Sears Kit House Spotlight Tuesday shows homes from the 1926 Sears Catalog that homeowners could order through the mail. This article is for informational purposes only. Homes are Not for sale.

Sears Kit House The Hathaway was an English cottage-inspired mail-order plan. The 1926 Sears Catalog describes it thus:

“American tourists in Europe are always impressed by the cottage homes of England. The Hathaway is a striking example of this style of architecture. The ornamental trellised porch is a typical English feature. The colonial and French windows with their flower boxes make this type of house at home in any American community.”

The Hathaway was offered in two sizes, a two-bedroom or a three bedroom.

 

We will focus on the three-bedroom.

 

 

First Floor

The living room was entered from the front porch and had a staircase on the far wall. A wide cased opening led to the dining room. From the dining room, one was led into the kitchen with a pantry and broom closet, then out to the covered rear porch.

 

Second Floor

A bathroom and linen closet connected with the hall off the stairway. Each of the three bedrooms had a double window and a closet.

 

 

For $1,805 in 1926, the following materials would arrive by boxcar. The cost did not include land, cement, brick and plaster. Certain options were extra, such as plumbing, heating, wiring and electric fixtures, and of course, upgrades.

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A Few  The Hathaway Models (Not For Sale)

 

Built 1927 – 218 Southern Blvd, Chatham Township, NJ

located by Judith Chabot (Sears House Seeker)

 

Love it when they have the original trellis work on the front porch!

Family History

According to ancestry.com’s US Census records, Albert and Irene Bradshaw were the original owners of the house. They lived here with their children Albert Jr. and Madeline. Albert Sr. was a florist at a greenhouse and Irene a school bus driver. In fact, she won a safe driving award in 1976 after being a bus driver for 24 years. The article still has her living in The Hathaway, at this point almost 50 years in the same house!

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Cincinnati, Ohio

This Cincy home has the original trellis, too!

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Hutchins Ave, Ann Arbor, Michigan

While the trellis work is a variation of the original, the shakes are original.

 

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7035 Grace Ave., Madisonville, Ohio

located by Beatrice Lask

 

Note the porch has been completely altered.

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Newport News, Virginia

 

The three-bedroom model boasts the original trellis. Sadly, none of the The Hathaway models I’ve seen still have the original window boxes.

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5316 Gallatin St, Hyattsville, MD 20781

located by Andrew Mutch (Kit House Hunters)

In August 2021, this Maryland Hathaway sold for $380,000. One photo from the listing is seen here. It is taken from the dining room into the living room with the staircase on the far wall. You may see more photos at zillow.com here.

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210 Dallas Road, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania

located by Karen DeJeet