Sears Home

The Presque Isle Christmas fest wraps up today.  After celebrating Eucharist at Long Rapids this morning, I decided not to revisit the 1905 House, fearing I might be dragooned into a few more hours of docent labor.  Instead I stopped by the East Grand Lake Fire House where the Chili Cook-Off was underway.  No. 3, a white chili, got my vote.  Wonderfully seasoned!

The Parlor Christmas Tree at the 1905 House.

Then I drove down to the Township Hall to look over the vendors' wares.  Jewelry predominated, and there was a variety of rustic, country-style offerings with an emphasis on Christmas handiwork.  "Rustic country" is not my style.  Moreover, I'm reluctant to buy anything now because I have so much stuff in storage.  Heaven only knows where I'll put what I already have in my modest, short-on-wall-space house.  So I bought some Christmas cards and left it at that.

As I've mentioned, I'm living temporarily at the Rectory of Trinity Episcopal Church, Alpena.  This is a large (roughly 3,500 sq. ft.) house directly behind the church.  That's a lot of space for one person!  I'm glad I didn't set my sights on such a large structure for my own home.  Downstairs the Rectory has a living room, dining room, kitchen, sun room, and half-bath, with a large central hallway; upstairs are four bedrooms and two full baths.  There's also an open porch on one side.  It's very nicely done, with hardwood floors throughout, wet plaster walls, and nice trimwork.

The Rectory.

Moreover, this is a Sears home.  I've heard about these houses for years, but never to my knowledge set foot in one, nor dreamed that I'd live in one, even if only briefly.  From 1908-1940 Sears offered their Modern Homes through their catalog and sold close to 75,000 houses over that period.  You could buy everything from a very elaborate multi-story structure to a simple two-bedroom cottage without bathroom (Sears would sell you the outhouse to go with it!).  They even marketed farm buildings, from barns to corn cribs.

A quick look through the designs did not reveal one quite like this.  However, Sears allowed customers to modify any design to suit their own needs and tastes, and the buyer could specify much of the exterior and interior finish, even the color of the cabinetry hardware.  The house was then "pre-cut and fitted" and shipped to the customer by rail.  Sears even included the nails!  They also handled financing.  No wonder so many families outside the major urban areas relied on their Sears catalog for the necessities of life.

In the late 1930s The Newbury, pictured here, would set you back $1,791-2,042.  (Don't I wish.)

The program's end in 1940 suggests that World War II did in the Modern Home.  Post-war housing was mass-produced.  But Sears homes, while never on the cutting edge, incorporated the most modern construction techniques, e.g., "balloon framing," and were known for their high quality.  As a person now building his own home, I find this Sears catalog home really fascinating.  For more on the Sears Modern home, go to: http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/index.htm  •••