A Sears house in Licking
Photo by Shari Harris
This Sears house is located across from Licking High School.
By Shari Harris, Publisher
When local homeowner Telena Haneline researched markings found on floor joists in her home, she discovered that she and her husband, Chris Haneline, owned a Sears kit house, specifically the Vallonia. The Vallonia kit house was sold by Sears, Roebuck and Company in the first half of the 20th century, and this house in Licking was likely built around 1924 or 1925. The original owners were Bernard and Hallie Stair.
The Vallonia was first offered in the mid-1910s and also appeared in the final Sears Modern Homes catalog in 1940. The buyer of a kit house would receive the blueprints and all of the materials to build it, including precut boards. The plans changed slightly over the years, and purchasers could also request modifications. The house in Licking is built reverse to the original floor plans, the staircase is different, and there is no bedroom at the front of the first floor, suggesting the builder may have asked for these modifications.
The house came with five or eight rooms and a bathroom. The first floor contained a living room, dining room, kitchen, and allowed for two bedrooms. The second floor was designed for three bedrooms and closets. A basement had room for a furnace, laundry and storage.
The Stairs did not have children and did not finish the upstairs of the home. However, the downstairs was beautiful, with hardwood floors, a fireplace, a banister on the stairway, and French doors separating the large front room from the dining area. It was said to be the first home in Licking to have electricity, and was a very modern home at the time.
Photo by Shari Harris
The basement was built around this rock, then a trench was made around the front of the rock to allow the basement to drain.
The basement of the home is also unique. The basement walls and floor were built around a large outcropping of rock in one corner, with a small trench created around the front of the rock and along two walls, finally going out a small opening in another wall to allow drainage of the basement. The Hanelines added a sump pump to the basement, as the drain was no longer functioning as well as it had in previous years.
The Stairs bought the property where the house is located from Thomas R. Nichols and Maggie Nichols for $1,000.00 on May 16, 1923. On December 9, 1924, they borrowed $1,800.00, putting the land up as collateral. This is assumed to be when they purchased the materials for the home. The cost of a Vallonia kit home in 1924 was around $2,000 to $2,300. In comparison, the average cost nationally to build a home in 1924 was $7,720; prices in rural areas were likely significantly lower.
The Stairs lived in the home for many decades. Bernard Stair died in 1956, and Hattie Stair sold the property in 1981 to Robert and Susan Sponsler. Hattie’s niece, Virginia Bonitatibus, assisted with the sale. Hattie Stair died in 1983.
Roy and Susan Cook purchased the house and deeded it to Gary and Rhonda Groh in June 1985.
Tina and Tom Holland bought the house, and she kept it when they divorced. Jeremy and Nicole Rinne rented the home from Tina and her husband, Mike Creech, when they returned to Licking to open the pharmacy. They liked the house so much, when they built their new home, they patterned it off of the Vallonia.
Telena and Chris Haneline purchased the house when they returned to Licking, and have lived there until this summer. The house is currently being rented, but has been on the market recently as well.
Hattie Stair was the daughter of Eckles and Bettie (Robertson) McKinney, who lived in a large, two-story house where Intercounty Electric is currently located. The McKinneys and their descendants have contributed greatly to the history of Licking. They had eight children, Mrs. Maggie Halbert, twin daughters Mrs. Sarah Sharp and Mrs. Jesse Austin, Mrs. Arah Mitchell, Mrs. Betty Mae Lucke, Eckles McKinney, Jr., Barton McKinney, and Mrs. Hallie Stair. Several of their children and grandchildren lived within a block or two of them, including Hallie.
Photo by Shari Harris
Eckles McKinney and his sons operated McKinney & Sons hardware and grocery in Licking. He served as both director and president of Peoples Bank of Licking, and when the banks consolidated in 1924, he became president of Peoples Savings Bank.
Licking resident Sharon Kay Stephens is the granddaughter of Mrs. Jesse Austin. She remembers visiting her Great-Aunt Hallie, who was very particular about how her house was kept. She also recalls that her Uncle Bernard built the museum building, and ran the second Collier Hotel for a while.
She was not aware that the house was a Sears kit home, and suggested there may be other Sears kit homes in Licking. More than one model of home was sold, and many homes of that era have been remodeled or added on to in the interim so may not resemble the original structure.
Sharon remembers the Martins and Sponslers lived in the house at some point, and believes one bedroom was finished upstairs at that time. In the years since then, the remaining upstairs area has been finished as well.
It remains a beautiful home and is a unique part of the history of Licking.
Publisher’s Note: Thank you to Telena Haneline, Sharon Kay Stephens and Tina Creech for taking the time to share the story of this unique home in Licking.
