The Luckiest Boy in Pittsburgh

In the depths of the Great Depression, a 16-year-old Pittsburgh boy named Alfred Hardtmayer Jr. won something extraordinary.

It was the summer of 1932, and Alfred had entered a promotional contest sponsored by the Warner Bros. Picture Corporation. The grand prize was a brand-new Tudor-style "Dream Home" built by Sears Roebuck. It came complete with furniture, appliances, and all the modern comforts of the day. A new eight-cylinder Ford waited in the garage, and a local grocery store supplied a month’s worth of provisions.

An ad in the local newspaper promoting the new house built and furnished by Sears.

Sears mentioned the Dream Home in its Modern Homes catalog.

The official presentation took place on stage at the Stanley Theater in downtown Pittsburgh. Rosey Rowswell, the beloved voice of Pittsburgh baseball, made the announcement as the crowd cheered. Alfred and his parents were then whisked to their new house on Seminole Drive, where the press captured the story of the calm young man who had just won an incredible prize.

Rowswell (left) presents Alfred with the house key.

Alfred said that he was "the luckiest boy in Pittsburgh", and added, "I'll take the car, Mother, and you and Dad can have the house.”

The Hardtmayer family poses for photos in the family room (what Sears called the playroom) as the press captured the moment.

The Dream Home shortly after Alfred won it. The new car in the garage was most likely the legendary Ford Model 18. 

142 Seminole Drive, Pittsburgh, as it looks today.

The rear of the house. There was a small terrace on the right side.

The rear of the house today.

The house itself was a showcase of modern design and comfort, carefully planned to appeal to middle-class families during the Depression. Sears highlighted the efficient layout, abundant light, and practical conveniences.

A large, sunny playroom with beamed ceilings is adjacent to the front door. This is the same room where the Hardtmayers posed for the newspaper photo shown above. While the fireplace brick has since been painted white, the original wood paneling remains.

A Family Home for Decades
After the theater celebration faded from the headlines, life moved along. The Hardtmayers settled into their new home, and just three years later, Alfred — now 19 — took over the property when his parents moved to Cleveland.

Alfred attended Penn State University, majoring in mechanical engineering. It was there he met Helen, who would become his wife in 1938.  Alfred soon began his career with U.S. Steel Corporation, rising through the ranks to become chief plant engineer.

The house remained at the heart of the Hardtmayer family’s story for nearly half a century. Alfred and Helen raised their two children, Douglas and Phyllis, there.

In 1973, Alfred and Helen moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, while Douglas remained in the Pittsburgh house. Douglas eventually sold the property in 1978, ending 46 years of family ownership. Alfred passed away of cancer two years later, in 1980, at age 63.

A Lasting Reminder
Nearly a century later, the Tudor still stands, a reminder of a long-ago contest and one boy’s improbable good fortune.

If you think the Dream Home contest was something… wait until you learn about the Sears Home Beautiful Contest!

Copyright Disclaimer: All photographs in this post (unless otherwise noted) are from real estate aggregate Redfin.com and are used in this post for the purposes of education, consistent with 17 USC §107.

The Sears Westly, a Home Built Everywhere

The Westly was one of Sears’ most popular bungalows, sold from 1912 to 1930, and it’s easy to see why.

Sears Westly.

With its original details intact, the Westly has the charm of a Swiss chalet. Grouped wooden pillars, decorative railings, a balcony tucked into the front dormer, an asymmetrical roofline, and exposed rafter tails beneath wide eaves all give the house its distinctive character.

Unfortunately, over time, many of the Westlys had those details unceremoniously removed. In many cases, the top balcony has been removed and the wide front porch has been enclosed. These changes turn the Westly into a bland single dormer bungalow.

In the catalogs, Sears succinctly stated that the Westly was: "Built everywhere. Every customer satisfied." They were right about that—a Westly can be found in nearly every Chicago suburb. Today, we’re highlighting five especially nice examples.

Western Springs

3917 Johnson, Western Springs. 

Downers Grove

1905 Curtiss, Downers Grove. This authenticated Westly has the original railings, pillars, and brackets. John Szydlowski took out a mortgage from Sears Roebuck for $5000 in 1925. You can see interior photos here.

