Interesting stuff about kit houses...

found this to be quite interesting...Sears Roebuck Kit Homes, 1908 to 1940:
http://www.arts-crafts.com/archive/sears/
http://www.arts-crafts.com/images/s31p49.jpg
the Aladdin Co. was based in Bay City, MI and was family owned through its entire history and continued in business until it closed in 1981. they were the ones who invented prefab housing in 1906:
http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab...ity_index.html
http://www.mibungalow.com/baycity.asp
http://www.lib.umd.edu/NTL/kithomes.html
http://antiquehomestyle.com/plans/aladdin/index.htm
http://www.midcenturyhomestyle.com/p...ddin/index.htm
http://antiquehomestyle.com/img/17lh...n-sunshine.jpg
...looks like cars arent the only thing Michigan mass-produced.

i still cannot find mine however:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y99...s/IMG_0069.jpg
i just spent an hour looking at catalogues online from these companies. guess ill have to go to the County Registrar of Deeds...?

in fact, come to think of it i still havent seen another house in the city exactly like mine anywhere...a lot that are similar, or share similar features, but no twins.

Perhaps your home has had alterations made along the way, over the years.

http://www.antiquehome.org/site-map.htm

Bay City was responsible for nearly 1/3 of all kit houses built and one-half of all Canadian kit houses.

http://www.antiquehome.org/House-Pla...ng/Senator.htm

If this doesn't look like any randon Detroit house off of Kercheval, Vernor, or Charlevoix, anywhere from Downtown headed east, then I've never been to the eastside before.

Or hell, anywhere off of Grand River & The Boulevard headed west?

http://www.antiquehome.org/House-Pla...ling/Manor.htm


I just lucked into this one in June. Decked out in Mahogany trim, French doors with cut glass, and paneling to the cove ceiling in the dining room. Jet black, original finish, like a grand piano.

Score.

The eastside of Detroit along Jefferson is decked out in Mahogany. Usually under several coats of white, or, gag, green paint. Much of it winding up in landfills. Detroit needs to climb on-board architectural salvage. Quickly....

http://www.antiquehome.org/House-Pla...in/Detroit.htm

Seen this one before?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WaCoTS

i just spent an hour looking at catalogues online from these companies. guess ill have to go to the County Registrar of Deeds...?

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What makes you think your house is a kit house?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

http://www.antiquehome.org/House-Pla...in/Detroit.htm

Seen this one before?

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oh yeah, i saw that one too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikeM

What makes you think your house is a kit house?

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it was built in an era when they were very common, and it shares traits/features with other houses ive seen around Warrendale and other places. other than that, nothing. i could not find any markings on the lumber in the attic. i dont live in an area that was ever very affluent, so i'd be surprised if it was designed by an architect as a standalone. my house was also one of the first three houses built on my block.

Rose Thorten wrote the book The house that Sears built you can find her here oldhouseweb.com post a pic to help identify, most kit homes have the assembly numbers stamped on the end of each board usually easier to find on the attic joists.

We lived in a house of very similar design on St. Marys between Lyndon and Acacia. There were several houses of the same design, brick, the high peaks, triple front window, arched door, wide slab porch. Ours was a two story, built in 1927. Was your house built around then?

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=14345+...ed=0CBwQ8gEwAA

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gazhekwe

Ours was a two story, built in 1927. Was your house built around then?

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mine was built 1931, and is technically considered a 1.5 story house. the style is very very common around Detroit, but the exact design [[though not exceptional, or odd) is something i have not found an exact duplicate of anywhere yet.


also i assume that just because a house was built in 1931 doesnt mean that it came from the catalogue of 1931...if it is from a catalogue, it could be from as early as 1927[[?)