At the time, Stevenson and Jandl did not have every Sears Modern Homes catalog at their disposal; therefore, they missed a few models that were sold for only a couple years.
One of those models not included in Houses by Mail is the Sears Parkridge, sold from 1929 to 1931.
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| Sears Parkridge from the 1930 Modern Homes catalog. |
We have several Parkridges in the Chicago area; following are some of them.
Tinley Park
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| 17538 Ridgeland Rd., Tinley Park. It's like a dollhouse! This is an authenticated Parkridge; Sears Roebuck held the title in 1939 after a foreclosure. Capture from Google Streetview. |
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| The house still has the original Sears front door. |
Elgin
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| 670 Bluff City, Elgin. This Parkridge was built in 1929 for Harold Rohles for $4500. The owners have the blueprints, all original correspondence with Sears Roebuck, and the assembly instructions. (Sears would flip the floor plan for no additional cost.) Photo from Elginbungalows.com. |
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| 510 Gertrude, Elgin. The house was built in 1929 for Harry and Maude Strong for a cost of $5,000. Many people in Elgin had heard this house was from Sears Roebuck even before Houses by Mail came out. I wonder what they thought when the house was not in the book! Photo from Elginbungalows.com. |
Whiting, IN
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| 2121 Wespark Ave., Whiting, IN. This Parkridge is authenticated with a mortgage record from Sears Roebuck. Almost every Sears model was available with face brick as an exterior. Capture from Google Streetview. |
2 comments:
I had no idea that some models had slipped through the cracks! The Parkridge is a sharp-looking house; the brick and shingled exteriors both add a lot of character. It looks like all four examples you've shown still have their original doors... an excellent testament to the quality of Sears houses.
There's a Parkridge down the street from me, currently for sale (listed at $97k): 109 S Illini St, Shabbona IL, 60550
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