IS MY HOME A SEARS KIT HOME?

I could sit and browse the house plans in the old Sears Modern Homes catalogues for ages. I even hoped to discover that an old home we'd lived in in Fort Worth was a kit home, but alas, if it was, it wasn't a Sears home.

If you visit this website,
http://www.arts-crafts.com/archive/kithome/rt-searskits.shtml
you'll find the following list of what to look for when determining if your home is a Sears Kit Home. All photos in this blog post were downloaded from Google images.

"*Look for stamped lumber on the exposed beams/joists/rafters in the basement, crawl space or attic.
*Inspect the back of millwork (moldings and trim) for shipping labels.
*Check the home's floor plan, footprint (exterior dimensions) and room size, using a field guide to Sears homes such as "Finding The Houses That Sears Built" (2004 Gentle Beam Publications).
*Visit the courthouse and inspect old building permits and grantor records.
*Inspect plumbing fixtures for marks, such as "R" or "SR".
*Look for markings on the back of sheetrock.
*Unique column arrangement on front porch and five-piece eave brackets.
*Square block on moldings at staircase landings, where moldings meet at odd angles.
*Verify your home's construction date. If your home was not built between 1908 and 1940, it can not be a Sears Home."

Examples of stamped
lumber.









Goodwall stamp on back of sheetrock. And to the right, SR on plumbing fixture.  The kitchen sink and pedestal sinks had initials underneath near the front, bath tubs in the lower corner furthest from the tub spout.

This front porch column arrangement is unique to Sears homes—"five-piece eave brackets (the diagonal support brace between the roof line and the exterior wall) might also be a sign that you have a Sears Home."



Square blocks at the staircase landings and other angle joints. It was said to make building easier if the modeling was different thicknesses. I like how it looks. I learned from this research about the plinth block shown in the photo to the right. Doesn't it improve the appearance of the connecting molding?

Though there are numerous other ways to evaluate your home, which you can learn online, a sure sign is a shipping label attached to a piece of lumber somewhere out of obvious sight, like in the attic.

Sears Homes are fascinating and you can find many styles with their floor plans included on Google.

If you have an information on Sears Kit Homes, please share with us in the comments below. As always, thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda LaRoque

Where to Buy a Watch in the 1880s

While researching all things railroad related for my upcoming novel, A Touch of Texas Irish, I ran across this article in an online edition of Model Railroader Magazine.  It was posted by jacon12. I found another post on the Tri Five.com website posted by BamaNomad.

The obvious answer to the above question would be at a department or jewelry store, but in the1880s the railroad depot became the top seller of good watches for cheaper prices.

Richard, a telegraph operator in North Redwood, Minnesota station was on duty when a crate of pocket watches arrived. No one came to claim them, so the telegraph operator sent a telegram to the manufacturer to see what they wanted to do with them. The price to return them was more than the owner wanted to pay, so he asked Richard to see if he could sell them. He did so by sending a telegram to every agent in the system to see if they wanted a good, cheap pocket watch. In less than two day's he'd sold the entire case at a nice profit.

He ordered more watches and encouraged telegraph operators to display the watches in a case. It didn't take long for word to spread outside the train station and the business thrived.  Richard became so busy that he hired professional watch maker, Alvah, to help with orders. The business took off and they expanded to dry good stores.

Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck moved their business to Chicago and established Sears & Roebuck.

The above images are courtesy of Google Images

I love learning information such as this. You may have already known this story. I didn't so wanted to share with readers.

Thanks for stopping by today. Please leave a comment and I promise to reply.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda