Recently, I drove to Cape Charles to photograph some of the kit homes there. First off, let me say that I *LOVE* that community and if anyone would like to bequeath The Sears Lady (that’s me) a piece of property in Cape Charles, that’d be just dandy. It really is a beautiful place and I’m surprised it did not make Forbes’ “Best Places to Live” list.

Really and truly.

I’ll be expanding this post as the days go by (these picture-heavy posts take time), but here’s a few very interesting homes I found on the main drag into Cape Charles.

To read more about Sears Homes, click here:

The Aladdin Sheffield was a very popular house for Aladdin.

Here's an Aladdin Sheffield in Cape Charles, Virginia (on the Eastern Shore)

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This was one of Sears' biggest and nicest homes.

Right down the street from the Sheffield (see above) is the Sears Glenn Falls. Although it's partly obscured by the trees, you can see the familiar lines of the Glenn Falls.

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The Pheonix is one of Sears' most unusual kit homes. Interesting design and lots of fun details.

Sears Pheonix - in the flesh - in Cape Charles, Virginia

Side view of the Pheonix

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Sears Somerset

The porch has been altered, but I'd be willing to be money that this is indeed a Sears Somerset.

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Sears Walton

This "Walton" is one of two, side by side, in Cape Charles, Virginia

Yes, Sears sold barns as well as houses. These barns came in “kits” filled with pre-cut lumber, nails, roofing, doors and everything that you needed. Here’s a barn in central Illinois. The photo was taken in 2010, but it could have been shot in the 1930s. This is one of my favorite pictures.

Just out of frame is a Sears Gladstone, a fine little Sears house!

For more information on Sears Barns, look for Rebecca Hunter’s Book of Barns. Click here to buy.

Nice barn on beautiful farm

Sears offered about 370 designs of kit homes in the early years of the 1900s. During their 32 years in the kit home business, Sears sold about 70,000 of these houses. Sears also sold kit barns. While doing research on Sears Homes in Illinois, I was told about this Sears Barn outside of Mattoon, Illinois (see picture below). It was built in the early 1920s and is still in beautiful condition today.

I’m often asked for more information about barns, but I’m not the expert on this topic. All that I need to know about barns came from The Book of Barns, by Rebecca Hunter and Dale Wolicki. According to this interesting little book,  Sears started offering barns in 1911, when four barn designs first appeared in the pages of the Sears Modern Homes catalog. In 1915, a few hog houses and chicken coops appeared. In 1918, the first speciality catalog appeared, featuring barns and other outbuildings.

Rebecca and Dale’s research shows that part numbers (originally used to facilitate construction of these DIY kits) can be found on the framing members of the Sears kit barns.

Purportedly, there is a Sears barn at Montpelier (Virginia), the home of James Madison and his wife, Dolly.

Sears Barn in Mattoon, IL