This post was originally published on Oct. 31, 2013 by Laraine Shape
If you were flying down Madison Road, in a hurry to get somewhere, you’d never even know this circle of treasured homes was there. But turn onto the tree lined street and you’d know something was different about this sleepy, little neighborhood. What’s different is the cluster of 10 beautifully maintained and well loved Sears Roebuck kit homes. The Eastwood historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
For Sears home enthusiasts, driving down this street is like walking into a See’s candy store in California. Deliciously gawkable. If you go there, drive slow. Otherwise you might find yourself driving into someone’s lawn as you admire the eye candy.
Here are all 10 of the Sears houses on Eastwood Circle. Hope you enjoy the view.
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration form filed in 2005: “5054 East Eastwood Circle, 1933, Sears house, the Sunbeam model (original number and owner #20, Dickman, Fred B.). It is a one and a half story with a large porch and shed roofed sleeping porch above. Its solid pillars reflect a very cheerful Bungalow style. The clapboard siding is original, with original wood shingles above. It is 1117 finished square feet. It may have been built by Mr. Dickman.
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form filed in 2005: “5050 East Eastwood Circle, 1933, Sears house, the Mitchell model (original number and owner #18, Wynne, John). “English architecture with a touch of the popular California studio type. Two (intersecting) gables…(with a) stone and brick chimney.” This house has the original shakes in the gables but not the style of windows listed in the catalog. There were French doors lying in the coal bin. It has had vinyl siding added and windows replaced. It is 974 finished square feet. There is a letter “S” for Sears stamped in the foundation.”
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration form filed in 2005: “5046 East Eastwood Circle, 1933, Sears house, Maplewood with Osborn roofline, (original number and owner #16, Fisher, F.M.). This small, one and a half story has a matching double, detached original garage with the same flared roof ridge with a steep pitch. The prominent brick and stone chimney sits next to a front facing gable, which has one flared side sweeping closer to the ground
than the other. Stone faces this gable. “S” is stamped on the basement stonework, indicating a Sears house. The siding is covered in vinyl. It is 1534 finished square feet”
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration form filed in 2005: “5038 East Eastwood Circle, 1932, Sears house, the Puritan model (original number and owner #14, Hannika, Elizabeth). This two story is in the Dutch colonial style with a “colonial doorway with colonial hood”. An addition was added during the 1970s to the south gable end. The wood siding is original and the wood siding on the addition was carefully matched. It has a gambrel roof. There is evidence of the original latticed porte cochere over the drive. The owner would like to restore that as well as the balustrade feature above the addition side. It is 1699 finished square feet. The garage is original.”
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration form filed in 2005: “5066 East Eastwood Circle, 1930, Sears house, the Crescent (original number and owner #24, Harvie, Arthur H.). This colonial has a centered portico covered with a prominent pediment. It is faced with original wood siding and shingles. The original wood porch posts have been removed. It is 1559 finished square feet.”
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration from filed in 2005: “5018 East Eastwood Circle, 1930, Sears house, the Osborn model (original number and owner #6, Kuns, Ray F.). This house is described in the Sears catalog as “stucco and shingle sided bungalow in Spanish mission architecture…(with) massive stucco porches and bulkheads.” It is trimmed with “red brick coping…(and) corbels and purlins.” All original features are still present. It is 1405 finished square feet. Charles Kratz , nephew of the developer, says there was an office behind the house that the owner had for a mail order motor model business. A secretary worked in this small structure. It is no longer standing. At one time the garage at 5024 East Eastwood belonged to this property”
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration form filed in 2005: “5032 East Eastwood Circle, 1923, Sears house, the Verona model (original number and owner #12, Moeller, Phillip and Flora). Builder was Charles E. Dawson of the Dawson Zeh Co. It features a Colonial Revival style door and sidelights flanked by bay windows on either side. There is also a bay window centered above. The side of the attic floor has fanlights. This Dutch Colonial Revival style two story house has a gambrel roof. It has been resided in vinyl. It is 2280 finished square feet. The garage is original.”
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration form filed in 2005: “5061 West Eastwood Circle, 1933, Sears house, the Martha Washington model (original number and owner #21, Evans Wm. A.; Mack Swigert house from 19441949). This is a large, two – story Dutch Colonial Revival with fluted columns and sidelights and a fanlight on the front door. The front portico is covered with an arch topped roof. There is a central chimney. The rear has a recent (16 years ago) addition with a shed roof. The garage was also added at that time and is noncontributing. There is a gambrel roof. The material is vinyl siding. It is 2384 finished square feet.”
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration form filed in 2005: “5031 West Eastwood Circle, 1925, Sears house, the Alhambra model (original number and owner #11, Kratz, William H.). This was the house of the father of the neighborhood developer. When the present owner moved in, the house had a full porch, not asymmetrical like the plans. It also had brown vinyl siding and no sign of the originally intended stucco underneath. There was an asphalt shingle siding beneath. The original shaped parapets, surrounding the hipped roof, had been covered in siding and squared off. In 1999, the owners altered the siding and gables. It is 1854 finished square feet. The original siding on this house was a light – colored concrete stucco with small stones in it. This house is noncontributing to the district.”
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration form filed in 2005: “5023 West Eastwood Circle, 1932, Sears house, Wayne model with modified gable (original number and owner #7, Gruber, Fred, C.). This Sears house has a large front porch and a frontfacing gable roof. It is symmetrical, with a triple center window upstairs. There are large windows on either side of the door downstairs. The original clapboards are covered with vinyl siding. It is 1397 finished square feet. The garage is original.”
Notes about this post:
The Eastwood Historic District is probably the most well known area of Cincinnati in regards to Sears Kit Houses. The models are all within a block or two of each other, and are in excellent repair. There have been several newspaper articles over the years about this collection of homes. Anyone interested in Sears kit houses in the Cincinnati area should take a drive down Eastwood Circle.
Sears Houses in Cincinnati 
