Russell Jameson owned the Jameson Machine Company in Saginaw, Michigan. While scouting property for a home for the Jamesons to the north of Saginaw, Alden B. Dow discovered a plot of 200 acres in East Tawas that perfectly suited his design sensibilities. It featured a hill upon which to situate the house, a pond below, and 160 acres of woods and open meadows in three directions.
The 6,000 square foot home has a randomly-laid Tennessee ledge stone exterior with redwood bevel siding and wood fascia. The low plane of the flat roof is broken by a massive chimney with a band of clerestory windows at its base. In a letter dated April 12, 1960, the architect estimated the cost of building the home, including 4,000 square feet of stone, to be $136,000.
A two-car garage is connected to the house by a covered walkway. The main entrance opens to a large foyer with a natural blue-gray slate floor. To the right and two steps down is the living room with a raised stone hearth and built-in couch and end table. A wall of windows provides spectacular views of the pond and surrounding woods. The dining room is three steps up from the living room and again offers a wall-to-wall panorama of nature. An adjacent kitchen connects to a separate breakfast room.
The family bedrooms are located in a separate wing that branches off to the left of the main entry and is anchored by a square stone planter. The master bedroom features wood walls and casework, with bands of windows on the two exterior walls. Two smaller bedrooms and two bathrooms are also here, as well as a study. At the end of the bedroom hallway is a door leading to the outside.
The extensive lower level opens onto a stone terrace and the rolling landscape. Two more bedrooms are on this level, along with a recreation room with a stone hearth, a projection room, laundry room, storage room and cold room. Many of the walls and most of the casework throughout the upper and lower levels are made of vertical grain Douglas fir.