An Ongoing Voyage of Discovery

Sears stopped selling houses 75 years ago, yet researchers are still discovering new information about the Modern Homes business.

Reader Terry Janisch recently contacted me through the Sears Homes of Chicagoland Facebook page. Terry was in possession of the papers of Ellwood H. May, the district manager of the Sears Modern Homes Division in Rockford. May had saved literally every piece of correspondence, order forms, blueprints, and sales materials from the Rockford office in the years 1935-1942.

This stash was a treasure trove of information about Sears homes.  One important find was the sales materials for four previously unseen Sears models. These models never appeared in a Sears Modern Homes catalog for some reason, but they were actively marketed by the local Modern Homes representatives.

Let me introduce the four "new" homes from Sears. These are quick photos I took of poster-sized sheets. All we know is that these were sold sometime after 1934.

Have you seen any of these houses in your hometown? Please email me!

1. The Weymouth

2. The Pelham

3. The Arrow

4. The Jamestown

The Jamestown was  the Sears Belfast without the side porch.