In today’s modern world, when we need something or think of something to buy, it’s second nature for us to jump to our cell phone, and Google it to find out where to shop for it. Most of the time, we skip Google and head straight to Amazon because it’s easy, convenient and has almost anything and everything you can think of. After clicking the “checking out” and “submit” buttons, within a few days the items are delivered to our front door.
Yet, this similarly happened over a century before Amazon and today’s modern conveniences. But how? How did Americans in the early 1900’s order items and get products within days and weeks of ordering them in what seemed to be almost as quick as today’s modern Amazon? The Sears catalog that was published by Sears, Roebuck and Co. that’s how.
Photo credit: History.com. Click on photo to go to link.
The first Sears catalog was published in 1888 as a thin mailer that only advertised watches and jewelry. As the company skyrocketed, they also became one of the most trustworthy names in America. Then, starting in 1906 the company started to sell build yourself homes via their catalog. Can you imagine purchasing a home via a click of a button on Amazon? It was literally just that easy from 1906 to 1940 when Americans could buy a Sears Modern Homes via a kit and have everything from the blueprints to precut lumber, instructions, and most of the materials needed to build a house of your choosing.
In the early 20th century, kit homes were an affordable answer to a growing country’s housing needs. A house would be ordered through the mail, and arrive by train car with all the materials and instructions. You could build it yourself or hire a contractor. Financing was available which made home ownership accessible to families hoping to achieve the American Dream. In addition to Sears, other companies sold kit homes as well such as Montgomery Ward, New Plan Service, William Radford Company, Aladdin Homes, Lewis Manufacturing, and Sterling System Homes.
Photo credit: Wikipedia. Click on photo to go to link.
In our area, we are fortunate to have many of these kit homes that dot our landscape, especially in the Town of Cortlandt, specifically in Croton-on-Hudson and in the Town of Ossining. There are a few kit homes in Peekskill, but they have been hard to identify as no one has done an actual inventory. If you think you have one, please send an email to our [email protected] email address.
To learn more about kit homes, visit the Croton Free Library when the Croton Friends of History welcomes Emily Bicht on Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m. Emily will discuss ‘Northern Westchester’s ‘Kit’ Homes’ and her art exhibition which is currently on display at the Croton Free Library, located at 171 Cleveland Drive, Croton-on-Hudson. Her paintings of kit homes will be on exhibit until December 30. On Saturday, November 23, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the opening reception of the exhibition will take place in the Ottinger Room of the Croton Free Library.
The “Dream Homes” kit model exhibit is the culmination of almost a decade of work. In 2015, Emily Bicht started making paintings inspired by 20th-century kit houses. She was drawn to their aesthetics and thoughtful designs that reflect the Arts & Crafts Movement’s belief that our lives can be improved through design. Emily was inspired by her desire for ‘home’ while living in a small two-bedroom apartment in Queens and redefining what ‘home’ means. Our current housing crisis and the exhibit was created in response to anxiety about homeownership. The paintings are aspirational, dreamy, and illustrative of the promise of the “American Dream.”
Emily Bicht, is a Peekskill resident, artist, and educator. A multidisciplinary artist who works in painting, printmaking, and ceramics, her works often explore identity, belonging, and the tension between desire and reality. The domestic space is a recurring setting for her work. In addition, Emily teaches ceramics at Cedar Lane Arts Center, Garrison Art Center, Peekskill Clay Studios, and the Kroll Ceramic Arts School.
For more information, visit Emily Bicht’s website at www.emilybicht.com, the Croton Friends of History, and the Croton Free Library.
Don’t forget to tell Emily, the Croton Friends of History, everyone at the opening reception that you read about these events in the Peekskill Herald.
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