Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein Residence

The Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein Residence is a single-family home located at 11090 Hawthorne Drive in Galesburg, Michigan, and named for its original owners. Designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gallery

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  Side elevation and carport

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  Built-in shelves, cabinets and drawers in the open floor plan dining area

Description

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein Residence encompasses 2,250 square feet and is part of The Acres, a 70-acre residential plat in Charleston Township, Michigan. Built along an inline, north-to-south axis, the home is entered from a prominent carport on the eastern side of the building. Design highlights include two living areas at either end of the house: The northern living room features an open floor plan that connects it to the dining room and a large, central hearth fireplace. Its 10-foot tall mahogany-trimmed windows allow ample natural light and overlook both one of the home's three terraces and the wooded lot on which the house is situated.

Radiant floor heating beneath polished Cherokee Red concrete floors helps to warm the home during the winter and in cooler months. Storage is available in a small basement and in the closets and built-in dressers, shelving, cabinets and desks Wright specified throughout the house

Wright completed the designs in 1948, with construction getting underway in 1949 and continuing, in phases, through the 1950s. The house was assembled from approximately 3,000 handmade concrete blocks -- many assembled by the Eppsteins.

The house cost approximately $45,000 to build. Wright's commission was $1,000.

2016-2017 Restoration

The Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein Residence is currently owned by Marika Broere and Tony Hillebrandt, who purchased the house in 2016 and spent more than a year restoring it. Work on the property included: restoring the concrete block walls; replacing mahogany paneling; updating plumbing and electrical systems; and updating the bathrooms with salvaged 1950s tiles. The home is furnished with original pieces by Wright -- including the dining room table and living room sofa-- and other designers from the mid century period. A pool added in later years, but not included in Wright's original designs, was removed.

Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein

At the time they commissioned Wright to design their home, Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein worked at the Upjohn Co., a pharmaceutical manufacturer in nearby Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Dorothy Eppstein was born March 1, 1918, and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Michigan State University. In 1943, she left her position as a research secretary for Upjohn to volunteer for military service as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Her duties included serving as a ferry and test pilot, and she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Barack Obama.

After the war, Dorothy Eppstein returned to Upjohn as a clinical chemist. Later, she was a teacher and a substance-abuse counselor at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. She died in June 2010, at the age of 92.

Samuel Eppstein was a research scientist at Upjohn.

References

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