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The Wilmore in Lombard has a standard door from Sears with a nine-pane window.
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| A distinctive bellcast roof on one side of the house, a hallmark feature of the Wilmore model. |
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| On the opposite side, a centered door flanked by a triangular arrangement of windows, providing both light and visual interest. |
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At the back of the house, the original massing of the Wilmore remains intact.
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| The stairs are not on the standard floor plan and were possibly added in later years. |
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| The kitchen features the small double window at the front of the house, another characteristic Wilmore detail that brought natural light into an otherwise compact workspace. |
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The home had two first-floor bedrooms.
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One bedroom was converted into a laundry room.
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The attic has been finished and now serves as a master suite. This conversion significantly expands the livable space while preserving the original footprint of the house.
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According to tax records, the house was built in 1937 by Frederick H. Bartlett, the developer of the subdivision.
Virgil E. Gullakson purchased the house in 1938. At the time, Gullakson worked as an adding machine operator for the First National Bank in Chicago, a reminder that many Sears homes were owned by working- and middle-class families commuting to the city.
By 1944, Gullakson had moved on, relocating to a farm near Sheridan, Illinois.
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| The 1939 Sears merchandise catalog shows happy newlyweds entering their Sears Wilmore, reinforcing the model’s image as an ideal starter home. |
The house on Meyers Road stands as a strong example of the Sears Wilmore model. Nearly a century later, it continues to reflect Sears’ ability to deliver thoughtfully designed, affordable homes to American families during the 1930s.
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.
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