Hi, I've done some work in this area but have never head of this company. It was probably not a national distributor like Sears or Montgomery Ward, correct?
What type of kit home do you mean? The type like Sears made which was pre-cut lumber and then assembled on site. Or, the ones more like today's modular homes which were sold by a company called Hodgson? If you haven't had much luck searching these types of homes using kit, try using "prefabricated houses" since that's the proper name for them. Often companies would put their name on pieces of lumber or in somewhat obscure places as a form of free advertising. Have you've checked the attic or basement for exposed surfaces?
For research on prefabricated houses there are two main sources: Avery Architectural Index and the Industrial Arts Index. Avery, as you may know, is an index of architecture periodicals and is available on-line although you may need a Columbia University ID to access it. I don't think the Industrial Arts Index is on-line.
I have a reference to a listing of articles on pre-fab housing but haven't seen it: Newell-Emmett Co., NYC, "Prefabricated Housing: Bibliography and Briefed Articles from Business, Technical and Consumer Publications, 1927-1940". This is from Burnham Kelly's "The Prefabrication of Houses", MIT, 1951, 451.
If you are really ambitious and patient and haven't already, you can always go to the local department of building to see when the construction permit was given and that should have the type of house on it. You'll need the lot number, etc. Insurance records or real estate tax records may also have this information.
Good luck.
Loretta Lorance
Dear List:
Has anyone heard of a firm called Mircantels(unsure of the exact spelling)
out of Leon, New Mexico that manufactured kit homes in the early 20th
century? Does anyone know of a comprehensive list of kit house companies?
We are turning to find origin of the historic home on site, any help with
our effort would be wonderful.
Thank you in advance,
Carrie Snow, Registrar
Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace
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