The Luckiest Boy in Pittsburgh

In the depths of the Great Depression, a 16-year-old Pittsburgh boy named Alfred Hardtmayer Jr. won something extraordinary.

It was the summer of 1932, and Alfred had entered a promotional contest sponsored by the Warner Bros. Picture Corporation. The grand prize was a brand-new Tudor-style "Dream Home" built by Sears Roebuck. It came complete with furniture, appliances, and all the modern comforts of the day. A new eight-cylinder Ford waited in the garage, and a local grocery store supplied a month’s worth of provisions.

An ad in the local newspaper promoting the new house built and furnished by Sears.

Sears mentioned the Dream Home in its Modern Homes catalog.

The official presentation took place on stage at the Stanley Theater in downtown Pittsburgh. Rosey Rowswell, the beloved voice of Pittsburgh baseball, made the announcement as the crowd cheered. Alfred and his parents were then whisked to their new house on Seminole Drive, where the press captured the story of the calm young man who had just won an incredible prize.

Rowswell (left) presents Alfred with the house key.

Alfred said that he was "the luckiest boy in Pittsburgh", and added, "I'll take the car, Mother, and you and Dad can have the house.”

The Hardtmayer family poses for photos in the family room (what Sears called the playroom) as the press captured the moment.

The Dream Home shortly after Alfred won it. The new car in the garage was most likely the legendary Ford Model 18. 

142 Seminole Drive, Pittsburgh, as it looks today.

The rear of the house. There was a small terrace on the right side.

The rear of the house today.

The house itself was a showcase of modern design and comfort, carefully planned to appeal to middle-class families during the Depression. Sears highlighted the efficient layout, abundant light, and practical conveniences.

A large, sunny playroom with beamed ceilings is adjacent to the front door. This is the same room where the Hardtmayers posed for the newspaper photo shown above. While the fireplace brick has since been painted white, the original wood paneling remains.

A Family Home for Decades
After the theater celebration faded from the headlines, life moved along. The Hardtmayers settled into their new home, and just three years later, Alfred — now 19 — took over the property when his parents moved to Cleveland.

Alfred attended Penn State University, majoring in mechanical engineering. It was there he met Helen, who would become his wife in 1938.  Alfred soon began his career with U.S. Steel Corporation, rising through the ranks to become chief plant engineer.

The house remained at the heart of the Hardtmayer family’s story for nearly half a century. Alfred and Helen raised their two children, Douglas and Phyllis, there.

In 1973, Alfred and Helen moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, while Douglas remained in the Pittsburgh house. Douglas eventually sold the property in 1978, ending 46 years of family ownership. Alfred passed away of cancer two years later, in 1980, at age 63.

A Lasting Reminder
Nearly a century later, the Tudor still stands, a reminder of a long-ago contest and one boy’s improbable good fortune.

If you think the Dream Home contest was something… wait until you learn about the Sears Home Beautiful Contest!

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.