The following verbiage is taken from the National Register of Historic Places to describe the significance of this historic ranch:
The Patrick Dunn Ranch is significant to Southern Oregon in several respects. The house is one of the oldest standing in the Rogue River Valley, and the farm is a designated Oregon Century Farm. The property remained in the same family for over a century with members or descendants serving in local, territorial, and state political positions.
Patrick Dunn, a native of Ireland, settled in the Rogue River Valley of Southern Oregon after an unsuccessful attempt at California gold mining. He arrived in the valley in 1851, and first lived in a log cabin which he erected a short distance from the property reported in this nomination. In 1860, one year after Oregon achieved statehood, Dunn, then married, built the two-story frame home nominated here. In the years between 1851 and 1860, Dunn had seen service as a member of the Territorial Legislature, served as Jackson County assessor, county commissioner, and county clerk. He also fought in the hostilities with Indians of the area in 1855 (Rogue River uprisings).
At the age of 77, Patrick Dunn died. A son, George W. Dunn, assumed responsibilities for the ranch and later became a state senator. Mrs. Mary Hill Dunn, Patrick's wife, was named "Mother Oregon" of the Oregon Pioneers in 1927 in a Portland ceremony while four generations of descendants looked on.
The Dunn family continued to own the property until the Meyers purchased it in 1970. At that time, the house, while still intact, was in a state of advanced deterioration. Restoration efforts took the form of structural repair and general fix-up of the interior and exterior. To help stabilize the structure, two exposed beams were added to the downstairs rooms. The beams, set into the ceiling, were obtained from a local structure, gone, in order to tie the building together.
Visits and photos of the ranch house need to be taken outside the fenced area to respect the landowner's privacy.