The House that Arrived by Train: A Raleigh Street Landmark

Contributed by Tina Rimmer 

Take a stroll down Raleigh Street, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by some of the most beautiful and distinctive homes in Holly Springs. But one residence in particular, formerly known as the Martin-Collins home, holds a unique story: it arrived in Holly Springs in pieces on a railroad car. The pieces were transported from the train depot, a couple of blocks away at the intersection of Avent Ferry Road and Ballentine Street, to the homesite, where the Sears & Roebuck Craftsman Bungalow kit home was assembled in 1917. 

During the early 20th century, Sears revolutionized the American dream by allowing families to choose their future home from a specialty catalog. Once the order was placed, every single nut, bolt, and board was shipped directly to the homeowner by rail. 

Building a Sears home was the ultimate DIY project of the 1900s. The home kits included an exhaustive inventory of everything needed: 

• Pre-cut lumber: Each piece is labeled and numbered to match an instruction booklet, much like a modern-day Lego set. 

• The Finishing Touches: From the windows and doorknobs to the hinges, nails, and even the kitchen cabinets. 

• The Infrastructure: The kit even included plumbing, wiring, and the bathtub. 

While the homeowner would source masonry materials like bricks and stones locally, Sears provided the rest, ensuring the homes met its standards of quality and style.