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October 10th
“MCM: Variations on a Style” Fall Home Tours
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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.

Registration Information
All participants must pre-register for the tours. No tickets will be sold on the day of the event. Guests must provide their own transportation and will be checked in at each home before entering. Each guest is allowed one entry per residence and can visit them in any order. These private residences are not wheelchair accessible. Shoe coverings are mandatory and will be provided. Docents will be stationed throughout the homes and will share details about the structures. No food, drink, or gum allowed inside the homes. No photos or recording of any kind will be permitted. Tours will commence rain or shine.

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