A Testimonial for an Aladdin Maples

3430 W. 65th Street, Chicago. Capture from Google Streetview.

Aladdin Maples, from the 1914 catalog.

According to the 1914 Aladdin catalog, "The Maples typifies the bungalow spirit. Low, flat lines, wide eaves, odd windows, exposed rafter ends and simple outlines." The Maples in Marquette Park has had a second story added and its porch enclosed, but is still recognizable as a Maples.

This house was featured in a testimonial in the 1913 Aladdin Homes catalog.

Perry S. Abbott was definitely a proud customer! I love that line: "In the 'Maples', I have one of the best little bungalows in the whole city of Chicago..."

The house was built in 1912, the year Aladdin first offered the model. Perry and his wife Gisela were in the house by September of that year. He worked as a policeman. 

In fall 1912, their daughter, Alma, went to Michigan to elope with a guy named George Smith. The reason for the rushed marriage was that, upon marrying, George supposedly would inherit a massive estate in Taylorville, North Carolina. The Chicago Tribune trumpeted that: "George Smith Gets Fortune by Marrying Miss Alma Abbott."

Mmm hmm.

Despite the supposed fortune, George and Alma moved in with her parents in the Maples, and Perry apparently got his new son-in-law a job as a policeman as well. 

In 1917, George was discharged from the police force for conduct unbecoming a police officer. He kept a little girl's lost purse that contained $8.

Perry quickly resigned and retired to Michigan with his wife. The Smiths and their children continued to live in the Maples until around 1956.

A Threatened Cronhardt Model from Home Builders Catalog

1230 N. Dunton, Arlington Heights.

The Cronhardt from the 1928 Home Builders Catalog.

Identifying this house took me a long time. Like two years. It's certainly an unusual house and stuck in my memory.

I can now declare it is the Cronhardt model from Home Builders Catalog. Home Builders Catalog was a plan book publisher that did not sell house kits. Home Builders Catalog and the other plan books showed exterior illustrations and rough floor plans of houses. The reader could send in $10-$50 for the complete blueprints of a particular design.

This Cronhardt is reversed from the illustration. There is no doubt what the model is... it even has the matching clover insignia shutters!

The house even has the original clover shutters!

This cottage might be in danger. Arlington Heights has padlocked it and said it is not approved for occupancy due to a recent fire. There is a McMansion being built next door--I hope this is not a preview of how this story will end.

The status as of October 2013.

This house was built between 1928 and 1930. (Cook County says 1928 for what it's worth.) The original owners were Charles Joseph Lewis and his wife Marion. Charles worked for Klehm's Nursery as a landscaper.

By 1938 the Lewises had moved to Chicago. Edward Beckman and his family had moved in by 1939. The Beckmans owned the house until October 1952 when they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.

Update!

The homeowner contacted me and said they are repairing the fire damage and not demolishing the house. 

An Easy Way to Identify a Kit House

Researchers spend many hours trying to identify and authenticate kit houses. Often their findings are not shared with others. This is unfortunate because, over time, the history and origin of a house can be lost.

To combat this loss of information, I have started databases of mail-order homes. Additionally, with this website, I hope to capture historical information about these homes in the Chicago area.

One owner of an Aladdin mail-order home has managed to capture his home's history in a different, straightforward way.

Chet Joppich, of Bay City, Michigan, owns an Aladdin LaSalle kit house that was built in 1915.

2108 Center Ave., Bay City, MI.

The LaSalle from the 1917 Aladdin Homes catalog.

The LaSalle was offered from 1915 to 1917. In later years, Aladdin sold a similar plan called the Colonial.

This stucco house has steps leading up to a semicircle porch. It has the original Doric columns, but the original wooden balustrade on the porch roof has been replaced by an iron one. The LaSalle is a two-and-a-half story Colonial with a huge living room.

About 10 years ago, Chet decided to inscribe the important information about his house on the front sidewalk. If only all owners of kit homes had the foresight to do this--my job would be a lot easier!

"LaSalle by Aladdin Homes" and the build date are in the sidewalk. Photo courtesy of Chet Joppich.

Photo from Realtor site.

Photo from Realtor site.

Photo from Realtor site.

Photo from Realtor site.

Photo from Realtor site.

Photo from Realtor site.