The Only Sears Westwood in Illinois

1433 Glencoe, Highland Park. 

Sears Westwood, from the 1932 catalog. Sears estimated that the monthly payments would be as low as $50 to $55. 

This authenticated Sears Westwood was built in 1932. The original owners were James D. and Martha Galloway, who took out a $5,800 mortgage from Sears in March of that year. The building permit lists the architect as Norman Kandl and the builder as Riforpiato Construction.

This Sears Westwood in Highland Park is the only known example in Illinois.

Google Streetview clearly shows the dining room bumpout, a distinctive feature of the Westwood design. This Westwood is missing the living room fireplace, though fireplaces were optional for this model.

Sears described the Westwood as a bungalow that "has the maximum convenience at the minimum cost." 

The exterior looks similar to the Sears Collingwood model. However, the Westwood has a brick facade and a different floor plan. Sears recommended red or cream face brick for the Westwood, though customers purchased the brick separately and could choose any color they preferred.

The Westwood floor plan. According to Sears: "The left side of the plan is devoted to the living room, dining room and kitchen. Located between the kitchen and dining room you will find the stairs leading to the attic which has sufficient headroom so that it can be finished off for two additional rooms if so desired.... The right side of the plan is devoted to two large bedrooms with connecting bath. A small hall separates these rooms from the main part of the house. Each bedroom is well lighted by two large windows located to give cross ventilation and each has a good sized closet."  

A closer look reveals one of the details that distinguishes the Westwood from the Collingwood: the subtly angled bumpout in the dining room. 

The rear access to the backyard has been removed.

The front bedroom on the first floor now serves as a den.

As Sears recommended, the attic has been finished.

The homeowner emailed me about some of the house's original elements: "The hardwood floors are original, the original windows are in the LR and DR, and La Tosca [door] hardware is on the original wood doors."

The metal light fixtures in the living room are among the many original features in the house.

With its documented Sears mortgage, original building permit, and surviving architectural details, this Sears Westwood stands as a well-preserved example of a Sears catalog home. As the only known Westwood in Illinois, the Highland Park house highlights the adaptability of Sears kit homes, from optional fireplaces to expandable attic space. 

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