Painted bright yellow with sky blue shutters, you won’t want to miss this little time capsule of a home, located in the Crestwood section of Bethesda… within walking distance of downtown Friendship Heights. .
The exterior of this particular Winthrop could be lifted directly off of the Sears Kit House catalog page. The shutters look to be original. The porch is pristine and still sports the same thin beams. The front door looks like it might have changed, but the arc of the entryway is spot on, as are the dormers and the chimney. Inside are a bunch of markers of Sears homes… such as the famous junction blocks at the stairway trim, the plain-bottom, back band window moldings, the “Narcissus” door knobs or the “Colonial fireplace” the home was endowed with –check out the catalog and real-life pictures below. (Also, you can see the MLS pictures here.)
What really caught my eye, however, were the markings under the basement stairway. It’s a good thing that I’ve been dieting lately, because I had to squeeze behind the furnace to get a good look. Why I didn’t think to send my elfin partner Cati in for the task speaks to my reckless enthusiasm upon discovering the markings! This is the first house where I’ve seen an actual catalog number written in grease pencil on one of the beams. So, hey- this is an authentic Sears catalog home!
Built in 1928, the original house offered up 2 bedrooms and one full bath. Today it has 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths, thanks to an addition in the back.
On our way out of the house we ran into the owners. They bought it from the son of the fellow who originally built the house. They actually had heard it was a Sears house, and had even tried to find images, but were unable to identify the house. (Well, actually, if all the kit houses we have here were as easily identified as this one…) The owners told us the house hadn’t been in the best of shape when they purchased it. They tried to preserve as much as they could but the siding unfortunately was beyond repair.
The “Winthrop” is available for $699,500, or you can rent it for $3,125 per month.
If you’re thinking you would like to live in an original Sears catalog home… maybe even a Winthrop, please get in touch with us. We are constantly scouring the marketplace for authentic catalog homes, and would be delighted to help you find one of your own. Fill out the form below, or simply pick up the phone and give us a call.
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