In 2023, the NTHPC contracted Clinton Brown Company Architecture, P.C. (CBCA) to conduct a Reconnaissance level survey of Bennett and other Kit style homes in North Tonawanda (funded by a CLG grant award) . The motivation for this project was to identify historic homes and establish if there is justification for a National Register Historic District or Multiple Property Document Form (MPDF) for these buildings. This research was submitted in September 2023. The NTHPC will be seeking further funding to complete this process.

Building on the early success of the lumber industry, several new manufacturing industries formed in North Tonawanda in the early 1900s that attracted middle-class workers seeking employment. Continued improvements to local shipping networks ushered in a new era of industrial growth. A number of new companies were established that produced a more diverse array of goods. Related to the diversity of products in this era was the early decline of the lumber industry. Lumber forests in the northeast that were harvested in the previous decades were never replanted, resulting in a newfound scarcity of the natural resource that mills and lumber factories relied on. To accommodate this issue, new companies emerged that specialized in producing and selling different types of lumber products for building purposes. 

Among these new companies that formed was the Hoadley & Bennett Lumber Company. Its cofounder Raymond H Bennett (1876-1956) began his work as a partner in 1902 manufacturing raw lumber for construction purposes, as well as producing millwork, trim, wall boards, and shingles for houses. Within three years the company relocated their operation to a new plant at 190 Oliver Street, the former W.G. Palmer Lumber Co. facilities, before Bennett branched off to establish his own company that would be one of the city’s major lumber manufacturers of the twentieth century. 

In 1908 Bennett went on to marry Ethel Stanley, the granddaughter of Lewis S. Payne. This relationship would prove to be significant because of the connection it made between Bennett and the former Payne Estate. After Payne’s death in 1898, his estate passed down to his son Edward C Payne and son-in-law Lyman G. Stanley (1842-1914). The two would enter into a real estate business together and planned to develop the family estate as one of North Tonawanda’s major residential tracts. Advertisements from the era described the land as one of the best locations for residential lots and factory sites. Similar to other subdivisions in the city, such as the Sweeney Estate, the Payne Estate became the target for prospective homeowners to settle down. The land was subdivided into Individual vacant lots that were advertised to prospective builders. Once they became purchasers, homeowners had the choice to build their home independently or obtain all the necessary components from a catalog. 

It was in this context that Bennett Kit Homes emerged as an easy, affordable option for first time homeowners. Marketed towards younger generations of prospective homeowners, Bennett established his own distinct line of prefabricated homes. Before this point, housing was primarily characterized either by densely built boarding houses, or multi-generational housing that was shared between young families and their elders. With his family connections, Bennett was able to help transform the Payne Estate into one of the city’s greatest collection of single family homes, several of which were models that his company produced. This pattern of development took hold in other areas of the city and continued up until the outbreak of WWII, as distinct residential subdivisions formed in historically large private estate situated along major transportation corridors.

Bennett Kit Homes were one of several brands of ‘catalog homes’ sold in the twentieth century to prospective homeowners across the country. Similar to other major brands such as Sears or Aladdin, the Bennett Lumber Company marketed their line of ‘redi-bilt’ homes in catalogs that gave customers the ability to choose a house that was designed to their exact specification. Offering approximately 60 unique designs in a catalog, customers were able to select from a range of models that were reflections of popular architectural styles of the time. Each model was given a unique floorplan that could be modified to fit the needs of the client. 

In addition to the unique exterior designs and floorplans, the company offered services and materials that completed a home. Following the rise of automobile ownership, Bennett offered a handful of designs for freestanding garages named after car brands. For interiors, Bennett catalogs advertised a separate home equipment book that included a full range of mechanical systems to “equip your new home with modern conveniences at a saving.” They also offered a complimentary interior design service that would “help you plan to the very best advantage with whatever you care to spend.” 

The success of the Bennett Lumber Company fit into the national trend of residential development that occurred in the first half of twentieth century. Marketing themselves towards middle-income families seeking to establish a home for themselves, the company produced a series of catalogs throughout the 1920s and 30s that referenced the benefits of homeownership and the company’s ability to provide quality homes at an affordable price. Writing directly to the prospective homeowners, the company’s 1937 catalog included the following passage:  “You are independent. You make whatever changes and improvements you desire and no one can tell you to move. You are free from rent-raising landlords-free to make your home whatever you want it to be. And the sense of security which you have when you own your home is priceless.”

Between 1906 and 1940 it is estimated that thousands of kit homes were built throughout North America and Canada. Although it did not reach the level of same national level of abundance of Sears or Aladdin, the Bennett Lumber Company became one of the leading producers of kit homes in the region, building homes throughout the northeast.

This summary was prepared by CBCA and the full content is available in the Reconnaissance Level Historic Resources Survey filed with NYSHPO.