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The photo above shows the residence just after completion. Now part of Long Grove, this area was called "Prairie View" before it was incorporated, and when this house was built. Now completely altered - almost beyond recognition, this was a flat roofed house with natural (common) brick exterior walls, under the floor (concrete slab) radiant heat, a most modern kitchen for its day, two fireplaces and ample built-in storage. Van Bergen's own description; "Common brick, flat roof. Designed for real country living on rather large acreage". The flat ponded roofs could be flooded for cooling through evaporation. The second or third owners soon had hip roofs added (without eaves) completely destroying the architectural form of the building. Even though the above photo is black and white, it can be seen that the exterior paint colors were not white or another light color. They were a natural, earth-toned green.
The interior has been completely gutted following a recent (1998) fire and remodeled. The house stands on more than five acres.
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