Mail Me A Home

By Suzanne Norquist

My sister lives in a Sears “kit house” built in 1920. With lovely hardwood floors and decorative moldings, it’s hard to believe it originally came by mail. 

In the early 1900s, thousands of people ordered homes from a catalog and assembled them on the site. Many of these houses are still around today.

The Industrial Revolution allowed people to purchase an unprecedented array of manufactured goods. With railroads crisscrossing the country, merchandise could be shipped everywhere.

Montgomery Ward and Sears, Roebuck & Co. both had thriving mail-order catalog businesses, selling a wide range of products. However, they were not the first to sell complete homes by mail. Sears originally sold patterns and blueprints but not the whole package.

That honor went to Aladdin Homes, started as North American Construction Company in 1906. Two brothers were inspired by a business selling mail-order boat kits. Why not houses?

The Aladdin name came from the story of a genie who could build a palace in a single night.

Apparently, Ford Motor Company’s management suggested they simplify the manufacturing process by selling only one model of home. That didn’t happen. They offered dozens of options, because what did a car company know about houses. Ford’s idea of consumer choice was that people could have a Model T in any color they wanted, as long as it was black.

From this small Grayson Home, which sold for about $500 in 1915 . . .

. . . to fancier homes like the Richmond, which sold for $1500 that same year.

Although kits included most materials, some things like foundations, masonry work, and bricks couldn’t be shipped. The catalog house included plans for homeowners to use at the site.

Interiors included hardwood and beveled glass features.

Roomy closets were an important selling point, as were built-in buffets, shelves, and bureaus.

Walls were made from plaster board, and customers received a plaster “filler kit” to smooth out the surfaces.

“Aladdin plaster board is the single greatest achievement in the builder’s craft in the last generation.” – 1915 Aladdin Catalog

Customers could choose as many different paints and colors as they wanted for various parts of the house. “You will be sent on request our large color card of many beautiful colors.”

Selecting a house from a catalog must have been quite an adventure.

Sears, Montgomery Ward, and others entered the house kit business. They each employed a large design staff . . .

. . . and maintained a manufacturing facility.

Customers could add items like lights . . .

. . . and bathroom fixtures.

In some places, kit homes filled entire neighborhoods or towns, especially if the area experienced rapid growth.

Companies also offered other types of buildings, such as barns and gas stations.

The Great Depression and World War II took a toll on the mail-order home industry. Sales dropped during the Depression. With large factories to maintain, companies struggled to stay afloat.

During World War II, the demand for lumber exploded, and the government limited non-essential construction. Companies couldn’t get wood to make the home kits. Sears had to refund a number of customer deposits because they couldn’t fulfill orders. They closed their home business.

Over the years, changes in building materials and manufacturing processes took their toll, but Aladdin stayed in business until 1981.

It’s always fun to go through historic districts and spot the mail-order homes. 

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”Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection

Four historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.

Mending Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist

Rockledge, Colorado, 1884

Sarah seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her customers, and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through other means. But will his efforts only push her further away?

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas, “A Song for Rose” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection and “Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.