From Jackie Craven,
Your Guide to Architecture.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Did your old house come "in the mail"? Between 1906 and 1940, thousands of North American homes were built according to plans sold by mail order companies such as Sears and Montgomery Wards. Often the entire mail order house (in the form of labeled timbers) came via freight train. Other times, builders used local materials to construct homes according to the mail order catalog house plans. Catalog house plans by Sears, Montgomery Wards, Aladdin, and other companies were widely distributed in the United States and Canada. Where are those plans now? To find the original plans and to learn other important information about your mail order house, follow the steps listed below.

Search for written records
The neighbors may say your home was made by Sears, but they could be mistaken. Several other companies also sold house kits and house plans. To find out who made your house, check building permits, mortgage agreements, deeds, and other public records. Also look through scrapbooks, old correspondence, and ledgers. More search tips:

• How Old Is Your House?

Look for physical clues
Scout around in the cellar and attic for numbers or words stamped on joists and rafters. Also check your home's hardware and plumbing fixtures. You may be able to find trade names that will identify the manufacturer of your home. Keep in mind that the popular catalog houses were widely copied by local builders. It's easy to mistake a locally-made home for one designed by Sears or Wards. More search tips:

• The Process of Architectural Investigation

Browse online catalogs
Actual pages from historic house plan catalogs are reproduced on several Web sites. As you browse through these pages, remember that plans were often used for several years after they were first created. So, if your house was built in 1921, make sure to also browse plans for earlier years. Here are some good places to start:

• Mail Order House Plans - Index at About.com
• Sears Archives - Find catalog images for Sears Mail Order Houses and network with owners of Sears Mail Order houses.
• Home Plans, Kits, and Parts - Extensive archives at arts-crafts.com

Browse print catalogs
Can't find anything that resembles your house online? Don't give up. Browse through original or reproduction catalogs at your library or bookstore. Some catalogs even include construction information such as the type of woods to use. Here are a few reproduction Sears catalogs:

• Small Houses of the Twenties, "The Sears, Roebuck 1926 House Catalog." Construction information includes detailed illustrations of interiors and fixtures. Sears Roebuck and Co ISBN: 0486267091 (compare prices)
• Sears, Roebuck Homebuilder’s Catalog — The Complete Illustrated 1910 Edition Unabridged. Well-illustrated with construction specifications. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1990. (#26376-2) (compare prices)
• Homes in a Box, Modern Homes from Sears Roebuck, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, PA, 1998. (Reproduction of Sears 1912 Modern Homes catalog.) (compare prices)