A New Sears "Avalon" in Valparaiso

Periodically I report on new homes that are based on Sears models. A builder in Valparaiso, Indiana is selling a house that is purportedly based on the Sears Avalon model from 1923.

1708 Briam Circle, Valparaiso, Indiana. Photo courtesy of Aldred Homes.

Sears Avalon from the 1923 Modern Homes catalog.

I appreciate the sentiment, but this house does not look much like the Avalon. They are both cross-gabled and have a porch and that's the extent of the resemblance.

According to an article in The Times of Northwest Indiana:

“As builders and designers we sometimes have to come up with new ideas by rearranging a few different concepts and elements into something new and fresh,” Aryl Aldred of Aldred Homes in Valparaiso said. “Sometime what’s new is really a fresh approach to what’s been done before. For example, the front porch of our newest home in Wild Rose is patterned after a 1923 Sears Roebuck Modern Home called the Avalon.”

A California-bungalow house with tons of Craftsman-style charm, the Avalon’s signature wide overhanging roof and deep front porch was recreated by Aldred, right down to the tapered columns.

“For each of our new floor plans we start from scratch,” Aldred, who has spent many days touring a variety of Chicago’s long-established neighborhoods for inspiration, said. “We already had the plans and elevations for this home complete, and we were looking for a front façade that would catch your eye and make a real impact on the street. After pouring over many of the Sears Roebuck Modern Homes plans, we came across the Avalon with its classic but forgotten front porch.”

The house has 2,568 square feet and costs $329,900.