Alden B. Dow Home & Studio and Mid-Century Modern Midland Present “MCM: Variations on a Style” Fall Home Tours
The Alden B. Dow Home & Studio and Mid-Century Modern Midland will host its annual fall home tours on Saturday, October 10, from 12–3 p.m., offering visitors the opportunity to step inside three distinctive private Mid-Century Modern homes in Midland.
This year’s tour, “MCM: Variations on a Style,” looks at the different ways Mid-Century Modern design was interpreted by three designers across three decades. Each home offers its own approach to materials, space, natural light, and the surrounding landscape.
The fall home tour is part of the ongoing efforts to increase awareness and understanding of the unique Mid-Century Modern architecture found throughout Midland.
The Otis Residence
Designed by Lewis E. Stevens, 1935
Located along the Chippewa River, the Otis Home was designed by Lewis Stevens, a Taliesin Fellow. The home was built in 1937 for Lawrence Otis, a chemical engineer with The Dow Chemical Company. Large picture and clerestory windows, as well as a cantilevered deck connect the intimate home to its scenic river setting. A 1990 addition by Midland architect Robert Hammerschmidt, AIA, expanded the original two-bedroom home.
The Bridge Residence
Designed and built by Clarence N. Bridge, 1958
Clarence, an engineer for Dow Chemical, and his wife Maude designed and built their home in 1958 on a wooded, nearly one-acre property. The home features angled spaces, large windows, light maple finishes, built-in storage, and several fireplaces. Mid-Century furniture and decorative arts enhance the beauty of the home. Many of the design elements were used to frame views of the surrounding landscape merging nature and structure together.
The Riecker Residence
Designed by Alden B. Dow, FAIA, 1961
With the stipulation that it be their home for life, Alden B. Dow designed the Riecker Residence for his niece, Margaret Towsley Riecker, and her family. With its lean and elegant horizontal lines, its extensive wood exterior coupled with brick walls, the home is a wonderful example of Dow’s philosophy of Composed Order. The open-floor plan, with an intricate grid ceiling, large windows and multiple fireplaces and connection to nature, make it a must-see.
Tickets for “MCM: Variations on a Style” are $30 per person, and reservations are required. The tour will take place Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 12–3 p.m. Please note advanced ticket sales only. For more information and to reserve a place on the tour, visit abdow.org or midcenturymidland.org.
About the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio
The Alden B. Dow Home & Studio in Midland, Michigan, is a National Historic Landmark and a significant example of Mid-Twentieth Century Modern architecture. Designed and constructed by architect Alden B. Dow during the 1930s as his private home and studio, the building reflects his innovative approach to materials, building practices, and the relationship between architecture and the way people live. Today, the Home and Studio welcomes visitors through guided tours, educational programs, and special events that explore Dow’s work and Midland’s rich architectural heritage.
About Mid-Century Modern Midland
A project of the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, Mid-Century Modern Midland (MCMM) is an organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, celebrating, sharing, and perpetuating the Mid Century Modern architectural heritage of Midland. Through lectures, tours, articles, and publications, MCMM is dedicated to celebrating the 50 architects and designers who created over 400 MCM structures built in Midland between 1930 to 1970, making Midland, Michigan the Mid-Century Modern City of America.
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