Customer Reviews

The Houses That Sears Built; Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sears Catalog Homes

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2 star:		(1)
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I really loved this book. Ms. Rosemary Thornton has really done her research. I have a few other books concerning Sears, Montgomery Wards, and Alladin houses, and although they are very interesting to me, they read like the catalog books that they really are. Rosemary goes beyond the catalog format, rounds everything out, offers information that none of the other books offer, and then adds a "human element" to the subject. Reading her book made me want to re-read the other books right along with hers, in order to catch all the points that I had missed reading the "catalog" books before. This book is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL and an absolute must to read if you have any kind of interest at all in "kit houses." The author has a great sense of humor, too! In more than a few places, I was laughing out loud - who would have thought you could be reading a book on Sears Houses and find HUMOR! A great book, and I cannot wait for the sequel!

I have really enjoyed reading this book, it is jamed packet with information and really takes you back in History. Once I started reading about the Sears Homes, I found it very difficult to put to put the book down.

If you have not read this Book you have missed a real treat.

My wife and I have had the opportunity to spend some time with the Author of the Book, touring some of the Sears Homes in Cairo, Illinois. Rose is a fine Young Lady, we wish her God's Speed in the writing of her next book.

Our family owns a Sears house that will be sold this year. My mother died last April at the age of 98 and had lived in the house since it was built by my father and grandfather in 1930. My parents were 3rd generation Americans and had one of the names listed on Page 116. They were not immigrants, as was assumed by their name. The house is in excellent condition, but family members all have homes in different cities and do not want the hassle of keeping it rented and seeing it destroyed by

renters.
Sears homes are the very best quality not available in new homes
now. I have several books about them and wish I could find the
75 page instruction book. I have the original blueprints.

This is the only book about Sears House that really has details and information about the company, the houses, and their construction. General information about the company is backed-up with details and solid research. Colorful stories about specific Sears communities such as Carlinville Illinois illustrates why these houses were so popular. Unlike other Sears books, this one tells how the company got them themselves into trouble with its mortgage program during the depression. The chapters on myths and misinformation about Sears house, and the followup chapter on frequently asked questions about Sears Houses, is very informative and enlightening. If you enjoy architecture you will need to keep a copy of this book in your car.

I had never heard of Sears houses before, but Ma had..It tells about the Sears' Homes, but also it's a history lesson on labor relations, construction techniques, and materials. The list of materials they shipped with the kits is truly vast..

I could never have put one of these together myself, but I do a little carpentry and electrical work around the house, so I appreciate what it took to get one of these things together, and this book illustrates that point in quite graphic terms. Striking also, how little money carpenters and builders made back then. It's a cool book, and anyone with a little interest in 20th century Americana would enjoy reading it..

Rose Thornton's book is an excellent personal and interesting account of Sears houses , especially in the Illinois area of the U.S. It is written with personal interest and conviction and provides information not found in "Houses by Mail" which was a catalogue but with little personal information.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants information and interesting personal accounts about Sears homes. It is interesting reading and very informative at the same time.
I have a very special interest in mail order houses as I authored a similar book in Canada entitled "Catalogue Houses; Eatons' and Others" Eatons was to Canada what Sears is to the US.

This book is amazing. If you love Sears Catalog Homes, you will love this one. I have found more information in the authors books about Sears Catalog Homes than from any other sources. It covers everything from what a Sears Catalog Home is to the missing sears homes. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do!

I received this book as a gift and I found it quite interesting. There's a lot of history about the evolution of early 1900s housing in America -- which is a fun read..

I also enjoyed reading about the large collection of Sears Homes in Carlinville, Illinois and the story of how Standard Oil turned to Sears when they needed to house their workers.

Ms. Thornton did a lot of research and it shows and best of all, her information is presented in a very readable manner. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who has any interest in American Architecture.

This wonderful book gives you everything you always wanted to know about Sears houses. It has photographs of various models as well as some interior views. It shows ways to indicate if the house is truly a Sears house (and not a Montgomery Ward house)! It tells the cities which had a Sears Modern Homes Sales office (where there is likely to be more Sears houses) and the prices that the houses sold for. Includes testimonials and frequestly asked questions about Sears house. Nice book and interesting reading.

I just finished reading The Houses That Sears Built. I was unable to put it down. I grew up in a Sears house, but I did not know anything about them until I read this book. It is obvious that the author did her homework while researching the subject.