Warrenville

28W355 Main Street, Warrenville. Harry Knell took out a $4,050 mortgage from Sears Roebuck in July 1921 to build this Westly. 

Berkeley

5919 W. Elm St., Berkeley. This house is an authentic Sears Westly that was verified from stamped lumber. Photo courtesy of Jan and Greg Montalbano.

Alsip

11960 S. Keeler Ave., Alsip.

Copyright Disclaimer: All photographs in this post (unless otherwise noted) are from real estate aggregate Redfin.com and are used in this post for the purposes of education, consistent with 17 USC §107.

Two Sears Houses Side by Side in Crete

The village of Crete is home to at least 34 Sears houses — an impressive number for a small town. Among them, two stand side by side in the heart of downtown: a Sears Avalon and a Sears Crescent.

The Sears Avalon

1298 Wood St., Crete.

Sears Avalon, from the 1923 Modern Homes catalog

The Sears Avalon is a classic California-style bungalow with a prominent wraparound porch. Notably, this Avalon lacks the front chimney seen in the catalog illustration (remember that Sears homes were customizable).

The house measures roughly 1,250 square feet.

The bright, open living room features hardwood floors and a fireplace.

The kitchen was in the rear. The Modern Homes catalog said that "the kitchen is entirely out of sight from the living room and dining room." Funny how that would not be a selling point today.

The Avalon came with three bedrooms.

The first-floor bath.

The attic is partially finished and has space for a couple more bedrooms.

Property records indicate that the Avalon was built around 1926. 

In 1928, it was owned by John J. “Jack” Batill and his wife Lillian. Jack worked as a foreman for a roofing company.

By the early 1940s, life had taken a difficult turn for the Batills. Jack was hospitalized for tuberculosis, first in a veterans’ hospital in Milwaukee, then at the Lutheran Sanitarium in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. During that time, Lillian lived with her mother in Crete and rented out the Avalon. By 1950, both Jack and Lillian were living in a home in Colorado, closing a chapter on their Crete years.

William Batill (left) and Eileen Batill (right) on the street in front of their Avalon around 1927, based on the ages of the children. The Sears Crescent is in the foreground, and we will talk about that next! Photo from Crete Township Pictures, Illinois. 

The Sears Crescent
Next door to the Avalon is a Sears Crescent, a model that is a favorite in the Chicago area. 

1302 Wood St., Crete.

A Colonial Bungalow with a formal, columned front porch, the Crescent was sold for over a decade. It was marketed as “a home for folks who like a touch of individuality.”

Crescents with three porch columns indicate the larger floorplan option offered by Sears — a subtle architectural clue. This one in Crete retains its original siding and windows. 

John and Dora Stoeven purchased the home in October 1927 for $9,000.  Their daughter, Ida, had married Edward Bruns, and by the time of the 1930 census, the two generations were living together in the new home. Edward worked as an electrician and he also did watch repair out of his home workshop.

The Crescent and part of the Avalon sometime around 1927-1928. Photo from Crete Township Pictures, Illinois. 

In a closer view, you can see the original trellises and the medallion above the front door. Photo from Crete Township Pictures, Illinois. 

This is likely John and Dora Stoeven. They were both around 62 years old. Dora died a few years later in 1931. Photo from Crete Township Pictures, Illinois. 

Edward Bruns with his work truck, circa late 1930s. The panel truck was emblazoned with the name of his business, Edward Bruns House Wiring, Crete, Ill. Bruns served the Crete community for decades. Photo from Crete Township Pictures, Illinois. 

The Stoevens passed on, and then Edward and Ida were living alone. Ida died in 1972, and Edward remarried. Edward died in 1983, and his second wife continued living in the home until 1987 — marking sixty years of continuous family ownership.

Side by Side for Nearly a Century

Photo from Crete Township Pictures, Illinois. 

In this vintage winter scene, the two Sears houses on Wood Street sit beneath a heavy blanket of snow — the Crescent on the left with its stately porch columns and the Avalon on the right, its broad eaves and dormer roofline peeking through the bare trees.  For nearly a century, these two Sears homes have stood together like old friends, watching the seasons go by.

Copyright Disclaimer: All photographs in this post (unless otherwise noted) are from real estate aggregate Redfin.com and are used in this post for the purposes of education, consistent with 17 USC §107.