About the House

Edwin Haskins Beardsley was born on July 27, 1839 in Scipio, Cayuga County, New York. At the age of 21 he and his brother Alton enlisted in the United States Army. He began his service as a Sergeant in K Company of the 17th Infantry Regiment of New York. He was eventually promoted to Full 1st Lieutenant. He was Mustered out at New York, New York on June 2, 1863. After the war he traveled to Eastern Central Michigan, which was almost a forest. He married Ella Louisa Draper (b. 1845) on April 27, 1869 in Pontiac, Michigan. He opened a small store in future Midland, which was then a lumbering town called “Little Forks.” Business was soon thriving, so he sent to New York State for his three brothers to come and help. Alton, Wilson, and Frank made the trip, and the “Beardsley Store” was the business center, amid many saloons, which attracted the lumber workers. He was merchant, postmaster, and undertaker. Alton’s wife Celia often helped trim the caskets. The Midland Town Hall, which was upstairs over the store, was called “Beardsley Hall,” and was a landmark for many years until it burned down. Edwin died in 1907 or 1908 and is buried in the Midland Cemetery. In 1874 Edwin built the house currently at 509 West Main Street in downtown Midland. The house still occupies the middle third of block 16 of the original plat of Midland, and is part of the West Main Street Historic District. It is an example of Italianate architectural style, which emulates 16th century Italian Renaissance architecture. This style was popularized in Britain by John Nash and Sir Charles Barry and eventually made its way to America. The identifying features of 509’s Victorian Italianate architecture include its low-pitched roofs, cornice molding supported by corbels, and tall first storey windows suggesting a piano nobile (noble floor). Ca. 1991 an addition to the original house was added to the rear, which includes a connected garage, great room, and open kitchen. In 2003 an extensive renovation was undertaken, with new or refurbished features throughout the interior.