Sears described the Argyle bungalow: "It is a neat, well arranged, solidly constructed home, pretty without being too showy, not too large or too small, but just suitable for the average family." If that's not a description of a top seller, I don't know what is!
The architect of the Argyle is Henry Lawrence Wilson.
Let's take a look at some Argyles and how they have changed over the decades.
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| 206 Highwood Ave., Highwood. |
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| Sears Argyle |
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| 820 Rosemary Terrace, Deerfield. This authenticated Argyle was built in 1925 or 1926. |
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| 505 S. May, Joliet. There are five known Argyles in Joliet. Photo from Realtor site. |
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| 666 S. Wildwood, Kankakee. |
Argyles can be found throughout the Chicago area. The Sears Argyle was a small house, about 1,000 square feet, and many of them have been demolished or have been added onto so much they are unrecognizable.
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| 240 Lorraine, Glen Ellyn. How many Sears Argyles have we missed because they are hiding like this one? |
What about the Inside?
There is a Sears Argyle in Lexington, Kentucky recently listed for sale. The listing has tons of interior photos, so let's take a look around!
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| 169 Rosemont Garden, Lexington, Kentucky. |
Long live the Argyle!
7 comments:
What beautiful examples! Thanks, Lara!
Judith
Sears-House-Seeker.blogspot.com
There is a circa 1925 Sears Argyle at 824 N. Harrison in Little Rock, AR. That is the SW corner of Harrison and H.
Hi, Anon! That resembles an Argyle but it isn't one. The Argyle is small--it can only fit a single window in the front. It also has a bumpout in the dining room. Those are the first two features that I check. Thanks for your note and please email me if you see anything else promising!
I love the 1910's-1930's homes. The Argyle is one of my favorites. One that I would love to have seen a built and saved version of was the Honor-Bilt Hopeland (3036, 1919 I think) I grew up in rural Illinois where there are hundreds of the small Sears farmhouses around. I have yet to see a Hopeland. I love that someone had the smarts to renovate the one with the interior shots and one even seems to have period correct furniture. I used to live in a turn of the century building at 2221 N leavitt in Chicago, My grandfather actually owned a few of those buildings (2217, 2219, 2221) and possibly a couple more. They have since demo'd my birth home and built some cheesy ass condo in it's place. It sadens me to see how disposable developers feal old architecture is. There is maybe one example of the old building left in the neighborhood. I make an annual trip up to get my Sirelli's, and stop in at the any of the little Polish delis for some kabanosy to take home. My heart sank when I saw the atrocity that stood where such an inviting old residence had stood only a year prior. I am glad there are a group of us who appreciate the old stuff. Thanks for your articles. they make my day in todays world.
Thank you for your nice comment! We've never found a Hopeland yet. There's probably one hidden on a big farm somewhere.
515 Euclid Ave, Dravosburg, PA there is an Argyle.
Thank you!
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