If you have always wanted to step inside a Rummer home in Oregon, now is your chance! On May 13, 2023, Restore Oregon will be hosting a tour of four Rummer homes in Portland during the Mr. Rummer’s Neighborhood event.
Who Was Robert Rummer?
Robert Rummer was a real estate developer during the mid century period. In the 1960s and 1970s, he constructed almost a thousand of what are now called “Rummer homes” in Portland and the surrounding area.
You can think of Rummer homes as the Portland analogue of Eichler homes. In fact, Robert and his wife Phyllis were directly inspired by Eichler. They even contracted Eichler architect A. Quincy Jones to work with them on the plans for their Portland homes.
The resulting houses feature the iconic elements of atomic ranch homes, including open living spaces, clean, modern lines, floor-to-ceiling windows, low-pitched rooflines and mixed materials. Additionally, to keep occupants cozy year-round, they were insulated with “double construction”, and include prominent fireplaces.
Get a Look Inside Four Beautiful Rummer Homes in Portland
The Mr. Rummer’s Neighborhood tour takes place in Bohmann Park in Portland. This 1960s neighborhood has the largest collection of Rummer homes anywhere. There are just over seventy homes in Bohmann Park, and sixty-five of them are Rummer homes.
To keep the tour convenient and accessible, Restore Oregon will be guiding attendees through four homes that are all on the same block. Among these are the beautifully-preserved home where Robert and Phyllis Rummer themselves resided.
Tours are available for two time slots on May 13, 2023:
- 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m
- 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.
General admission tickets cost $50, and you can purchase yours at Restore Oregon’s website.
About Restore Oregon
Mr. Rummer’s Neighborhood is the latest of many exciting events offered by Restore Oregon. This non-profit has been working to protect and restore Oregon’s historic places since 1977.
The tour is just one of a year-long series of Mid Century Modern educational experiences that Restore Oregon is offering through its program, “Restore Oregon Modernism.”
You can view the full calendar of events for the year at Restore Oregon’s site. These include a Members-Only Tiki Cocktail Party, a Reception at the Pietro Belluschi Architectural Resource Center, Journey of a Modern Office Space: Lecture and Tour of the Living Room Realty Headquarters, and Oregon Made.
In fact, you can now join the Restore Oregon Modernist Society, a subset of Restore Oregon dedicated specifically to modernist architecture and design. Your membership buys you a ticket to the 2023 event program, so, that is another way you can book your tour of Mr. Rummer’s Neighborhood. Memberships also include a host of other benefits, plus you will be supporting the preservation of MCM landmarks in Oregon.
While Atomic Ranch is not affiliated with Restore Oregon, we want to give them a shout out to thank them for everything they are doing to protect mid century homes and public buildings throughout the state.
If you enjoyed this post, you also may like this glimpse at a 1966 Rummer home in Portland. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!
