Henry Roeters wrote:

>I have the priviledge of hanging drywall for a man in a Sears house.  I am not
>sure who it was that was discussing the subject, but this guy is looking to
>get in touch with a Sears Catalog that he may call his own...preferably with a
>picture or discription of his own.


Here are some leads that may prove helpful for Henry's client and for other
owners of Sears houses:

Archives CLL-116B
Public Affairs Department
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
Phone (847) 286-8321
Fax: (847) 286-1914


Sears Roebuck Honor Bilt Modern Homes - 1908 to 1940. Chicago, Illinois

The mass merchandising, mail-order, company was begun in 1886 and
quickly became one of the largest such operations in the world.
They started to offer building supplies and house plans in 1895.
In 1908 Sears commenced issuing a yearly catalogue of house plans
and construction supplies.  This continued until 1940.  The first
catalogue contained 22 plans for houses of moderate size and offered
to supply specifications and materials.  In 1913 Sears brought out
a line of panelized buildings called "Simplex" houses.  1916 saw
the first Sears "kit-house" offered for sale.  This package included
the entire house, with numbered parts and instruction booklets,
paint and nails.  Sears is often credited with inventing the
mail-order kit house but that distinction goes to the Aladdin
Company of Bay City, Michigan who began the practice in 1906. (see
the Aladdin listing in the Archives section for more details)
Sears is likely the producer of the most kit-houses, as it claimed
to have sold over 100,000 by the late 1930s.  Records are scarce
in this area, but estimates place the total output of kit homes
between 1900 and World War II at nearly one-half million.  In the
twenties the colorful "Sears Honor-Built Modern Homes" catalogue
contained over one hundred house models and numerous summer cottages
and garages in a variety of the most popular styles.  The images attached
are a sampling of their most popular Bungalows models.

For more information on Sears Honor Bilt Homes and the other kit house
companies see the following books:

Houses by Mail, by Katherine Cole Stevenson and H. Ward
Jandl, The Preservation Press, Washington, D.C., 1986

America's Favorite Homes by Robert Sweitzer and Michael W.R. Davis,
Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan, 1990

-- --
Ian Evans
The World of Old Houses: http://www.oldhouses.com.au
Publisher: The Flannel Flower Press Pty Ltd
PO Box 591, Mullumbimby, New South Wales, Australia 2482
Phone/fax: +612 6684 7677 Email: [log in to unmask]