Norfolk resident and author Rosemary Thornton traveled to Gloucester earlier this month to research a unique subject that many may have not noticed, or merely forgotten about—Penniman homes.

In the early part of the 20th century, these bungalow-style homes were manufactured on a 6,000-acre site just across the York River at what is now Cheatham Annex. Today, a few of these homes are still around, and Thornton’s mission for a new book she is writing is to find out just what happened to them and, more importantly, the fate of the workers who tirelessly produced them.

A freelance writer, Thornton began her career in 1996, contributing pieces to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. From there, she went on to write for magazines and websites, specializing in historic architecture.

In 1999, Thornton said she was asked to write an article on the 150-plus Sears Homes located in Carlinville, Ill. “I fell in love with the topic, and was eager to learn more,” she said. “I...