Plummer House (Rochester, Minnesota)
Henry S. Plummer House | |
| Location | 1091 Plummer Lane Rochester, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Henry S. Plummer |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001002 |
| Added to NRHP | May 21, 1975 |
The Plummer House is the former residence of Dr. Henry Stanley Plummer and Daisy Berkman Plummer located in Rochester, Minnesota. Originally called Quarry Hill, the English Tudor mansion sat on a 65 acre estate which included a greenhouse, water tower, garage and gazebo.
Dr. Plummer worked very closely with Ellerby and Round, the architects of record, on the design of the house. The house includes many innovations that were quite novel for their time, including a central vacuum system, underground sprinkler system, intercommunications system, dumbwaiter, electricity and gas lighting, the first gas furnace in the city, garage door openers, heated pool, water tower, and two underground caves going into the house and the water tower. The 5 story home is over 300 feet long, with 49 rooms including 10 bathrooms, 9 bedrooms and 5 fireplaces.
After the death of Dr. Plummer in 1936, his wife, Daisy Berkman Plummer, and their two children, continued to live in the home until 1969. In 1971, Daisy Plummer and family gave the house and with all its furnishings to the Rochester Art Center with the understanding that it would be operated as a Center for the Arts. Daisy Plummer envisioned her home to be used for music recitals and dance performances, as well as a setting for artist to create and show their work. This unique and generous gift, along with a small endowment, was a legacy of the generouse spirit of the Plummer family. The Plummer House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Today, Rochester Park and Rec maintains the building, and 11 acres of original estate, as a private rental facility. In the summer, the beautiful gardens make the Plummer House a popular venue for weddings. Visible from much of south west Rochester, the Plummer House and its water tower mark the summit of a Rochester neighborhood nicknamed Pill Hill, so called because it typically houses many Mayo doctors.