Word has it that a genuine Sears, Roebuck & Co. kit house, a much-prized vestige of early 1900s Americana, has been hiding in plain sight on High Street in Westerly for a century.
The structure, at 166 High St., a three-apartment building, was sold recently for $490,000 and stands as a handsome example of the Sears kit home known as the âAlhambra,â described as a âSpanish-flavored foursquareâ in the âMission style of architecture.â
It first appeared in the Sears catalog of kit homes in 1918 and this one, according to Westerly town assessor records, was built in 1919. Alhambra, if you were wondering, is the name of a 13th-century Moorish citadel and palace in Granada, located in the Andalusian region of Spain.
Joseph W Kieselowsky thetimes-tribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thetimes-tribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, there were only a few stores in Pittsfield that would have a large assortment of toys, and these were mostly available just before the December holidays.
England Brothers Department Store had the best selection, located on the fourth floor, but after the holidays, the offerings were slim. Without a specialty toy store in Pittsfield, many of us got our exposure to the latest toys from the pages of the Sears, Roebuck & Co. or the Montgomery Ward holiday toy catalogs. The pictures of the latest and best toys were great, but these could not be found in the local market.