In 1933 the Starlight was renamed the Plymouth, and the same house under that name was sold for another five years.
Get in my DeLorean and let's travel back and take a look at the Starlight over the years.
Back to the 1910s...
Sears didn't have cute names for houses in those days, but rather model numbers. In the 1914 catalog, the Starlight was the 264P217. Catchy!
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| Sears Starlight from 1914. No bathroom! Sears says that over 100 Starlights have been sold. I guess they sold over 100 outhouses as well. A true full-service operation. |
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| 935 Mason, Aurora. This early Starlight survivor was built in summer of 1918. (Google Streetview) |
Around 1916 Sears began offering an alternate floor plan that contained a bathroom.
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| The 1916 catalog shows the two floor plans of the Starlight. |
Starlights from the 1910's are tough to identify because of their generic styling. Additionally, it's unlikely that many have survived in the Chicago area because five-room bungalows are often torn down in high-priced neighborhoods.
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| The Starlight from the 1920 Modern Homes catalog. |
By 1920 Sears had sold over 200 Starlights nationwide. By 1928 that number leaped to 1,300.
Around 1915, Sears introduced a clipped‑gable dormer with tripartite windows — the version that became the bestseller and the one you still see all over Chicagoland. This became the only style shown in the catalog in the 1920s.
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| 206 N. Hager Ave., Barrington. Built 1927 — a classic. |
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| Compare the living room of the Starlight in Barrington to the catalog illustration. |
On to the 1930s...
The Starlight got a makeover in 1930: new dormer, new pillars, new attitude. Beginning in 1933, the new modernized Starlight even got a new name—the Plymouth.
The Starlight got a makeover in 1930: new dormer, new pillars, new attitude. Beginning in 1933, the new modernized Starlight even got a new name—the Plymouth.
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| Sears Starlight from 1932... |
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| ...which became the Sears Plymouth. |
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| 148 E. Main, Cary. This Starlight/Plymouth was built in 1932. |
Return to Today...
The Sears Starlight was a big seller for Sears for decades. The 1920s version is especially easy to spot, and odds are your town has one hiding somewhere.
In its catalogs, Sears summed up the reasons for the Starlight's popularity:
"The Starlight bungalow is one of our most popular designs. It is dignified and substantial in every detail.... Here in the Starlight you can enjoy comfort in every room, and on a warm day the shady porch bids you welcome for rest, as there is room for hammock, swing, and other porch furniture."
Translation: It was cute, it was practical, and you could nap on the porch. What more do you need?
7 comments:
Thanks again for a very interesting post! The addition of the bathroom in 1916 was a good idea! The photos help to bring the floor plan to life. Appreciate the research you do!
Everything I've wanted to know about the Starlight and the Plymouth :) Except... where to find one around here :)
I've found a Starlight in Woodstock, VA which is likely a 1916 or 1917 model. It's largely original condition except that the full-width integrated front porch has been enclosed and supplemented by a half-width porch with a shallower roof starting a few inches from the front edge. Anyone seen anything like this? The catalogs advertised custom services including, perhaps modifications. Any idea if they would have made a change like this? The flooring in the front rooms didn't show an obvious break in pattern, so I wonder if it was done at the factory.
Thank you.
Bruce, those early Starlights normally require authentication. There were so many houses in that style that were built across America, definitive proof is necessary--such as a mortgage from Sears Roebuck.
I grew up in a Starlight, with a bathroom fortunately! My parents still live there, although the house has changed some over the years. I created a quick page with some photos: https://www.brasskeysoftware.com/etc/starlight/
Hi, David! If you email me the address, I can put the house in the database.
I live in a Starlite home built in 1932. I bought the house in Feb 2005. I live in Cheviot, OH. It is in Green Township part of the Westside of Cincinnati, OH.
I was sent information from a realtor several years back explaining how lucky I am to own this style of home. I have the paperwork on the house and the information to prove it is a Starlite bungalow sears and Roebuck Home Kit. If there is any more information about this style of home I would like to learn more about it. Please feel free to contact me.
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