The Sherman Triplets

Several years ago, dear friend and co-author Dale Wolicki gave me and Rebecca Hunter a first-class tour of Bay City, Michigan. One of the homes he pointed out to us was “The Sherman,” a kit home built on one of the many tree-lined streets of this historic...

Lost in New Orleans!

What are the odds that this rare and wonderful old Sears House is  still alive and well in New Orleans? I don’t know enough about NOLA to even venture a guess. Last night, I went to a favorite site (Realtor.com) and looked up “houses for sale”...

Sweet Home, Alabama (Sears Magnolia)

Sometime in 2005, the new owner of the Sears Magnolia in Piedmont, Alabama sent me several dozen photos of the house. Recently, I rediscovered the CDs. Those photos reminded me that I also had a 1984 newspaper article about that Magnolia. Unfortunately, I do not have...

A Tale of Two Maggies

Sometime in the late 1910s, someone in Lincoln, Nebraska sat down with a specialty catalog from Sears & Roebuck and ordered a kit house called, “The Magnolia.” It was the grandest kit home that Sears offered, with almost 3,000 square feet, 2-1/2 baths,...