Sears Vallonia in Northville, Michigan

The city of Northville, Michigan is only a couple of miles south of where we live in Novi. Best known for its historic downtown and Victorian Festival each year, Northville is also home to at least nine kit houses from Aladdin, Lewis and Sears. The City of Northville is split almost equally between Wayne and Oakland Counties and Baseline is the dividing line between the two counties. The most often recognized of these kit homes - a Sears Vallonia - can be found at 317 Baseline.

317 Baseline - Northville, Michigan - Sears Vallonia

The Sears Vallonia was one of the most popular models for Sears. I'm only half-joking when I tell people that if you find a kit house in your community, it's probably a Vallonia! First offered in 1920, Sears continued to offer the Vallonia long after the Arts and Crafts style homes had largely fallen out of favor. The Vallonia could still be found gracing the pages of the last Sears Modern Homes catalog in 1940. 

Catalog image of Sears Vallonia (1927)

Image courtesy of Sears Archives

Like all of the long-lasting models, the design of the Vallonia went through some minor changes over the years. Those included changes in the front dormer window from two to three windows and the addition of the dining room bump-out. Interestingly, the Northville Vallonia sports a two window dormer several years after the Vallonia design switched to three windows. 

317 Baseline - Northville, Michigan - Sears Vallonia

What didn't change over the years is the distinctive columns you'll find on the front porch of the Vallonia. Those column details can be found on a number of different Sears models and while not unique to Sears houses, they are a detail that leads all kit house hunters to give a house a second look. You can see the details better in this close-up of the catalog image:

Close up of column detail from catalog image

But the Vallonia at 317 Baseline is unique among all of the Vallonias that I've seen online and in person in having the decorative wedges at the top of the column turned upside down. 

Close up of column detail of 317 Baseline

I have no idea whether this orientation is original to the house or if this was changed at some point over the years. Either way, it's one-of-a-kind!

317 Baseline - Northville, Michigan - Sears Vallonia

The Vallonia at 317 Baseline is located on Lot 7 of the Oakwood Subdivision, which is home to five documented Sears houses. Located just west of the railroad line that runs through the area, when the Oakwood Subdivision was platted in 1923, it was located in  Novi Township. By the time the Vallonia was built in 1926/1927, the subdivision had been annexed into the Village of Northville. Because land remains part of a township even after it is annexed into a village, 317 Baseline remained a part of Novi Township until the Village of Northville incorporated as the City of Northville in 1955.

317 Baseline was documented a number of years ago as a Sears kit house. More recently, I was able to locate a mortgage record between Walker O. Lewis, a trustee for Sears Roebuck and Charles George in November 1926 for $4,700.