A Little piece of Paradise… College Hill, Ohio - SELFCRAFT

Chapter 37 Some Assembly RequiredToday we have modular homes that are trucked to a prepared site and assembled. But do you knowthat you might be living in a precursor to that trend - a ready-cut home purchased from a catalog?Sears and Roebuck houses came directly to the door, pre-cut, ready to assemble, no architect needed.Sears sold and financed nearly 100,000 mail order houses from 1909-1937, peaking in 1926-1929. Therewas a demand for comfortable homes fueled by a surging economy. Sears opened sales offices in majorcities across the country, including one on 4th Street in downtown Cincinnati. Buying a house became aseasy as ordering furniture. 19House kits were delivered anywhere in America where there was a rail line. Montgomery Ward andAladdin also had home kits available. Even local lumber yards, such a Pierson’s in Northside, had pre-cuthouses for sale.Contractors could pick out house plans from over 100 styles and customize them for the purchaserby altering the floor plan, reversing and changing room locations, or expand the options for houseexteriors by using brick, wood or stucco. Houses were available with one or two stories, electric or gasfixtures, and with garages. Interior pictures were drawn with suggested furniture placement and furniturepackages were available with the identical items used in the drawings.Preservationists now recognize the architectural significance of the homes produced by the creativemarketing of the catalog movement. There are entire neighborhoods constructed of ‘Modern Homes.’ Thehouses were varied in roof lines, porch locations and details to add diversity to the street scape. Carryingthe Sears guarantee, a full refund was offered if the customer didn’t like the finished house.A home built in this manner had economy in mind. An ‘Honor Bilt’ home was advertised to cost40% less than standard construction. Houses were available for under $1,000. Styles ranged from a smallcabin to southern-style mansions with tall exterior columns. The latter was called ‘The Magnolia’ and wasthe most expensive available - $5,140 in 1918. It included French doors, a curved staircase with a blackwalnut banister, a solarium, servant’s quarters, and inlaid floors. For a short time even steel framedhouses were offered.Construction/assembly was simple even for a novice. All that was necessary was choosing themodel, sending an order with a down payment and the house was shipped. Kits included everything -down spouts, paint, varnish, nails, lath, shingles, beveled glass doors, etc. The kits did not includematerials for a foundation. The home builder needed to prepare the foundation, haul materials from thetrain yard to the construction site, and match up parts numbers to those with instruction plans. A pipelessfurnace body was $100 extra.One of the companies that produced Sears’ sash and doors was located in Norwood, the NorwoodSash & Door Manufacturing Co. Started in 1912 it was sold by Sears in 1945 and is still in business.These houses could have fine detailing but the instructions were simple. An instruction bookletassured the handyman that every board, stud and joist had been notched or mitered to fit and wasnumbered. The booklet even included how far apart to hammer the nails. This reduced the labor needed toconstruct homes during a time without electric power tools. The construction materials were shipped ininstallments so that all the house pieces did not come at once, posing a storage problem. A house filledtwo boxcars. As can be seen by the large number of these houses still occupied, the houses aged well.Bungalows were the most popular style from 1900-1930, featuring wide porches. Built-ins werepopular; bookcases, kitchen cabinets with continuous counters, ironing boards, and breakfast nooks. TheVictorian style of elaborate gingerbread trim was replaced by the economical and efficient Arts & Craftsmovement. The new emphasis was on craftsmanship and a return to simplicity, focusing on the family.19 Historic Preservation, Sears, Roebuck’s Best-kept Secret, Kay Halpin, Sept./Oct. 1981.Smithsonian, When home sweet home was just a mailbox away, David M. Schwartz, Nov. 1985Cincinnati Enquirer, Built by the Book, Ann Johnston Haas, Jan. 30, 1993. Houses by Mail: A guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company, Katherine ColeStevenson, H. Ward Jandl, 1986.221