Program highlights Sears home in suburbs

Think you have an original Sears catalog home? Find out what to look for when "Sears Homes of Chicagoland, From 1908 to 1942" is presented at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Glen Ellyn History Center, 800 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn.

The presenter is Lara Solonickne, architectural enthusiast and founder of sears-homes.com.

From 1908 to 1942, Sears Roebuck and Company sold about 65,000 ready-to-build kit homes through catalogs. Despite the rash of teardowns in the Chicago area, some of these houses have managed to survive.

Solonickne's presentation features the kit homes still standing in Glen Ellyn and neighboring communities. She'll explain how to identify and authenticate a Sears home and what makes them historically significant.

Tickets may be purchased in advance from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at Stacy's Corners Store in the Glen Ellyn History Center or on the day of the program, if still available.

Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for Glen Ellyn Historical Society members, and $5 for students 18 and younger. For information, call (630) 469-1867 or visit www.gehs.org.