Leonard Bergstein was a Midland pharmacist who founded Community Drug Store on East Main Street in 1930. Alden B. Dow began the drawings for a home for the Bergsteins in 1951. The contract was dated September 21, 1951 for the sum of $38,936.98, with construction by Branson Builders to be completed on or before May 31, 1952. After a porch, garage addition, and gravel roof were requested by the client, the total cost of the home rose to $41,500.00.
The house is set in a densely-wooded cul-de-sac near the Josephine Ashmun residence, also designed by Mr. Dow and built around the same time. The one-story horizontal structure rests low to the ground and is topped by a pitched roof that slightly overhangs tan brick exterior walls. A large chimney mass at one end of the house indicates the living area, while the garage occupies the other end. There is an open breezeway between the garage and residence that is sheltered by the continuous roofline.
The floor plan of the home follows that of a basic rectangle. From the main entrance one walks into a large living room with bricks continuing on the interior walls. A built-in sofa is backed by open shelving and faces a fireplace with a tall plaster breast. Around the corner from the fireplace is the dining room with windows overlooking the backyard.
Off the dining room is a compact galley kitchen with adjacent laundry room. From there a hallway leads to a bedroom and bathroom. Two more bedrooms and a bath are situated off the living and dining rooms. In 1955, the screened porch off the kitchen was enlarged and a fireplace was added.
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