Ruminating Rummer: Coincidence or Copycat?

Reading this fascinating story on Portland's Rummers and studying the accompanying photos leads one to wonder just how much inspiration rubbed off on builder Bob Rummer courtesy of Joe Eichler and his architects. And did any original Eichler architectural plans actually find their way to Oregon back then?

While immersed in his Rummer research, writer Joe Barthlow remarked how so many of the Rummer homes closely resembled particular Eichler models. He noted 16 matches in all, including the Claude Oakland MC-34, MC-674, MS-334, MC-274, and L-24 Eichler models; and three styles of Jones & Emmons' Eichler designs, including two gable-roof designs and a shed roof/courtyard model.

Bob Rummer claims his company originated its own designs. Though he never met Joe Eichler, "I probably know Eichler as well as anybody..." he said recently. "Quincy [Jones, the Eichler architect] told me all about him." Perhaps.

The A. Quincy Jones Architecture Archive confirms the 1961 two-day Portland meeting of Rummer and Jones, who soon afterwards invoiced Rummer for airfare, hotel, and per diem. A month later, records indicate, Jones billed Rummer nearly $500 for "re-study and new drawings for a Portland house and Salem house."

In spite of these documented drawings, the Jones Archive still contends that Jones's affiliation with Rummer was brief and unproductive, and "it would be wrong to say or to suggest that anything at all was 'designed' by the firm. It is true there was interest, but there is really no evidence of work done... "In his recent interview, Rummer admitted to spending two weeks at a Bay Area Eichler subdivision under construction. Rummer observed Eichler crews build houses, he said, and had several conversations with the construction foreman.

In the early 1960s, Rummer's home designs eventually drew the attention of architect Claude Oakland and his lawyer, according to architect Kinji Imada, who was on Oakland's staff at the time. "We were quite outraged to see the photo of his [Rummer's] house published in a magazine," remembers Imada. "Our attorney contacted Rummer, and he denied that the plan had been copied, that it was just coincidence that there were similarities. That was totally absurd, of course... However, we were advised that there was nothing that we could do legally."

This brings us to a recent e-mail the Eichler Network received from a Rummer owner who was elated to discover her home's next of kin, the California Eichlers, and the numerous plans found on Eichler Network Online's Blueprint Depot. Having examined the online presentation drawing of Claude Oakland plan MC-674, designed in the early 1960s for Eichler's Lucas Valley tract (and modified for others), the Rummerite became excited about the Eichler model's front elevation and its floor plan and room details. "That Eichler not only looks like my house," she exclaimed with joy, matching the Eichler blueprint to her Portland Rummer, "that is my house!"

BUILDER ROBERT RUMMER
Much more than a coincidence -- when the Eichler
modern aesthetic rose up in the suburbs of Portland

From the pages of the Eichler Network newsletter
By Joe Barthlow

When Oregonian Phyllis Rummer took a trip to visit her sister in Walnut Creek in 1959, she wasn't expecting a life-changing experience from builder Joe Eichler.

After all, her husband Robert, a World War II veteran with an established position in the insurance business during the 1950s, had just completed building the couple's dream home in Newberg, Oregon. He also had received attention from the city's major newspaper, the Portland Oregonian, which praised the couple's new home as one of the best new residential designs in the state for 1959. "We had just moved into a house that we thought we would live in for the rest of our lives," said Phyllis. Soon their lives would spin in a new direction.

While in Walnut Creek, Phyllis and her sister toured some new homes in the Rancho San Miguel subdivision developed by Eichler. "I came home and said to Bob, 'you know, I saw the house I would trade this one for,'" explained Phyllis. "He wasn't interested because we hadn't lived in our new home very long. So, I never talked about it anymore."

The following spring, husband Bob was helping a friend with plans to build a new home, a mid-century modern plan, in a subdivision in Newberg. The friend's wife told Bob she had found the design for their house in Look magazine. "I've been in that house!" Phyllis later told Bob, returning to the Look article on Eichler Homes.

