Rogers-Mead House

535 NE Cowls Street  |  Built 1912

Frank E. Rogers and his wife Nellie built this handsome residence in 1912. Designed by architect Everett
Nicholas Larry, it sits on the site of their original home, which they sold the same year. The buyer
relocated the older structure to Spruce and B streets (now 10th and Baker), allowing the Rogers to retain
the valuable corner lot at Buckeye and C streets (now 6th and Cowls) and construct this newer
residence.

The house features a stucco façade with classic Craftsman details and subtle Tudor Revival influences,
including decorative half-timbering at the half-story level and dormers. Its large porch extends partially
along the north side. Clean lines, exposed rafters, and thoughtful proportions reflect an early 20th
century shift toward simpler, more practical designs.

Frank and his brothers Lewis and Tom ran Rogers Brothers Pharmacy, established in 1883. After his
death in 1917, Nellie continued living in the Cowls Street residence. Their daughter, Zon, married Pierre
DuBois Mead in 1921. The couple owned the home next door at 220 NE Sixth Street and switched
houses with Nellie around 1930, moving into the larger Cowls Street home with their two children. Zon
and Pierre later managed the family pharmacy during its final decades, overseeing its 1962 merger with
Peery’s Drugstore.

As the neighborhood transitioned from residential to a mixed-use edge of the expanding commercial
area, the house proved the area could adapt without losing character. Keith and Terese Blanding
purchased it from the Meads in 1988 and remodeled it as the Lavender’s Blue tea room in the 1990s. This
transition began the zoning change for neighborhood areas near the commercial district, demonstrating
that residential structures could support small businesses while resisting broader urban renewal
pressures. Today, at over a century old, the Rodgers-Mead House stands as a testament to
McMinnville’s steady growth.

For images of the the property, and further details, check out the link below:

Historic Resources Inventory Documentation