Chronology Of The Sears Modern Home Program

1895–1900Building supplies are sold through Sears, Roebuck and Company general catalog 1906
Sears considered closing its unprofitable building supplies department
Frank W. Kushel (formerly manager of the china department) took over the building supplies department and realizes supplies can be shipped directly from the factory, thus saving storage costs
1908
First specialty catalog issued for houses, Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans, featuring 22 styles ranging in price from $650–2,500
1909
Mansfield, LA, lumber mill purchased
First bill of materials sold for complete Modern Home
1910
Home designers added gas and electric light fixtures
1911
Cairo, IL, lumber mill opens
First mortgage loan issued (typically 5–15 years at 6% interest)
1912
Norwood, OH, millwork plant purchased
1913
Mortgages transferred to credit committee
Mortgages later discontinued
1916
Mortgages revived
Ready-made production began
The popular “Winona” introduced; featured in catalogs through 1940
First applied roofing office opened in Dayton, OH
1917–21
No-money-down financing offered
1918
Standard Oil Company purchased 192 houses for its mineworkers in Carlinville, IL (approximately $1 million)
1919
First Modern Homes sales office opened in Akron, OH
Modern Homes catalog featured the Standard Oil housing community
1920
Philadelphia plant became the East Coast base
Sears averaged nearly 125 units shipped per month
1921
Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton sales offices opened
1922
Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington sales offices opened
Honor Bilt homes feature deluxe kitchens, with white-tile sink and drain boards and white, enameled cupboards
1924
Columbus, OH, sales office opened
1925
Detroit sales office opened; Philadelphia became East branch of Modern Homes
Newark, NJ, lumber mill began
1926
Cairo, IL, plant ships 324 units in one month (May)
Honor Bilt homes featuring “Air-Sealed-Wall construction,” which enclosed every room with a “sealed air space” to increase insulation
1929
Sears began supervising the construction of homes
Sears shipping an average of 250 units per month just from Cairo, IL
Nearly 49,000 units sold to this point
Program’s high point of sales reached ($12,050,000); nearly half, however, are tied up in mortgage loans as the stock market crashes
1930
Sears had 350 different sales people working in 48 sales offices
Home specialty catalog proclaims Sears the “World’s Largest Home Builders”
1933
Mortgage financing discontinued
Construction supervision abandoned, except in greater New York City
Modern Homes catalog featured models of Mount Vernon and New York City’s Federal Hall.
1934
Annual Report announced the Modern Homes department was discontinued
All mortgage accounts were liquidated ($11 million)
Steel-framed, air-conditioned Modern Home exhibit featured at the Century of Progress World’s Fair
1935
Sears reopened the house department
Offered only houses, no financing or construction.
Houses were prefabricated by General Houses, Incorporated (Chicago)
1936
Sales reached $2 million
1937
Sales reached $3.5 million
Last appearance of department in the general catalog.
1938
Sales reached $2.75 million
1940
Cairo, IL, millwork plant sold to the employees who used their profit-sharing money to make the purchase
Last catalog issued (Book of Modern Homes). Sears ends Modern Homes program, having sold more than 100,000 units, not including cabins, cottages, garages, outhouses, and farm buildings.

Source: Sears