Sears Elmhurst in Pelham, New York

116 Reed - Pelham, NY - Sears Elmhurst
Image courtesy of Google Maps

In a recent post, I shared the discovery of two Sears Elmhursts in Westchester County, New York. While these were once thought of as a rarity in the world of Sears houses, there's now more than 10 Elmhursts that have been identified and most of those have been authenticated with Sears mortgages. One of these Elmhursts is located at 116 Reed Avenue in Pelham, New York. Pelham is about 2 square miles in size and lies directly north of the borough of the Bronx. Like many suburbs of New York City, Pelham's population surged in the early 20th Century and in addition to the Elmhurst, it's home to several known Sears kit houses.

This Elmhurst was purchased by Colin F. and May MacDonnell in the fall of 1930. Their mortgage with Edwards D. Ford was for $11,900, indicative that this was a high-end example of a kit house as was the monthly payment of $55 to $65, as highlighted in the Sears Modern Homes catalog.

Catalog Image of Sears Elmhurst (1929)
Image courtesy of Antique Home

While I haven't had a chance to review the actual mortgage documents, the MacDonnells must have secured a 15 year mortgage with Sears as the house was paid off in October 1945.

Image Courtesy of FultonHistory.com

Mr. MacDonnell is listed in the 1940 Census as a construction supervisor, a job that must have paid well to afford the Elmhurst. The MacDonnells had two children, Marjorie and Colin Jr. I don't know exactly how long the MacDonnells lived in their Elmhurst but by the early 1950s, a different family lived at 116 Reed. Not long after the MacDonnells moved into their Elmhurst, the Pelham police were called to investigate a burglary at the house, which warranted a headline in the local paper.

Image Courtesy of FultonHistory.com

As you can see from the contemporary photos of the house, this Elmhurst was built with a reversed floor plan. The three distinct second story dormers are clearly visible on the right side of the house. On the right side, you can also see an addition on the back of the house. It's not part of the catalog floorplan but it could be original to the house. We've seen other Elmhursts that were built with expanded floor plans.

116 Reed - Pelham, NY - Sears Elmhurst
Image courtesy of Google Maps

On the left side, you can see the side entrance to the house. You can also see how a small area on the front of the house has been enclosed. An earlier photo of the house that I found indicates that this area has been enclosed for at least thirty years. Check out that station wagon!

116 Reed - Pelham, NY - Sears Elmhurst
Image courtesy of Town of Pelham, NY

As I noted earlier, in addition to the Sears Elmhurst, Pelham is also home to several other Sears kit houses. Watch for future posts about those homes.