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The living room
The dining room
By Claudia Arko
Arko Home, 1800 Lake Shore Dr., Gladstone
GLADSTONE -- The "Edward's House," as it was referred to by local residents, was transformed from a gas station to a unique and beautiful home in the early '70s. The architectural design utilized the local talent of Bob Richards, architect with Arntzen and Company. The interior of the home has a very open design with a cathedral ceiling the height of two floors. A 12-foot fireplace -- offset by a one-foot-wide hand-hammered, aluminum mantle edge -- stretches across the width of the living room. The foyer, as you enter the home, is covered with Lake Superior black slate. Throughout the lower level of the house are various artistic and hidden sources of lighting. On Sept. 24 and 25, 1977, the "Edward's House" was scheduled for its debut at the AAUW Home Tour.
Fast forward 50 years to 2013, and the once beautiful "Edward's House" was in very shabby condition. The exterior had not been stained for several years, the roof needed to be repaired and re-shingled, and every window was either leaked or was rotten, which required not only window replacement but new construction. The front deck was rotten and has been replaced. There were no service doors in the garage -- now there are two. The driveway was full of cracked and lifted cement, and the backyard was full of trash. Nothing on the inside of the house had been updated since the 1970s.
My husband and I, having worked for both Gladstone Area Schools and the Delta Schoolcraft ISD for eighteen years during the '70s and '90s, had always admired the uniqueness of the "Edward's House." We bought the house in December of 2013, taking on the project as an act of love. It was difficult for us to understand how such a gem of a home had come to such disrepair. My husband died in June of 2018, so he will not see the finished project. I have continued with our joint plan hoping it would be finished for the "Edward's House" second debut at the 2019 AAUW Christmas Home Tour.
Some interesting information about the location of this house: when I was seven years old, my family moved to Cedar River from Detroit. There was no highway that bypassed Gladstone and our usual last stop, prior to our additional 30-mile trip, was to get gas at the little gas station in Gladstone. That gas station was located where my home is now. This location is also a part of the Gladstone Park Division, Park 2 of Assessor's Plat #1, City of Gladstone, Delta County, Mich. According to the gentleman who did a survey of my property, my home is located on the largest lot in the City of Gladstone -- not quite an acre.
Various local businesses and independent contractors have helped with my project. Perk's Cabinetry designed and Mike Prim installed cabinets in my three bathrooms and California closet. Randy Deneau installed several outside doors, did a variety of tile work and installed half of the new roof. Dave Lundquist and Dan Verbeek installed wood floors in three rooms and the California closet, and the completed the roof. Troy Bowden did some challenging tile work in the front entrance. Various window replacements were completed by Benoit's Glass and Lock, Upper Hand Window Co. out of Marquette, and Lowe's. Upper Hand Window Co. also installed my new upper deck. Jeff's Glass installed some decorative black glass in the interior of my home and Creative Interiors, out of Marquette, helped me with my dining room decoration. Borman Landscaping built my beautiful retaining wall and Paver Brick Driveway. Brian Anderson installed the new floor in my TV room and Berger and King installed new gas logs in my fireplace -- both beautiful. Jeff and Sandy of Paradies Painting painted most of the interior of the house and exterior trim. All of the above did a wonderful job and were great to work with. We also, on our own, put in a patio and flower garden in the back of the house and a decorative tree and a flower planter by our east property line.
The AAUW Homes for the Holidays house tours will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 1 until 4 p.m. Tickets are available at Positively!, 1212 Ludington St.; Gust Asp, 616 Ludington St.; and The Frame Farm, 920 Delta Ave, Gladstone. The first fifty ticket purchasers will be eligible for five door prize drawings. AAUW is open to men and women holding an associate degree or higher. Proceeds from the Homes for the Holidays house tours will provide funding for two AAUW scholarships at Bay College.