Kit Homes Lecture and Trolley Tour This Saturday

Rosemary Thornton, an expert on kit homes and the author of "The Houses That Sears Built & Finding the Houses That Sears Built," is presenting "Finding the Kit Homes of Charleston" from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Kanawha Players Theater (former 1st Christian Church) at the corner of Washington Street East and Beauregard Street.

Between 1908 and 1940, Sears customers ordered about 75,000 houses out of Sears catalogs. The houses were shipped by rail to lots all over the country. Each "kit home" contained 30,000 pieces and a 75-page instruction book. Thornton will survey the Charleston area and present her findings, with tips on how to identify a Sears home.

She will be available for Q & A and have copies of her books for sale and signing immediately following the lecture.

The event is funded by the West Virginia Humanities Council. It is free and open to the public.

A light buffet luncheon presented by Bluegrass Kitchen follows at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $8.

A trolley tour including selected kit homes in Charleston is scheduled for 1:15 to 3 p.m. The cost is $12. The tour is limited to 24 people.

Make reservations for the lunch and tour by sending a check by Oct. 22 to Jean Blair, 912 Chappell Rd., Charleston, WV 25304.

Please make check payable to the Kanawha Valley Historical & Preservation Society (KVHPS) and be sure to mark it for which event(s) the payment is intended.