MARTIN SPEAR HOME

This is the house as it appears today. This house was moved from North California Street to the present location 509 Center Street.

Totally unexpected was what you see if you look close. The picture on the bottom is in reverse of the new shot. We are sure this happened in the developing process.




THERE WAS A TIME IN THE 1930s THAT ONE COULD ORDER A 'KIT' HOME OR MORE PROPERLY A CATALOG HOME. THEY GENERALLY CAME WITH PRE-MARKED WOOD, A DESIGN, AND MOST OF THE MATERIAL. AND IN THOSE DAYS PEOPLE WERE MORE APT TO HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEDGEABLE FRIENDS TO HELP ERECT THE KIT.

THEY WERE ESPECIALLY ECONOMICAL AS THE LABOR INTENSITY HAD BEEN REMOVED. OFTEN TIMES THE LARGE LUMBER COMPANY OF A COMMUNITY WOULD BECOME A DISTRIBUTOR OF THE KIT. FACT THAT THE KIT COMPANY WOULD INTURN ACCEPT THE ORDER AND THEN HAVE THE LOCAL LUMBER COMPANY FILL THE ORDER. CUTTING AND MARKING THE LUMBER TO FIT THE PLAN. THE LOCAL FOLKS WOULD ALSO OFFER SPECIAL PRICES ON ITEMS NOT INCLUDED IN THE KIT e.g. PIPE, CEMENT, ROOFING MATERIAL, WIRING AND SOCKETS, GLASS. IN THE SOUTH, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ALABAMA IN THE 60s WAS A COMPANY THAT HAD THESE HOMES ALL OVER, AS I REMEMBER IN MY TRAVELS THE COMPANY WAS 'WATERS KIT HOMES' I THINK THE NAME IS RIGHT.