Possibly the Only Sears Norwood in Illinois

The Sears Norwood, just 16-feet wide, was designed for narrow city lots and perfect for urban living.  One example still stands in Oak Park, the only Sears Norwood in Illinois. 

1034 S. Elmwood, Oak Park.

Sears Norwood.

This Sears Norwood in Oak Park was built in 1922.  The house is a genuine Sears kit; the building permit has the architect recorded as "Sears, Roebuck & Company". Although the house now has vinyl siding and replacement windows, the original gable ornament remains.

With the porch enclosed, it's hard to see whether the house has the front door abutted by windows on each side. However, Google Streetview shows us the house before its renovations.

Yup, this entry matches that on Sears Norwood. The door touches the frames of the two adjacent windows. See those decorative false beam ends on the porch roof? That was the original overhang delivered from Sears--the Norwoods in Cincinnati have the same one. The main roof has notched rafter ends just like in the catalog illustration (Google Streetview). 

The original eaves brackets.

The Norwood was a narrow residence. The rooms are arranged one behind the other with a staircase at the side. There are two cozy bedrooms upstairs.

  

Inside, the layout remains true to the catalog.

The first owners, Luther and Josephine Harnden, made this house a home. Luther, a fireman for Engine Co. No. 3, lived there until his passing in 1963. Josephine stayed until 1967 before moving in with her son in St. Charles.

Special thanks to the late Donna Bakke for her help with the house identification.

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