What Bob saw in the Look photographs was a home design that was very different, and a style uncommon to the Portland housing market. He also saw opportunity. He felt he could build, and even create a market for, these unique post-and-beam modern designs with flat and low-pitch roofs, radiant floor heat, and atriums. "Bob brought home two saw horses and put a sheet of plywood right in the corner of our big living room," explained Phyllis, referring to the makeshift drafting table Bob had created out of saw horses and wood. "That's where we started!" To say the least, the pictures of the Eichlers intrigued Bob -- certainly enough to set in motion his sudden career turnaround. In 1959, at 32, Rummer launched Rummer Homes, Inc. and built his first development of Eichler-influenced house designs in Newberg during the following year. For the next 15 years, until the mid-1970s, Rummer built an estimated 750 of his modern-styled homes in the Portland metro area, including in Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Gresham, Clackamas, and several other nearby locations.

This period, of course, was a high-water mark for Joe Eichler's homes in California, which were published on a regular basis, especially during the late 1950s and early 1960s, in many home and architecture magazines - from House & Home to Better Homes & Garden to Arts & Architecture. These periodicals, as the story goes, became an instant source of inspiration for Bob Rummer.

Throughout the 1950s Eichler relied on two teams of distinguished architects, Anshen & Allen from San Francisco, and the Los Angeles-based Jones & Emmons. In 1960 architect Claude Oakland, a veteran of the Anshen & Allen stable who had developed a close rapport with Eichler, would launch his own firm and become Eichler's preferred designer based in the Bay Area. But it was Jones & Emmons, according to Rummer, who first caught the Portland builder's eye.

"Jones wasn't doing much for Eichler when I met him," claimed Rummer, who arranged a weekend meeting with A. Quincy Jones in Portland in March 1961. "He was getting more into commercial work at the time." During that meeting, Jones took Rummer to the Hallberg Homes, a small development in the Eastmoreland section of Portland Quincy had designed in 1957. These homes were precursors to his sharp-pitched gable-roof models designed for Eichler in the early 1960s.

Jones would also show Rummer how a six-foot four-inch grid of posts was a key to building the modern post-and-beam homes. This grid, Rummer recalled, would allow large panes of glass and sliding doors to be standardized. With that newly acquired knowledge and handful of house designs from Sunset, House & Home, and Look, Rummer hired a young architect, Toby Moore, to construct blueprints. "Toby used to draw, but I used to have to stay right there with him and tell him 'don't do this, don't do that,'" Rummer pointed out. "Nice kid, but he always wanted to change things."

In the end, slight floor-plan modifications in Rummer's homes made insignificant differences when compared to like models produced by Eichler. At least 16 different Rummer models closely resemble Eichler models from the 1960s (matching nine Claude Oakland and seven Jones & Emmons designs).

Rummer's exterior siding ranged from clean sheets of T-111, wide- and thin-grooved T-111, and in some cases two-inch-wide cedar tongue-and-groove siding brought in from Georgia Pacific in California. The roof decking below the built-up tar and gravel was cedar or Douglas fir tongue-and-groove, often with a light stain. The metal windows and sliders, slab doors, and privacy glass were very similar to those found in Eichler homes.

Rummer's interiors were lined with exposed aggregate in the entryway, atrium, and loggia. Most living areas were covered with asphalt tiles, and all posts and beams were originally painted with Rodda's Oxford Brown.

Exterior siding was often carried through to the interior when walls shared indoors and outdoors. Grooved paneling styles varied greatly, providing a rare difference from the clean slabs of Philippine mahogany found in Eichlers. When high-quality paneling became more difficult to acquire beginning in the late 1960s, Rummer turned to lesser quality paneling, as well as to sheet rock, similar to trends found in Eichler's later homes.

Rummer's galley kitchens were also similar in design to Eichler's. Most cabinetry was either walnut-laminated plywood or pressboard. While usually equipped with Thermador stainless ovens and cook tops, some models featured double Thermador ovens. Cooktops were built on 30-inch-high counters and tied in to a near-by-swing-out table. 'Flying coffin' cabinets with sliding doors hung from-the ceiling, and every countertop was laminated with white Formica. Eichler's trademark white globe pendant lights lit up the room.

Differing from Eichler's copper pipes, Rummer used a PVC technology developed by Boeing for his radiant heat in the concrete slab, and he opted for forced-air heat under foot when hilly terrain called for a foundation instead of a slab. Other interior details included brick and concrete block fireplaces, mahogany slab interior doors, Shoji sliding closet doors, and step-down tile showers. And of course the windows were celestial. Bountiful walls of glass -- not unlike those found in the Eichlers.

