Monday, March 21, 2016

Not in Houses by Mail Pt 2 -- 1918-1940 -- They got names now

There was only half a dozen homes that I've found after 1918 when the houses started getting names. 

First off in 1920 we have the Sears Cinderella

Similar to the 1920's Oakdale bungalow. The exterior is close to the same with a slightly rearranged floor plan.

Sears Oakdale

Secondly 1921 gave us the Sears Harper. This house was a successor to the Sears Harmony that was offered the year before. Only difference is the absence of dormers.

 Sears Harper 

Sears Harmony

The 3rd house which was just found recently is the 1926 Sears Elmwood which is totally different style house than the earlier Elmwood.

Sears Elmwood 1926

The 4th house from 1929 was the Sears Parkridge. This house has the same floor plan as the Berwyn/Mayfield/Galewood house with a different entry.

Parkridge 1929

The 5th house from 1930 is the Sears Pendleton which is a brick veneer version of the Sears Sheffield

Sears Pendleton

Sears Sheffield

And 1930 also gave us a  Standard Built home with a different name but same floor plan as the non clipped gabled Rodessa.

The Sears Monticello the Standard Built version of the Honor Built Rodessa


If you find anymore houses that HBM missed please let me know.

The 1926 Elmwood picture is from Daily Bungalow and the Monticello is from a catalog found by Andrew Mutch. All photos can be found on my Pinterest boards with proper credit.



Not in Houses by Mail Pt 1 - 1908-1917 The numbered years

Sears started selling modern homes in 1908 and offered a few that year that didn't stick around long. The numbers were re-used but a different house offered. The authors of Houses by Mail had access to a large amount of catalogs but not all. Here is a collection of houses starting with the earliest that HBM didn't have access to. 

Let's start with the Sears No 108 from 1908 through 1913. HBM listed some of the dates under the Sears Saratoga but until 1914 it was a different house.


Between the years 1908-1913 it went from having a bump out in the parlor to just a plain square living room.


Next we have the Sears No 120  which showed back up in 1909 through 1917 as a different house.

 1908

1909-1917

Next we have the Sears 128 which showed back up in 1911 through 1914. The 1912 reprint has it as the No 241 as does HBM.

1908

1911-1914

Next we have the Sears No 138 which showed back up in 1911 through 1914 although not found in 1912.

1908

1911-1914

Next we have the Sears No 158 which started in 1909 through 1913 but got a face lift in 1914. Floor plans were only slightly modified.

 1909-1913

1914

Next we have the 264P165 which started in 1909 through 1913 with a face lift in 1914. Floor plans stayed the same but it lost 3 fireplaces.

1909-1913

1914

Next we have the Sears No 184 which was only offered in 1914.

1914

Next we have the 264P232 which has the same floor plan as the 264P233 but with a porch roof instead of pergolas.

1914

Next we have the Sears No 235

1914

Next we have the 264P238

1914 

And the last house which appeared in 1909 the Sears No 303

1909

Lastly Sears had a floor plan for a schoolhouse by only in 1908.

1908 Schoolhouse 500

Please let me know if you have any houses to add to this list.

All images found on my Pinterest boards.
Most borrowed from Rachel Shoemaker, Rosemary Thornton, Vintage Literature catalogs on disk or from the 1913 reprint.