{"id":1335,"date":"2025-06-17T11:47:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T16:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/?p=1335"},"modified":"2026-04-09T15:11:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T20:11:31","slug":"websters-kit-houses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/websters-kit-houses\/","title":{"rendered":"Webster’s Kit Houses"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The kit house as it looked in the 1960s, not long after it was built.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In today\u2019s wacky and overpriced housing market, it\u2019s fun to remember a time back in the early to mid-1900s when you could purchase your new home from the Sears Catalog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were called \u201ckit houses,\u201d also known as pre-cut houses, ready-cut houses, mail order homes or catalog homes. Basically, they were delivered in pieces, which the homeowner would assemble. They came in many different styles ranging from simple bungalows to imposing colonials, and buyers were encouraged to personalize their order; walls, windows and doors could be moved, added or eliminated. Prices ranged from $3,000 to $10,000 depending on the style, which was a reasonable price even back then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several other companies also offered kit homes, including Montgomery Ward, Aladdin Homes, Wardway Homes, and Bennett Homes. Almost all the materials needed to complete the home were provided, including pre-measured and pre-cut lumber, and hardware. Brick, concrete or masonry were not included, and plumbing, electricity, labor and land would, of course, add to the final cost. But ultimately, a kit home was an economical option for a lot of families. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several kit houses still exist in Webster. One in on Shoemaker Rd. Its owner remembers that the ranch-house model was called the Fairmount and it was ordered from Liberty Ready-Cut Homes. It featured a 1330-foot floor plan, with covered porch, three bedrooms, kitchen, living room and dining room.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The \u201ckit\u201d was brought in on the Hojack, then the parts were trucked to the building site on Shoemaker. The owners (Irving and Helen Simmons) did much of the assembly themselves and hired contractors for a few things. I can verify that the quality of the construction is superior to the two previous homes I\u2019ve owned, contractor-built, around the same time, and of similar styles. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

These beautiful little (and big) homes were the perfect answer for families looking for an affordable home-buying option, and their quality has survived the test of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can read more about Webster’s kit houses and more at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Visit the website at webstermuseum.org<\/a><\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missy Rosenberry
Webster Community Blogger<\/p>\n\n\n\n

see my blog at: websterontheweb.com<\/em><\/a>
Check out my Facebook<\/strong> page at Facebook.com\/Webster-on-the-Web<\/a> and follow me on Instagram<\/strong> and Threads <\/strong>(@missyblog)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s wacky and overpriced housing market, it\u2019s fun to remember a time back in the early to mid-1900s when you could purchase your new home from the Sears Catalog.  They were called \u201ckit houses,\u201d also known as pre-cut houses, ready-cut houses, mail order homes or catalog homes. Basically, they were delivered in pieces, which the homeowner would assemble. They came in many different styles ranging from simple bungalows to imposing colonials, and buyers were encouraged to personalize their order; walls, windows and doors could be moved, added or eliminated. Prices ranged from $3,000 to $10,000 depending on the style, which was a reasonable price even back then.  Several other companies also offered kit homes, including Montgomery Ward, Aladdin Homes, Wardway Homes, and Bennett Homes. Almost all the materials needed to complete the home were provided, including pre-measured and pre-cut lumber, and hardware. Brick, concrete or masonry were not included, and plumbing, electricity, labor and land would, of course, add to the final cost. But ultimately, a kit home was an economical option for a lot of families.  Several kit houses still exist in Webster. One in on Shoemaker Rd. Its owner remembers that the ranch-house model was called the Fairmount and it was ordered from Liberty Ready-Cut Homes. It featured a 1330-foot floor plan, with covered porch, three bedrooms, kitchen, living room and dining room.    She added, The \u201ckit\u201d was brought in on the Hojack, then the parts were trucked to the building site on Shoemaker. The owners (Irving and Helen Simmons) did much of the assembly themselves and hired contractors for a few things. I can verify that the quality of the construction is superior to the two previous homes I\u2019ve owned, contractor-built, around the same time, and of similar styles.  These beautiful little (and big) homes were the perfect answer for families looking for an affordable home-buying option, and their quality has survived the test of time.  You can read more about Webster’s kit houses and more at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Visit the website at webstermuseum.org.  Missy RosenberryWebster Community Blogger see my blog at: websterontheweb.comCheck out my Facebook page at Facebook.com\/Webster-on-the-Web and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-webster-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1335"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1474,"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1335\/revisions\/1474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webstermuseum.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}