In addition to building these modern homes, Bob and Phyllis Rummer were heavily involved in selling them. "It was a whole different world," Rummer said, recalling the sales process and the $20-32,000 price range of his models. "Real estate people were a slapstick comedy trying to sell them. We had our own sales crew because realtors just couldn't do it." With each sale, Rummer offered a one-year warranty along with a 15-page service maintenance manual for each new owner. The manual covered painting and staining, roof maintenance, appliances, radiant-heating systems, masonry, and flooring suggestions.

Despite his manual and its listing of recommended maintenance companies, Rummer continued to get homeowner queries. Today, nearly three decades after building his last mid-century modern design, he is still contacted by new and original homeowners. "Somebody from Oak Hill called Bob a few months back and wanted to know about getting earthquake insurance," said Phyllis. "Bob says if they have an earthquake that bad, it's not gonna fall down. Forget it, it's not going to happen!"

The biggest problems Bob Rummer faced while building modern homes were not tied to the details of post-and beam construction or finding buyers who liked his modern design. According to Bob, the toughest challenges came with his company's continual struggles with city planners, building code officials, and mortgage companies. Consequently, as building codes changed and lenders became less understanding of contemporary design, the Rummers found it more difficult to build flat-roof homes with walls of glass.

Bob built his last contemporary home in the Clackamas area, about ten miles southeast of Portland, and switched to building Colonials and Victorians in 1975. The Rummers retired from home building a decade later, at which time they moved to Redlands, California. Today, Bob and Phyllis enjoy a quiet retirement in southern Oregon, which reminds them of the climate in northern California. "My houses would work like a dream in Medford," joked Bob, who still fantasizes about the modern homes he once built and how he would change things if he had it to do all over.

When recently asked by a friend in Portland about returning to build modern-styled post-and-beam homes again, Bob winked and scoffed to Phyllis, "I'm not thinking about it."

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The Rummers Today:
A Remarkable Parallel World
of 750 Eichler Look-a-likes

The unassuming development of Vista Brook, tucked away on the west side of Portland, Oregon, hosts 62 homes that you would swear are bonafide Eichlers. The only catch is Joe Eichler never constructed any of his mid-century residential gems in the Pacific Northwest.

It's builder Robert Rummer, now retired from residential home building for nearly two decades, who gets the credit for building these modern house designs, as well as nearly 750 other shockingly similar Eichler look-a-likes in the Portland area. Built between 1960 and the mid-'70s, and affectionately known as 'Rummers,' these stylish post-and-beam homes are spread all over Portland's West Hills and Beaverton, with small pockets in Lake Oswego, Gladstone, Newberg, Gresham, Clackamas, Orchard Hills, Royal Woodlands, and Sunnyside. Single Rummers can be found in Salem and Florence.

Laid out on four streets between Garden Home and Scholls Ferry roads, Vista Brook is Rummer's largest concentration of modern homes. Since no other styles of houses are mixed in, this is a community that resembles many Eichler subdivisions. What's more, Vista Brook is quickly becoming a community desired by those seeking mid-century modern homes -- and at a fraction of the Bay Area's prices. Ten years ago one could buy a 2,000-square-foot Eichler-like, Jones & Emmons-style gable-roof design for $160,000. Today, the same house is priced near $250,000.

Richard and Nicole Clarke were seeking "something different" when they were house hunting last year. "We're not 'small room craftsman' people," says Nicole. Instead, she and husband Richard settled on something else with a difference, when they recently purchased a Rummer.

A shoe designer at Nike, Richard initially wanted to live in a downtown loft. Since lofts are rare in Portland, Richard quickly changed his mind when he discovered a vacant Rummer gable-roof model with walls of glass, radiant-floor heat, and an atrium.

"We really wanted the house, but there was already an offer on it," explained Richard. "Later we found out the offer was dropped because of a mold problem." Not to be discouraged, Richard and Nicole, with the help of local realtor Jim DeMarco, found another Rummer, which soon became their new home, in Vista Brook. Set on a nicely landscaped terrace, this Rummer is nearly identical to the Claude Oakland-designed MC-554 model that Eichler originally built. Their back wall of windows faces the west and makes sunsets a colorful experience. "Sometimes the whole living room turns orange when the sun sets," added Richard. "We really like the natural light and openness."

About five miles to the southwest lies the Taliesen subdivision in the heart of Beaverton. Spread across three square cul-de-sacs that intersect S.W. 130th Avenue, 30 Rummers share space with as many ranch and split-level traditional homes. The entire subdivision is flanked to the west by the mature Douglas firs of Taliesen Park, which was donated by Rummer during development in 1966.

