Rocky Mount’s Sears Catalog Homes – A Significant Historical Architectural Asset – Part 1

Rose Thornton has got to be one of the most interesting people I could possibly introduce you to. For the last 15 years, she has been traveling around the county seeking and finding Sears Catalog Homes. She writes newspaper and magazine articles, makes TV appearances, lectures. and is the author of The Houses That Sears Built (2002,) and Finding the Houses That Sears Built (2004), and The Sears Homes of Illinois (2010). She’s been to Rocky Mount several times and has done a lot of our homework for us. We are really in her debt!  We have her to thank for the photographs I found in her articles while on the research trail about our Sears homes. If you missed them, please be sure and read the last three posts about the necessity to have an updated and honest inventory of our architecture properties. Click Here for Part 1

I’m bringing the Sears Catalogue homes to your attention to illustrate another reason why we must value what we’ve got before it is gone! Once I asked you to look for Ghost Signs and take photos so we can find them all and someday have a Ghost Sign Walk or something???? NOW, like a scavenger hunt, we went on as kids, when you are driving around, look for our Sears Catalogue houses. Rose Thornton says most people don’t know they’re living in a catalog home. Here is a link to an article she wrote about how to identify a Sears Catalogue house.  Click Here

Drum Roll…This Aladdin Williamette was only offered in the 1920 Aladdin catalog and THE ONLY Williamette Rose Thorton has ever seen. A perfect match….Here….in Rocky Mount.

The Sears Elmhurst looks nothing like a typical ‘kit’ home. A neo-Tudor, it is spacious and has fine features that are not available in other average Sears homes. Our Rocky Mount Elmhurst has had an addition on either side. More of our Sears homes in Part 2. I hope this has peaked your interest in what we’ve got…as the song says…so we can get on to an inventory.