Why is a cave attached to this historic Rochester home? There are a couple of theories.
A real estate listing for a historic Pill Hill house generated some buzz this week after photos surfaced of an underground cave on the property.
The home, once part of Dr. Henry Plummer’s compound, is known as the Plummer Pump House — a name that comes from the system of tunnels connecting the property to the iconic water tower above.
The house was built in 1926 — two years after work was completed on the Plummer House mansion atop the hill — and originally served as a caretaker’s cottage for the Plummers. While the main Plummer House was later designated a national historic site and converted to a city park, the smaller Pump House has continued to be used as a private residence.
Colin Michael Simmons, Lakestreet Photography / Edina Realty
Why the cave is attached to the house, however, remains somewhat of a mystery. Thomas Ellerbe Sr., whose father Franklin worked with Dr. Plummer to design the building, has suggested the cave predated Plummer’s purchase of the property — and that Plummer specifically chose the site where the Pump House stands today to take advantage of the cave.
“The cave was a logical location for the well and thus the water tower directly above,” states the younger Ellerbe, according to a 1980 letter archived by the History Center of Olmsted County.
The belief, according to a newspaper account from the same year, is that the cave — located next to an abandoned quarry — was used for cold storage prior to Dr. Plummer adding in water pipes. The space may have even been used to store beer for an early Rochester tavern, the report says.
Colin Michael Simmons, Lakestreet Photography / Edina Realty
However, Gertrude Plummer Kelly, the daughter of Dr. Plummer, has offered an alternative explanation as to the existence of the cave. She theorizes that the tunnels were built by the same stonemasons who worked on the houses. According to the P-B article, Plummer Kelly suggested her father planned to raise mushrooms in the cave, “but got too busy to do so.”
‘Opportunities are endless’
While the tunnels may no longer serve the same practical purposes they once did — whether that be for transferring water or keeping beer cold — real estate agents Michael Korby and Julie Glass of Edina Realty are hoping one prospective buyer will take a creative license to make use of the space.
They have listed the four-bedroom, three-bath house — with 3,600 square feet of underground cave space — for $550,000. It is the first time in 34 years that the house, 933 11th Street SW, has been put on the market.
“The opportunities [for the cave] are endless,” reads the listing.
The cave itself is about 220 feet long, with a sidewalk up the middle and a lighted ceiling. It is 18 feet wide and more than eight feet high.
Colin Michael Simmons, Lakestreet Photography / Edina Realty
Above ground, the English Tudor home features “original carriage doors and charming exterior details.” The current owners, who have lived in the home for 34 years, have also worked to modernize the interior of the building while respecting historical elements — this includes “period slate flooring and the sweeping floating staircase with brass accents."
You can find the full listing here.
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.
Cover photo: Colin Michael Simmons, Lakestreet Photography / Edina Realty
