Forget IKEA furniture, imagine ordering your entire house in a box, ready to assemble on the frontier. That’s the surprising reality of Hinkle Guild & Co., a Cincinnati powerhouse pioneering prefabricated housing decades before the Civil War.
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Picture a bustling six-story factory humming with machinery, not unlike a lumberyard on steroids. That was Hinkle Guild’s domain, churning out “knock-down” houses from 1854 to 1870. Forget hammers and nails – these ingenious structures were partially disassembled, packaged, and shipped across the country, ready to be erected like oversized Lego sets.
Check out the clever Marketing Ploy of “War! War!! with the old system of building houses” found in this ad just before the Civil War.
Why the innovation? Necessity, as always, was the mother of invention. Settlers venturing west into treeless plains craved homes, and Hinkle Guild saw an opportunity. Their smallest offering, a one-room cottage for a mere $115, offered shelter and affordability. Imagine families receiving their pre-cut havens, delivered by steamboat and assembled with minimal tools – a true DIY dream come true.
The above engraving represents a Portable
Cottage, 14 feet 7 inches wide by 30 feet 1½ inches long, divided into two
rooms, one story, 7 feet 10 inches high or the story may be made 9 feet high if
desired. It contains six windows, all glazed, with Venetian Shutters to
each window.
There are three doors – two of these
outsides and one inside and it is entirely constructed of wood. Sides and
ceiling beams are composed of posts, rails, and panels of uniform size. The
roof is made of tongued and grooved boards, covered with paper, such as is used
on fireproof roofs in cities, and painted with fire-proof paint which is
sanded, and will last longer than shingles.
The perfectly simple nature of the
construction enables two persons to put it together in a few hours, and take it
apart again with equal ease. No apprehensions need be entertained as to their
comfort in winter. From the inclemency of the weather, for from the perfect
manner of their construction, they are much warmer than any other frame
building.
Persons serious about purchasing can see a
cottage set up, at our factory.
Hinkle, Guild & Co. No
865 West Front Street Cincinnati, Ohio
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But Hinkle Guild wasn’t just catering to budget-conscious homesteaders. Their two-story, eight-room behemoth fetched $715, boasting the comfort and space larger families desired. These weren’t flimsy shacks; Hinkle Guild’s houses were built to last, using quality materials and skilled craftsmanship.
So, what happened to this prefabrication pioneer? While the company thrived pre-war, fate intervened. A devastating fire in 1855 forced them to rebuild, and competition eventually caught up. By 1870, the “knock-down” market had shifted, and Hinkle Guild faded into history.
However, their legacy endures. The story of Hinkle Guild not only reminds us of the resourcefulness of the pre-Civil War era but also challenges our perception of prefab housing. These weren’t cheap, flimsy structures; they were innovative solutions to real needs, laying the groundwork for the modern modular market we know today.
So, the next time you admire the efficiency and convenience of a modern modular home, remember the enterprising spirit of Hinkle Guild, proving that even 150 years ago, ingenuity could knock down and ship out the dream of home ownership.
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Gary Fleisher is a renowned blogger and commentator on construction and housing trends, known for his insightful analysis of the industry.
