Sears Homes, and one of the better ways to find a customized Sears kit house.
The grantee records will show a conveyance of the house to Sears (or one of their trustees) as security for the note (or loan). The grantor in this case is the homeowner, who’s conveying a security interest to the mortgage holder (Sears).
And this customized Sears House is less than four blocks from the Sears Magnolia in Canton!
Carey found a build date of 1924 for the customized house, and the Sears Magnolia was purchased sometime in 1922, so it raises the question: Was the homeowner awestruck by the magnificent Magnolia, and decided that he wanted his own glorious Sears House?
While I’m the one penning the words for this blog, it is in fact Carey, who has done all the legwork, research and photography. If you’re in Canton, and would like to know more about kit homes, Carey is an incredible resource!
Thanks so much to Carey for providing the material for this blog!
To read about the Magnolia in Canton, click here.
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When Carey Bullock first shared these photos, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. It has the dormer that’s a bit like the Sears Hamilton and a front porch reminiscent of the Sears Ardara, but other than that, it really isn’t close to matching any of the 370 designs of Sears Homes. Photo is copyright 2016 Carey and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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It’s a fine-looking and spacious home and even looks good in snow! Photo is copyright 2016 Carey Bullock and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Carey got good shots from every angle! Photo is copyright 2016 Carey Bullock and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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The owners told Carey that it was modeled after the Sears Lexington. Shown here is a Sears Lexington in Glen Ellyn (near Chicago).
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The Sears Lexington (shown here from the 1921 catalog) might not look like a good match to the house in Canton – at first glance, but…
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The Canton house is seven feet wider (43′ wide per the auditor’s website) and two feet less deep (22 feet), but the interior layout is apparently pretty close (but flipped in the Canton house).
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This house (in Canton) was built with the rooms reversed!
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If you compare the home’s rear with the floorplan and “reverse it,” you can see the windows are all a good match. That small window next to the three living room windows is the half-bath. See those double windows next to the half bath? I suspect the homeowners chose not to go with the grade entry shown above. The next opening is the kitchen window.
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On the second floor, you can readily see those two small windows for the oversized landing.
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That dormer looks a lot like it came from the Hamilton or Starlight. Photo is copyright 2016 Carey Bullock and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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It’s similar, not identical.
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And the front porch is impossible to peg, but it’s a bit reminiscent of the Sears Ardara. Photo is copyright 2016 Carey Bullock and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Kinda sorta, but the Canton house has a more dramatic flip!
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When I was a child, I’d ask my mother if I looked like my siblings and she’d say, “No I don’t think so. You look just like YOU!” This house doesn’t really look like any of its siblings either! But it surely is a lovely home in its own right. Photo is copyright 2016 Carey Bullock and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
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Thanks so much to Carey for providing the material for this blog!
To read about the Magnolia in Canton, click here.
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So very cool to have researched and found out all this. Moreso that you will share it with us. Thanks ! When I first saw the front porch, it reminded me of an oriental design.
Could this be even vaguely linked to the city of Canton which is also a city in China?
Either way, it is lovely. How lucky that it also has owners who have kept it up over the years.
The house looks great. However, I don’t see any garage space. The car or truck bumper might get damaged from the elevated terrain. Does that mean it only has street parking for the vehicle?