Croom in Prince George's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Sears House
It Came In The Mail!
— Sears, Roebuck and Co. Mail-order Homes —
Simplex Sectional Cottages
The mail-order home in front of you was purchased by Mr. Lowe Steed from Sears, Roebuck and Company in 1923 for $400. It is a quaint, three room, no-bath cottage. An outhouse could be purchased separately for around $40. The house did not have plumbing or electricity and was heated by the kitchen stove when the Steed family lived in the house in the 1930s during the Great Depression.
Sears, Roebuck and Company sold more than 100,000 mail order-homes from 1908 to 1940. They had 447 styles to choose from. Some of these homes were very elaborate and built with high quality materials, providing everything one would need to live comfortably, while others were quite basic. The three types of homes offered were the "Honor Built" (top of the line), "Standard Built" and "Simplex." Customers could order a house to suit their life style and budget. The ability to mass-produce materials cut manufacturing costs and homes could be built faster and with less labor (the Simplex homes could be put together by one carpenter.) Your house would arrive at the closest railway station with everything you would need to build it: pre-cut timbers, shingles, paint, nails and even the kitchen sink.
In 2004, the house was moved to this location from the Steed Farm located near Clinton, Maryland. It has been restored and furnished to resemble its original condition.
The Goldenrod
This house is a "Simplex" sectional cottage; the model is the "Goldenrod". It was designed for resort communities, summer homes, and industrial housing. Although thousands of Sears homes were built in the United States, the Simplex models (Goldenrod, Skywater, and Double-Duty) are fairly rare. Not many of these houses were purchased because the public preferred the higher quality models. Most of those that were built did not survive over the years.
Catalog #-55MH122
Erected by Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Communications • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1923.
Location. 38° 46.35′ N, 76° 42.717′ W. Marker is in Croom, Maryland, in Prince George's County. Marker is on Croom Airport Road. The Sears House is part of the Patuxent Rural Life Museums complex within the Jug Bay Natural Area of Patuxent River Park. Call park staff at 301-627-6074 to confirm hours of operation. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16000 Croom Airport Road, Upper Marlboro MD 20772, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Blacksmith Shop (a few steps from this marker); The Duckett Cabin (a few steps from this marker); Blown to Atoms (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Climate Change and Jug Bay (about 600 feet away); Charles Town (approx. 0.7 miles away); First Americans at Mount Calvert (approx. 0.8 miles away); Mount Calvert Historical and Archaeological Park (approx. 0.8 miles away); Chesapeake Beach Railway (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Croom.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 16, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 17, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 4,582 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 17, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. submitted on February 5, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Christopher Busta-Peck was the editor who published this page.