Postal Perfect Architecture: Sears and Roebuck Houses in Wisconsin

Jim Draeger discusses the emergence of the houses-by-mail phenomenon in an illustrated lecture.  Jim explores 19th century companies, who offered blueprints by mail. As other companies entered the mail order business, Sears and Roebuck began selling millwork and house plans in 1895 and by 1908 offered complete homes through mail order catalogs.  Sears eventually became the largest supplier of mail-order houses in America.  Over more than 3 decades of operation, Sears and Roebuck claimed to have sold over 100,000 homes.  Learn about this fascinating chapter of our building history seen through Wisconsin examples.

Jim Draeger has a deep and abiding interest in everyday buildings and the stories behind them. As an architectural historian, who retired as State Historic Preservation Officer after 31 years at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Draeger celebrates the importance of ordinary buildings to our daily lives through his research, writing, lectures and documentaries.
 
With co-author, Mark Speltz, he has published with Wisconsin Historical Society Press, two award-winning books profoundly imbedded with the history of Wisconsin: “Fill ‘er Up: The Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas Stations.” (2008) and “Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries.” (2012) He is also a frequent presenter on Wisconsin Public Television, which has produced a companion DVDs to both books and is seen in other documentaries on resorts, supper clubs and other Wisconsin topics.

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