[OPLINLIST] "The Houses That Sears Built" program @ Perry County District Library

Wed, 22 Oct 2003 12:07:35 -0400

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0032_01C39895.14144E50
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Article Perry County District Library ran in local newspapers....

Sears Homes Expert @ Your Library

Do you live in a Sears home? Did you know that Sears & Roebuck sold =
complete home kits via catalog? "It is reported that more than 100,000 =
houses were sold between 1908 and 1940 through Sears's Modern Homes =
program." (searsmodernhomes.com) These quality home kits provided =
everything to complete the home, including nails and varnish. Today, you =
can still spot hundreds of these homes in our area.=20

In 1908, after a restructuring of the Sears Building Supplies department =
took place, the Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans was offered. =
This specialty catalog featured 22 different home styles in complete =
kits with plans and instructions. Kits ranging from $650 to $2,500 were =
available.=20

By 1911, the Modern Homes catalogs used detailed illustrations to =
encourage homeowners to furnish their new homes with Sears appliances =
and fixtures. The company was also offering financing for home buyers at =
this time. In 1918, purchasers were not only financing through Sears, =
they were also receiving upfront capital for labor costs. As popularity =
grew, Sears experienced more demand from the rural population. In =
response, by 1923 customers could order from two additional catalogs, =
Barn and Modern Farm Buildings.=20

Although home builders all over America anxiously traveled to train =
stations as their houses arrived, the era of Sears homes came to an end =
as the effects of the Depression took their toll on the company. By =
1935, Sears backed away from the financing operation and returned to =
simply selling homes. Despite their popularity, Sears sold its last home =
in 1940.

Many Sears homes are still standing today, and capture the eye of =
homebuyers, architectural historians, and enthusiasts of American =
culture. Rose Thornton, author of the book The Houses That Sears Built: =
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sears Homes, is one of the =
country's leading experts on Sears Catalog homes. Perry County District =
Library invites you to meet Ms. Thornton, and learn more about this =
subject as she presents "The houses that Sears built" on Sunday, October =
26, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. This program will be held at the Main Library in =
New Lexington.=20

Prior to her presentation, Thornton will be traveling around our =
neighborhood to see how many Sears homes she can discover. She will =
share her findings, along with many other interesting facts on this =
popular topic. To register for this event, visit the library or call =
(740) 342-4194.

To learn more about Sears homes, visit the library and check out our =
collection of books, including The Houses That Sears Built: Everything =
You Ever Wanted To Know About Sears Homes. For on-line information, =
visit: www.searsmodernhomes.com; www.oldhouseweb.com; or =
www.arts-craft.com/archive/sears/shtml.

------=_NextPart_000_0032_01C39895.14144E50
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>
Article Perry County District =
Library ran=20
in local newspapers....
Sears Homes =
Expert @ Your=20
Library
Do you live in a Sears home? Did you know that Sears &amp; Roebuck =
sold=20
complete home kits via catalog? =93It is reported that more than 100,000 =
houses=20
were sold between 1908 and 1940 through Sears=92s Modern Homes =
program.=94=20
(searsmodernhomes.com) These quality home kits provided =
everything to=20
complete the home, including nails and varnish. Today, you can still =
spot=20
hundreds of these homes in our area. 
In 1908, after a restructuring of the Sears Building Supplies =
department took=20
place, the Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans was offered. =
This=20
specialty catalog featured 22 different home styles in complete kits =
with plans=20
and instructions. Kits ranging from $650 to $2,500 were available. 
By 1911, the Modern Homes catalogs used detailed illustrations =
to=20
encourage homeowners to furnish their new homes with Sears appliances =
and=20
fixtures. The company was also offering financing for home buyers at =
this time.=20
In 1918, purchasers were not only financing through Sears, they were =
also=20
receiving upfront capital for labor costs. As popularity grew, Sears =
experienced=20
more demand from the rural population. In response, by 1923 customers =
could=20
order from two additional catalogs, Barn and Modern Farm=20
Buildings. 
Although home builders all over America anxiously traveled to train =
stations=20
as their houses arrived, the era of Sears homes came to an end as the =
effects of=20
the Depression took their toll on the company. By 1935, Sears backed =
away from=20
the financing operation and returned to simply selling homes. Despite =
their=20
popularity, Sears sold its last home in 1940.
Many Sears homes are still standing today, and capture the eye of =
homebuyers,=20
architectural historians, and enthusiasts of American culture. Rose =
Thornton,=20
author of the book The Houses That Sears Built: Everything You Ever =
Wanted To=20
Know About Sears Homes, is one of the country=92s leading experts on =
Sears=20
Catalog homes. Perry County District Library invites you to meet Ms. =
Thornton,=20
and learn more about this subject as she presents =93The houses that =
Sears built=94=20
on Sunday, October 26, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. This program will be held at =
the Main=20
Library in New Lexington. 
Prior to her presentation, Thornton will be traveling around our =
neighborhood=20
to see how many Sears homes she can discover. She will share her =
findings, along=20
with many other interesting facts on this popular topic. To register for =
this=20
event, visit the library or call (740) 342-4194.
To learn more about Sears homes, visit the library and check out our=20
collection of books, including The Houses That Sears Built: =
Everything You=20
Ever Wanted To Know About Sears Homes. For on-line information, =
visit:=20
www.searsmodernhomes.com; www.oldhouseweb.com; or=20
www.arts-craft.com/archive/sears/shtml.</DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0032_01C39895.14144E50--