Historic Edmond kit house to open as wine, charcuterie bar
By : Kathryn McNutt//The Journal Record/May 9, 2025
EDMOND — A house built from a kit more than 100 years ago will be brought back to life as a wine and charcuterie bar.
Developer David Chapman and entrepreneur Maggie Sermersheim are working together to bring a modern twist to the historic property.
Chapman and his wife, Julie, purchased what they believe to be the only two remaining kit houses in Edmond to save them from demolition. They sit side by side on West Hurd Street just east of the railroad tracks.
Kit houses almost always were built near railroad tracks because that’s where the kits were dropped off, Chapman said.
“In the early 20th century, companies like Sears, Roebuck & Co. revolutionized home construction by offering mail-order houses, shipped in thousands of pieces via rail. These kits contained everything from framing lumber to nails, plumbing, and blueprints – allowing aspiring homeowners to build quality homes at an affordable price,” he wrote in a February column in The Journal Record.
Between 1908 and 1940, Sears alone sold an estimated 70,000 kit homes. “Sears was the big one. The reason was they had the catalog,” Chapman said.
The two houses on Hurd Street were built in 1915 and 1918 on what was farmland at the time. People in the community came together to build the kit houses, much like a barn raising, he said.
The Chapmans purchased the 1,209-square-foot house at 28 W. Hurd St. in 2017, renovated it and now lease it as a residence.
This page from a Sears catalog offers a house kit for $772. (Provided by David Chapman)
Three years ago, they bought the house at 26 W. Hurd St., the one being converted to a commercial space. The 1,280-square-foot house was built in 1918.
Plumbing and heating were added over time, and it served as a residence until about 30 years ago, Chapman said.
Original features like a set of pocket doors that slide into the wall and corner cabinets will be retained, along with the lath and plaster walls.
The porch has been enlarged to accommodate outdoor seating and a ramp built for accessibility. The backyard will provide another outdoor gathering space and some parking.
Sermersheim is a caterer who has planned to open a wine bar for 10 years. It should be an easy transition because about 70% of her business is grazing tables and charcuterie trays.
“I also worked for a cheese monger and learned everything there is to know about cheese,” she said.
She envisions The Barlor as a place where moms can relax for an hour with friends, enjoying a cheese plate and a glass of wine or a fun mocktail.
The interior design will be “punk Lilly Pulitzer … bright with a little bit of edginess,” she said.
Men have their favorite beer haunts, and Sermersheim wants The Barlor to be that type of place for women.
Although it will be geared toward women, she plans a few nods to men like a bocce ball court and remote-control trucks and excavators in the courtyard.
This Edmond kit house at 28 W. Hurd St. was built in 1915. (Staff Photo by Kathryn McNutt)
A room with its own door from the porch will be used for cooking and charcuterie classes, and ticketed events like a whiskey tasting and cigar rolling night or Saturday morning yoga class followed by mimosas and pastries.
It will be named the Margaret Wilson private dining room after the eldest child of the 28th president. Margaret was an accomplished pianist and singer and a suffragette. After her mother died in August 1914, she took on the role of first lady until her father remarried in 1915.
Patrons will be able to rent the room for anything from a baby shower to a private dinner with business clients.
Sermersheim also plans to offer grab-and-go “adult Lunchables” daily. The Barlor will be open Monday through Saturday.
“I’m so excited about this project,” she said. “I want Edmond to have a place that’s fun and relaxing and accessible (in terms of price).”
Sermersheim hopes to be open by the end of July.