National Register of Historic Places

Rumph Mortuary

El Dorado, Union County, Arkansas
Listed
June 26, 2017
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
100001237

About this property

Perry’s Funeral Chapel, known for many years as Rumph Mortuary, is a historic commercial building at 312 West Oak Street in El Dorado, Arkansas. Built in 1927, it is a two-story red brick building, with a three-bay facade topped by a crenellated Gothic parapet. Charles Rumph, known as “C.B.”, came to El Dorado in the early 1920’s after the passing of his mother Martha Proctor Rumph, one of the original owners of Proctor Funeral Home in Camden, Arkansas. C.B. Rumph originally partnered with W.F. McWilliams, a local banker and furniture store owner. Their first location was on the corner of Elm and Cleveland and went by Rumph & McWilliams Undertaking. Rumph was the mortician and McWilliams supplied the caskets through his furniture store and the ambulances through his Studebaker dealership. However, in 1927 Rumph opened on his own and died young, forcing his two sons Tom and Dudley to become morticians and take over the operation. Through those years the funeral home was known as Rumph Mortuary, Rumph Undertaking & Ambulance Service, Rumph Funeral Directors, and Rumph Funeral Home. The firm had several owners after Tom and Dudley Rumph handed it down and several name changes all including the original Rumph name. Then in 2003 the name changed to Perry’s Funeral Chapel. This is the oldest funeral home in Arkansas and it has remained mostly untouched and unchanged as a monument to the oldest and noblest profession: undertaking. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Location

312 W. Oak
El Dorado, Union County, Arkansas
33.21353, -92.66692

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Rumph Mortuary

This page lists Rumph Mortuary. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Rumph Mortuary report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Bank of Commerce
Civil War
0.2 mi
McWilliams, W.F. & Estelle, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Exchange Bank
Industrial
0.2 mi
Union County Courthouse
Industrial
0.2 mi
Municipal Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rumph Mortuary listed on the National Register?

Rumph Mortuary was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 2017.

What type of historic resource is Rumph Mortuary?

Rumph Mortuary is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Rumph Mortuary?

The period of significance for Rumph Mortuary is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1920.

Can I research the history near Rumph Mortuary?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Rumph Mortuary will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Union County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Union County.

Explore UnionCounty ›

More historic places in Arkansas

Browse all historic places in Arkansas.

View Arkansashistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Arkansas history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Arkansashistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Rumph Mortuary will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report