Need help from old house lovers: Can you send me a photo of this house in Syracuse? (Canton: houses, neighborhood) - City-Data Forum

RosemaryT · 05-03-2011, 01:49 AM

Last night, someone sent me a note saying that they thought a house on James Street was a Sears Magnolia.

At least twice a week, someone writes me a note and tells me that they've found a Sears Magnolia. I study the photos and then write back and tell them, "Sorry, no deal."

Last night was different. I looked at the house via Google maps and I thought, "OH MY GOSH. This could be the real deal!!"

You may be wondering, what is a Sears Home?

Sears Homes were 12,000-piece kits sold via the Sears Roebuck catalogue. These kit homes were offered from 1908-1940, and Sears had about 370 designs of homes during their 32 years in the kit home business. The houses came with a 75-page instruction book and a promise that "a man of average abilities" could have one assembled in 90 days.

The Sears Magnolia is the creme de la creme of Sears Homes. There are only six KNOWN Magnolias in the entire country. If this house in Syracuse is a Magnolia, that'd be number seven, and that's a big deal.

I'm posting here in hopes that some kind soul could take a photo of this house on James Street and send it to me, so I can get a better idea of what I'm looking at?

I'm in Norfolk, Virginia (about 10 hours away), elsewise, I'd be all over this.

If someone could send me a few good photos of this house in Syracuse, I could figure this out. The image at google is so blurry and so poor and fuzzy, I just can't be sure what I'm seeing.

To learn more about the Sears Magnolia, you can look at this thread: The Sears Magnolia - The Creme de la creme of kit homes

Thanks for any and all help.

Rosemary Thornton

Here's a picture from the 1922 Sears Modern Homes catalog. Notice the price!!!

Below are some real live Sears Magnolias. The first one is in Benson, NC. It's a real beauty.

This one is in Canton, Ohio.

proulxfamily · 05-03-2011, 05:19 AM

Do you know the house number or number block, even slightly? Or maybe what cross streets it's between? I can do it when I'm out and about but James St. is LONG and there are so many old, gorgeous mansions/estates, as you near downtown Syracuse, that it might be fairly easy to overlook, not being familiar with the specifics of that architecture style.

proulxfamily · 05-03-2011, 05:23 AM

Never mind.

I googled and found your blog with the address... I'll swing up there during today's errands.

proulxfamily · 05-03-2011, 05:35 AM

I took some quick, rushing-through the northside pics a while back and I was just looking through them quickly...

It's not this house, is it? (Awful pic, I know- three tantruming children and a car badly in need of a wash in the prime of mud season, obviously, doesn't do my photo-taking any favors. :P)

eta: Probably not. The top is all wrong. lol

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2675/89/55/543140696/n543140696_6093443_724889.jpg (broken link)

RosemaryT · 05-03-2011, 06:27 AM

It's in the 1500 block.

Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance for any and all photos.

I could hardly sleep last night for thinking about this sweet thing.

I've been doing the happy dance all morning, dreaming of the moment when I see the photos up close and personal.

x 1,000,000

Rosemary Thornton

RosemaryT · 05-03-2011, 06:32 AM

PS. No, it's not the house in your post, but thanks for trying.

The Magnolia has that pedimented dormer (very distinctive) and it's not that big a house. It's 36 feet wide (if I recall), and it's just a plain old foursquare with delusions of grandeur.

syr83 · 05-03-2011, 06:47 AM

Is it this one? I run that street every day, and that house looks wicked familiar.

Google Maps

RosemaryT · 05-03-2011, 10:48 AM

Yes, yes, YES.

That's the house!!!!!

But you can see that the google image is fuzzy it's not easy to see any detail.

And I need detail!

If possible, I'd love to have a shot of the house from the front, the sides (slightly angled to match the catalog page), and hard-over on the sides (more angled).

Years ago, I shot photos for a major US newspaper and the rule is, stay on the public sidewalk (or street) and you're legal.

Thanks so much!!!!!

syr83 · 05-03-2011, 10:52 AM

Very exciting! I'll take some more pictures on my way home today. I have to say when i look at that picture you posted, it looks SO familiar. I wonder if there might be some others in our area up here?

RollsRoyce · 05-03-2011, 11:04 AM

The instant I saw the 1922 Sears catalog rendering, I recognized the house. Located at 1500 James Street, the home is part of the Sedgwick Farms neighborhood. Below is a 1976 photo of the home from the Sedgwick Farm Neighborhood Association's website. Based on the photo, not much has changed.

http://www.sedgwickfarm.org/homes.php

Click on the icon for 1500 James Street.