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| 57 Railroad Ave., Grayslake. Photo from Realtor site. |
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| Sears Modern Home No. 103, later known as the Lucerne. |
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| The porch has been enclosed and the front door is now on the side. |
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There is a one-story addition off the back, and the upstairs layout remains unchanged from the original plan. Photo from Realtor site.
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| Chicago architect Alfred L. Flegel designed the Sears No. 103. |
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The floor plan shifted with the addition. Photo from Realtor site.
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| The second story has two decent sized bedrooms and a full bath. |
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The enclosed porch. Photo from Realtor site.
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The see-through fireplace is new, and the reception hall has been merged with the living room. The staircase is also new. Photo from Realtor site.
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The dining room leads to the new kitchen as part of the addition. Photo from Realtor site.
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Photo from Realtor site.
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The Sears No. 103 is right in downtown Grayslake. Sears Roebuck began selling homes in 1908, and this home was built between 1908-early 1910.
In 1910, Grayslake (then called Grays Lake) had a population of 603, but was growing. Gus Schultz, wife Lena, and four kids moved out from Chicago and built the Sears house. Gus owned a barber shop in town.
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| A 1914 ad advertises Grays Lake as a vacation spot. As a local businessman, Gus is listed as a town booster. The "condensery", the milk plant shown in the photo, was built in 1912 on the same street as the Schultz house. |
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| Today the 80-foot smoke stack from the factory still remains and has been incorporated into a park. Some people call it: "Grayslake's Hollywood Sign". |
Lena died in 1921, and Gus sold the house in 1922 to the Kreuzer family.
2 comments:
Surprisingly, I actually like the stucco exterior even though it appears to be a later modification. It's fun to see such an old example of a Sears house; the later designs are so much more common. The inclusion of a reception hall and vestibule within this relatively small five-room plan is illustrative of the cultural priorities back then versus the way we live and build today.
I owned and rehabbed this home and enjoy several years in it. Solid house!
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