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KARE in the Air: The groundbreaking Plummer House

Built by Mayo Dr. Henry Plummer, the elaborate home set the bar for others on "Pill Hill" with 49 rooms, a central vacuum system and its own water tower.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — There is always "That House" in every neighborhood that stands out among the crowd. 

And in Rochester's so-called "Pill Hill" development it's definitely the Plummer House. Our summer drone series KARE in the Air takes us over the sprawling home, which was designed and owned by Mayo Clinic Dr. Henry Plummer in the early 1900s. 

Described on the Mayo Clinic website as a renaissance man with interests in medical science, the arts, engineering and architecture, Plummer designed many systems at Mayo, such as the unified medical record, that are still in use today.

The Plummer House is a classic English Tudor that sits on a hill and 11-acre plot overlooking southwest Rochester. It features 49 rooms spread out over five stories, a central vacuum system, underground sprinklers, hidden tunnels and its own water tower. 

As the Mayo website says, it "evokes the distinctive personality of Dr. Plummer and his beloved wife, Daisy."

The Plummer House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

If this aerial tour piques your interest, ground tours of the Plummer House are offered between June and August. It is also available to rent for weddings, anniversaries and other private gatherings. 

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Watch more KARE in the Air:

Check out amazing drone video of Minnesota's most beautiful and iconic spots in our YouTube playlist:

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