From Kit to Crisis — The Forgotten Foundations of Old Craftsman & Montgomery Ward Homes

A Century-Old Dream Home

“Early 1900s Sears catalog ad — entire homes shipped by rail, piece by piece, but the foundation was left to the homeowner.”

In the early 1900s, you could order your dream home straight from a catalog. Companies like Sears, Montgomery Ward, and Aladdin shipped entire “kit homes” — every beam, window, nail, and piece of trim — right to your local train depot. The crates would arrive by rail, and neighbors often gathered to help assemble them.

But there was one thing the kit didn’t include: the foundation.

How They Built It Back Then

Foundation construction was left to the homeowner — and in rural areas a century ago, that meant no concrete trucks, no ready-mix plants, and often no engineered plans.

• Trenches dug by hand

• Stones gathered from fields or local quarries

• Some walls stacked dry, others with a thin mortar bed

• Footings often small or nonexistent

• Concrete mixed in small batches without reinforcing steel

  
  

It wasn’t lack of effort — it was simply the reality of the time. Building codes didn’t exist, and materials were limited.

Why They Fail Over Time

Stone foundations weren’t designed to carry the weight of modern life. Over decades, water works into joints, mortar crumbles, and stones shift. Soil movement from freeze-thaw cycles, drought, or erosion pushes walls out of alignment.

Common warning signs include:

• Doors and windows that stick

• Sloping or bouncy floors

• Cracks in plaster or drywall

• Gaps where the floor meets the wall

  
  

Left unchecked, these small issues can grow into major structural instability — even total foundation failure.

Why Quick Fixes Don’t Last

Patching with fresh mortar or wedging in extra stones may seem like a solution, but it’s only temporary. Without a solid, engineered footing to transfer the load to stable soil, movement will continue — and so will the damage.

The Modern Solution

Preserving these historic homes means giving them a foundation built for the next century.

Today’s rebuild process typically includes:

1. Lifting the house with steel beams and hydraulic jacks

2. Removing the failing stone walls and debris

3. Installing reinforced concrete footings, engineered for soil conditions

4. Building new walls from poured concrete or CMU block with rebar reinforcement

5. Adding waterproofing and drainage systems for long-term protection

   
   

Preserving History, Protecting the Future

Old Craftsman and Montgomery Ward homes are worth saving — their craftsmanship and charm can’t be replicated today. But the foundation must be just as strong as the history above it.

Is Your Historic Home at Risk?

At Wright Floor Leveling & Masonry, we specialize in stone foundation replacement for historic homes, blending preservation with modern engineering.

📞 Call us today to schedule an evaluation and protect your home’s future. Your home’s story began with a foundation built by hand — let’s give it one that will stand strong for the next hundred years.