The John S. Whitman House is a single-family home located at 2407 Manor Street in

Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Michigan. The city's population was 42,547 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Comb ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1989.

History

John Whitman was a former mayor of Midland (serving from 1921-1930). Whitman was also involved in several local businesses, including one which manufactured unit blocks for architect

Alden B. Dow Alden B. Dow (April 10, 1904 – August 20, 1983) was an American architect based in Midland, Michigan, and known for his contributions to the style of Michigan Modern. During a career that spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, he designed more than ...

. Late in 1934, Whitman hired Dow to design a unit block house to sit on this corner lot. Dow completed the house design by the end of 1934. The house was constructed in 1935. The design later won the grand prize for residential architecture at the 1937

Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne The ''Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne'' (International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life) was held from 25 May to 25 November 1937 in Paris, France. Both the Palais de Chaillot, housing the Mus ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, an event which brought recognition to the young Dow.

Description

The John S. Whitman House is constructed as three long and narrow rectangular blocks, stacked atop of the other. The overall look is strongly horizontal, balanced with vertical lines from the embossed chimney, a patio window and bay windows on one side. The entrance is within a small, recessed door near the garage.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Midland County, Michigan International style architecture in Michigan Houses completed in 1935 Alden B. Dow buildings Midland, Michigan