From 1908 to 1940, Sears Roebuck & Co. sold more than 70,000 of its prefabricated Modern Homes kits, affordable dwellings assembled on site that offered all Americans the chance to own an up-to-date house. Arlington County, Virginia, which saw a boom in its growth during the 1920s, boasts a significant collection of these kit houses. Historian Dakota Springston leads an engaging discussion on these distinctive and charming structures, including a brief overview and history of kit houses.
Sears homes are viewed in a presentation using historic and contemporary images, covering an assortment of models that range from the single-story “Sunlight” to the magnificent 10-room “Woodland” model. Springston covers the rail and trolley lines that provided transportation for Sears products, laborers, and residents; the rapidly growing communities in which these houses were built; and the agrarian communities they replaced.
Following the presentation, Kathryn Holt Springston, a Sears Homes expert, takes part in a live Q&A session.
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