June 14, 2016

A Tour of a Charming Sears Crescent

Reader Patty Farthing recently sent me photos of her aunt's Sears Crescent in Lake Station, Indiana. Martha Thompson is the third owner of the house, and has lived there about 55 years.

This Crescent is in largely original condition, so let's take a tour. (All photos courtesy of Patty Farthing.)

2417 Putnam St., Lake Station IN. 






 





  





A living room fireplace was optional on the Crescent, but many have them. This Crescent in Lake Station has the larger of the Crescent's two floor plans--the three porch pillars are the giveaway.




The same newel post from the Sears 1930 Building Materials catalog.


Original fireplace and bookcases.

 
Original door, door hardware, hinges.


Original flooring.


Original cabinets, according to the homeowner.




After 90 years, many Sears Crescents have lost most of their original details and finishes. As we tour this house, you can see why the Crescent was such a popular model for Sears--it has loads of charm and character.



6 comments:

SearsHouseSeeker said...

What a treat it is to see this house. The exterior looks great, and the interior shots are wonderful!
Judith
Sears-House-Seeker.blogspot.com

Sarah Ricks said...

One of these homes is for sell in my area and was going to go look at it. I was woundering if anyone can tell me anything about them. Well constructed...or anything else someone looking to buy one should know.

Sears Homes of Chicagoland said...

Sarah, the Sears houses of the 1920's were built with top quality materials that cannot be replicated today.

You can read the Sears catalogs themselves:
https://archive.org/stream/SearsRoebuckandCoHonorbiltmodernhomes0001#page/n7/mode/2up

Or take a look at this:
http://www.sears-homes.com/2016/05/sears-homes-really-are-indestructible.html

http://randomrantsandimpromptumusings-joyce.blogspot.com/ said...

I just found out that I grew up in a Sears Crescent home in Cincinnati, OH. I am stunned, as I never even knew Sears made houses! It served our family well over the years.

Martin Urban said...

My sister owns a 1921 Sears Crescent in her historic neighborhood, the Lincoln Park Historic District, in Pomona, California.

Catalog kit houses (Sears Honor-Bilt, Aladdin, etc.) were very popular in Southern California from the late 19th century until just before WWII, especially in many of the old citrus grove communities of the foothills around Southern California. President Richard Nixon’s home was a Sears catalog house his father built in Yorba Linda, California. You can your it at his Presidential Library.

Sears Homes of Chicagoland said...

Martin, we have located only two Sears houses in California to date, mainly because shipping costs to the west coast were so expensive.

Here is more information on the Nixon birthplace.

http://www.sears-homes.com/2012/01/unknown-origin-of-richard-nixons-mail.html

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