by Architectural Observer | May 15, 2018 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses
Design No. 1509 was a popular plan for the Radford Architectural Company of Chicago judging by the number of surviving examples I’ve seen. The most recent I’ve found is surprisingly intact and appears to be loved by its owners. While this one in Oakley,...
by Architectural Observer | May 15, 2018 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses, Observations
Recently I had the pleasure of touring a vacant farmhouse which has remained in the same family since its construction in 1918. Although the house has had many of the updates one would expect over the course of a full century, it has had far fewer of them than most...
by Architectural Observer | May 5, 2018 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses
I ran across this house yesterday… it appears to be a Gordon-Van Tine product, but I’m not exactly sure which of the many variations of this design it is. I think it is the Cabot “A” model. There is one clue above the door that makes me...
by Architectural Observer | Mar 4, 2018 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses
This Sears Langston caught my eye while searching for an entirely different house on Zillow. The distinctive and memorable porch posts remain to proclaim their Sears heritage despite a rather clumsy addition on the side of the house. Images from the 1918 Sears...
by Architectural Observer | Feb 26, 2018 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses, Observations
Of the hundreds of house plans offered by the William A. Radford Company of Chicago, their design number 1517 appears to have been one of their most popular – at least in the nation’s mid-section. Numerous examples of this house survive today. The design...
by Architectural Observer | Jan 31, 2018 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses, Observations
I recently ran across this house on Zillow. It looks a lot like a kit house sold by Sears called the Osborn. The house was offered from 1916 to 1929 and seems to have been a popular model for them. I’m not sure if the house below is an Osborn, but if not it...
