Berston Field House and Playground

Berston Field House and Playground has served Flint citizens as an important recreation center since it opened in 1923. Designed by the Cambridge, Massachusetts, city planning firm of John Nolen, it was developed on land deeded to the city of Flint by members of the Neil J. Berston family in 1920. The field house contained an auditorium, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, community meeting rooms, and a branch of the public library. At Berston people participated in sports, exercised, performed, and learned new skills. During the mid-1930s, Berston became the first community center in Flint to admit African Americans living in the surrounding neighborhood. Berston Field House and Playground remains a significant part of the neighborhood.