Lynchburg area: Need help finding this historically significant house! (Norfolk: for sale, real estate)

[RosemaryT]

Need some help from happy old house lovers in Lynchburg!

This house (see picture below) was built in Lynchburg sometime in the mid-1910s. It's a kit home, shipped in about 10,000 pieces and arrived by train. It's probably within 1-2 miles of old train tracks.

Lynchburg has *many* kit homes, but I have not been able to find THIS one. It was originally sold be Sterling Homes. This was a national company, based in Bay City, Michigan. (Like Sears, but different!)

My friend is putting together a new book on kit homes, and she asked me to find (and photograph) this house in Lynchburg. All we know is that it's somewhere within the city limits. It's probably in an early 1900s neighborhood.

I live in Norfolk, so I'll be driving out there and hunting around. It'd be easier to find it if I knew where to look!

To learn more about kit homes, click on this link: The Sears Magnolia - The Creme de la creme of kit homes

Here's a picture of the house as it appeared in the 1917 Sterling Homes catalog (see below). It's a foursquare (super popular housing style) but it's got some unique features - mainly those double windows on the staircase landing window (mid-way between upper and lower floors).

Those two big windows in the hipped dormer are another key feature.

So, please oh please offer a guess? Street names would be MOST appreciated.

An interesting facet of this is, 90% of people living in these kit homes did not realize what they had until I knocked on their door and told them.

Finding these houses is a fun-filled treasure hunt, but I need a little help on this one.

Rosemary

* * *



Under construction:




Sterling Homes Mail-Order catalog from 1917

[springgrl]

Cool search! It's close to a few (I figure the porch may have been redone in the past 80 years...), but the chimneys aren't right, or they don't have the front steps like in the one pictured (or the side window you mention). There are so many older homes between the downtown and midtown train tracks. It should make for a fun hunt.

Have you all tried the Jones Memorial Library and Lynchburg Historical Foundation? I've found them both very helpful when hunting for details. There is also Lynchburg History | Historic Photos and Maps of Lynchburg, VA, which has many photos of the homes in the historic districts (I'm sure you've looked already, but Diamond and Garland hills also have good web sites for looking at the homes in those districts).

Good luck and I look forward to seeing the book!

[Waterfront]

I too would suggest contacting the Lynchburg Historical Foundation if you don't have any luck with locating this house. Now you have me wondering if the first house my wife and I ever owned in Lynchburg was a kit house!

I volunteer with old photographs at the Historical Society of Western Virginia in downtown Roanoke, and many others that work/volunteer there walk around with all these historical facts and tidbits in their heads.

Here is the link to a photograph of a Sears Alhambra kit house in our area --http://hswv.pastperfect-online.com/36598cgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=85BB282D-EE95-4AB4-B8A4-839534114163;type=102
This summer I came across another example of this same kit house while browsing real estate for sale in the Lexington, VA/Rockbridge County area.

Good luck in your search...

[RosemaryT]

If you scroll down to the bottom of that link, they have my name listed.

I have a website and I've got a blog dedicated to the kit homes of Lynchburg and Roanoke, and there are SEVERAL Alhambras in the two cities. It's one of my favorite houses.

Here's one in Lynchburg:

[Waterfront]

Well how cool is that! You have a very good eye -- I'm not sure I would have recognized that Lynchburg house as the Alhambra! Let's hope someone in Lynchburg comes up with the exact house you're looking for.

[springgrl]

I saw the post on your blog, which reminded me of this one on Elmwood, which isn't flipped like that person mentioned, but, if I'm remembering right, has the windows you mentioned on the one side and I think has the correct front windows (well, not including the second floor ones--they look like they may have been replaced):

[RosemaryT]

Originally Posted by springgrl

I saw the post on your blog, which reminded me of this one on Elmwood, which isn't flipped like that person mentioned, but, if I'm remembering right, has the windows you mentioned on the one side and I think has the correct front windows (well, not including the second floor ones--they look like they may have been replaced):

Thank you so much for the photo and the post, but that house (pictured in your post) is not quite right. The attic dormer is too narrow and too small.

Here's a picture of the Sterling Windemere "in the flesh" in Bay City, Michigan. BTW, this photo is Dale Wolicki's (a dear friend and architectural historian). This picture gives an idea of what the house would look like today.

[RosemaryT]

Still looking...and getting desperate. Would appreciate any and all help!

[LynchburgLover]

There are so many similar houses in Lynchburg . . . I'm afraid you could be driving around for days looking at them. Your eye is much more discerning than average. The dormers look the same to me!

Good luck.

[passo82]

There are literally hundreds of homes in Lynchburg that look like that. I wish I could help you but trying to find that one house seems like it would be next to impossible.