|
|
|
Some assembly was definitely required for the house where Malea Cline and her husband Rex live.
Building a house is not unusual but this decades-old house was ordered out of a Sears and Roebuck catalog, shipped by rail to Sawyer and transported to the site in mule drawn wagons, said homeowner Malea Cline.
The home was one of the Sears and Roebuck Modern Homes program featuring houses in a wide variety of designs and price ranges.
The house was a kit home that included all the materials necessary to build the house and a set of instructions. At places in the attic, the assembly numbers can still be seen on the rafters. The wood is either No. 1 Ash or special Ash wood, Cline said.
After decades of use the house is in good condition and still maintains some of the early features.
“You couldn’t ask for a better house. The house is as solid as a rock,” Cline said.
The wood floors are still visible in a couple of rooms and are still present under carpet and linoleum. Wood now covers a floor vent in the dining room. Cline said women would stand over the vent to keep warm.
The woodwork around the doors and windows are original as are the cabinets in the kitchen and the storage area and stairs just outside the kitchen backdoor. They have never been painted. Clines father was a carpenter so she appreciates the construction in the house.
“I love the woodwork and the wood floors,” Cline said.
The cabinets in the kitchen are tall and go all the way to the ceiling so Cline has to get a step stool to reach the top shelf. An original movable flour bin is still in place and still works. An original potato bin is still in place as well.
Henry Kennedy ordered and built the house between 1927 and 1928 at a purchase cost of $1,700, Cline said.
Kennedy’s son Paul Kennedy lives a short distance from the farmhouse that is northeast of Sawyer.
The house originally had a set of French doors that probably separated the living room from the dining room. Those doors were removed from the house and now are the entrance to outside shed. The floor still has markings where the doors were originally located.
The house also had wood trim that was removed years ago and is stored in a shed.
Some assembly was definitely required for the house where Malea Cline and her husband Rex live.
Building a house is not unusual but this decades-old house was ordered out of a Sears and Roebuck catalog, shipped by rail to Sawyer and transported to the site in mule drawn wagons, said homeowner Malea Cline.
The home was one of the Sears and Roebuck Modern Homes program featuring houses in a wide variety of designs and price ranges.
The house was a kit home that included all the materials necessary to build the house and a set of instructions. At places in the attic, the assembly numbers can still be seen on the rafters. The wood is either No. 1 Ash or special Ash wood, Cline said.
After decades of use the house is in good condition and still maintains some of the early features.
“You couldn’t ask for a better house. The house is as solid as a rock,” Cline said.
The wood floors are still visible in a couple of rooms and are still present under carpet and linoleum. Wood now covers a floor vent in the dining room. Cline said women would stand over the vent to keep warm.
The woodwork around the doors and windows are original as are the cabinets in the kitchen and the storage area and stairs just outside the kitchen backdoor. They have never been painted. Clines father was a carpenter so she appreciates the construction in the house.
“I love the woodwork and the wood floors,” Cline said.
The cabinets in the kitchen are tall and go all the way to the ceiling so Cline has to get a step stool to reach the top shelf. An original movable flour bin is still in place and still works. An original potato bin is still in place as well.
Henry Kennedy ordered and built the house between 1927 and 1928 at a purchase cost of $1,700, Cline said.
Kennedy’s son Paul Kennedy lives a short distance from the farmhouse that is northeast of Sawyer.
The house originally had a set of French doors that probably separated the living room from the dining room. Those doors were removed from the house and now are the entrance to outside shed. The floor still has markings where the doors were originally located.
The house also had wood trim that was removed years ago and is stored in a shed.
The house has only one bedroom and the closets are very small.
Cline purchased the house eight years ago and has enjoyed living in this bit of history. The location of the house also holds a special memory for Cline. Her 15-year-old son George Crockett was killed in a car accident just two miles west of the house on July 11, 2002. Crockett loved the outdoors and would have enjoyed living in the house, Cline said.
When Cline was searching for a home to buy, she found out the home was a Sears and Roebuck kit home through her realtor Starla Elliott. The location and the history of the home convinced her to buy the house. Cline has continued to research the house to find out more history of kit homes and this particular house.
The original house has been modified. A closed-in back porch was added to the house and the exterior of the house was covered with brick sometime in the 60s. A hot tub sits in front of the house.
Sears and Roebuck homes were offered through the catalog from 1908 to 1940 and sold more than 100,000 homes. They offered 447 different styles and prices ranged from a low of $107 to a high of $4,000. Each style had a range of options so a variety of prices were available in each style.