Taliesen is home to another creative couple hard at work breathing life into their newly acquired Rummer. Martin Lotti and Linda Mai-Lotti knew what they wanted when it came time to buy a house. Martin, a creative director for women's shoes at Nike, and Linda, an architect-designer for Nike, followed the lead of their friend and co-worker Richard Clarke and snapped-up an atrium model previously owned by a Sherwin-Williams paint tester. "Every wall was a different-color," joked Linda. "But we wanted a modern designed home which we could afford."

Their home resembling Oakland's MC-674 Eichler with the multi-pitch roof, two-car garage, and atrium, Martin and Linda have worked hard to make their modern space minimalist, yet elegant. New sheet-rock walls blanketed with crisp white paint, light gray polished concrete floors, and tan berber carpet in the sleeping areas are blended with a mix of mid-century modern and contemporary furniture. The lightly stained Douglas fir tongue-and-groove ceiling adds warmth. One leftover original feature is a step-down tile Roman shower. Even with a long list of projects, Martin and Linda are excited about living in a Rummer. "It feels spacious and open, yet it is private," says Martin. "Its understated architecture and pure lines makes it feel relaxing to live in."

Another similar-sized, mostly Rummer subdivision is two miles northwest-in Menlo Park, located on S.W. Bonnie Brae Street and Bonnie Brae Court. Just two blocks to the north is Eichler Park, a city park with a familiar name. There must be something in the water at Nike, because that's were we find Jeff Day and Heather Amuny-Dey, who are also creatives at the footwear giant. They too were drawn to ideals of modern living when the Clarkes and Lottis found their Rummers. Jeff and Heather have been busy restoring their Rummer gable-roof model close to its original splendor, both inside and out.

"We were looking for a Rummer for a year," said Heather, who also found theirs through realtor DeMarco. "Once we got one, the neighborhood thought we were the crazy people on the street when we started working on the house." Painting, new tile, new globe lights, and a nice collection of modern furniture sprinkled throughout the living area give the Amuny-Deys a slice of California in Oregon. "I grew up in a custom modern home in Texas, and we've seen Eichlers in California, so we were excited to discover Rummers when we came to the Portland area," added Heather.

Several miles northwest of Menlo Park is the exclusive development of Oak Hills, one of Portland's first planned communities, with a community center, retirement home, and school. Sprinkled amongst the groves of oak trees and nicely kept ranch and split-level homes are 30 Rummers. Though originally not invited to be a builder in this tract in 1966, Bob Rummer would eventually find a way to introduce his modern designs within three months after the subdivision's construction began. At one time, Oak Hill Rummer owners threw neighborhood parties, rotating as hosts to get a better look at the insides of each other's homes. The low kitchen counters, according to reports, were handy to sit on while sipping wine and stirring the fondue pot.

Long-time Oak Hill Rummerites Ralph and Alice Shoffner, who run a software business today, still enjoy living in their home. Sitting at the end of a cul-de-sac next to a couple of Claude Oakland-styled Rummers, the Shoffner's pristine gable-roof design is nearly 100 percent original. "When we moved up from Orinda, California in 1972, I swore I would never live in a housing development or a cul-de-sac," recalls Alice. "While touring homes and not finding anything to our liking, we went to see this Rummer house which was about to come on the market. I walked through the atrium and said: 'yes, this is it!'"

The Shoffner home is special, indeed. Neatly arranged Danish modern furniture distinguish it with a show-home feeling. In fact, it was a show home for Bob Rummer when he was building in Oak Hill. Rummer still has a photo of the house on the wall of his current office in southern Oregon.

Overall, Rummer homeowners appear proud of their homes and recognize Eichler Homes as the primary source for Rummer's inspiration. That same creative, open-minded, modern-embracing spirit seen in many Eichler owners is very much present in Oregon. "We're really not that different from other homeowners," pointed out Ralph Shoffner. "We just live in different homes with a different set of problems."

Contributing writer Joe Barthlow is a graphic designer who lives in a 1955 Cliff May-designed home in Eugene, Oregon. Through his research on his own home, Joe discovered the Rummer homes of Portland. For more information on Rummers, visit www.portlandmodern.com.

Photo credits: Archival shots courtesy Robert Rummer;
Rummers today by Joe Barthlow.

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