Alden B. Dow’s ‘spectacular’ pink house on the market for $2.4 million is a rare find

MIDLAND, MI – At the end of a mile-long winding driveway sits a pink single-family home built by Alden B. Dow along the Chippewa River.

It is unique and for sale.

The approximately 1,300 square meter house with almost 60 hectares of land is for sale for $2.4 million.

This home is MLive’s Home of the Week. Every Wednesday, homes in a variety of price ranges and styles are featured from across the state.

Tom Webb of Century 21 Signature Realty said this home was built similarly and constructed the same year as the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio at 315 Post Street, which is open to the public for tours and special events.

Dow was a mid-century modern architect based in the Midlands who apprenticed to Frank Lloyd Wright. The pink house now on the market was built in 1939 for the architect’s sister, Dorothy Arbury.

It remained in the family and this is the first time the house has been publicly offered for sale.

After Dorothy Arbury died, Kriss and Carol Arbury lived in the house and took care of its maintenance for the last 30 years, Webb said.

“It’s in the style of Alden B. Dow, but in my opinion this is simply one of the largest and most spectacular properties he created,” Webb said.

Alden B. Dow developed a proprietary foundation construction system called Unit Block, Webb said.

In this particular home, the living block was installed on site and the exterior blocks are pink, Dorothy’s favorite color, Webb said.

There are seven types of wood throughout the house, but Webb said specific details were missing from the construction plans.

Since Alden B. Dow and Dorothy Arbury were part of the family, Webb says the work is probably less detailed than Dow’s other projects because there were many personal discussions between the brother and sister during the planning process.

The house is considered a four-wing home, meaning it has four distinct areas, Webb said. There’s a living area wing with built-in seating, a kitchen and dining area wing, a bedroom wing, and the barns and garages. The barns and garages count as wings because they’re connected to the house by an underground tunnel.

There are five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a six-car garage, a motorcade with parking for 16 vehicles, and several utility and maintenance buildings.

The endless views of the Chippewa River, the sunken living room and the mile-long driveway are Webb’s favorite places in the house.

“It’s a colorful house,” Webb said. “It just takes a special buyer who wants to live here.”

This is a unique opportunity for the right buyer as Alden B. Dow homes rarely come on the market.

Click on the gallery above to see 101 images from Jordan Straight Photography, or Click here.

View the home listing here.

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