From the early 1900s until the Second World War, so-called “mail order” houses played an integral role in the U.S. real estate market. The ability to mass produce and ship entire home kits epitomized post industrial revolution manufacturing and marketing. Join us as historian and AHC Education Manager Val Ballestrem takes a fresh look at the mail order house phenomenon and its impact on Portland.
Saturday, June 16, 2012 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Members: $10 General Public: $18
With the advent of the industrial revolution, the first “mail order catalog revolution” was not far behind. By the late 19th century, not only could you purchase furniture, house wares, and clothing through catalogs, you could order new millwork, plumbing, and lighting fixtures too. As the popularity of buying by mail grew, savvy timber and construction companies, along with two giants of the mail order world Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward, began marketing entire homes that you could order straight out of a catalog. In addition to Sears and Wards, you could order a cottage, bungalow, foursquare, Tudor, or even a ranch style home from companies such as Aladdin, Gordon-Van Tine, and Fenner Manufacturing. The home kits were typically shipped from factories to the rail depot nearest you. In the Pacific Northwest, several mail order house companies had their own factories, making it even easier for the average person to take delivery of their new residence.
Pre-registration is strongly suggested.
More information and registration!
Architectural Heritage Center
701 SE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97214
