Omaha Landmarks

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The interior foyer of Downtown Omaha's Union Station, located at 801 South 10th Street in the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District.
The interior foyer of Downtown Omaha's Union Station, located at 801 South 10th Street in the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District.

Landmarks in Omaha, Nebraska are designated by the City of Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission. Many landmarks are also included on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places. The following list includes individual properties, as well as historic districts and National Historic Landmarks throughout Omaha. Residential, commercial, religious, educational, agricultural and socially-significant locations are included.

Contents

[edit] Landmark preservation in Omaha

Omaha has sought to preserve its historic landmarks for at least 50 years, the the first city report on historical sites written in 1959,[1] and the first buildings in the city becoming listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings in the 1960s. The demolition of the Old Post Office in 1966, along with the Old City Hall the next year, were rallying points for preservationists in the city. Omaha developed a comprehensive plan for landmark preservation in 1980.[2]

Downtown Omaha has had a contentious relationship with its historical landmarks. In 1989, all 24 buildings of the area's "Jobbers Canyon" were demolished, representing the largest single loss of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places to date.[3][4] Another of its historical landmarks, the Christian Specht Building, is the only existing building with a cast iron facade known in Nebraska today, and one of the few ever built in the state.[5] The Burlington Train Station, also a downtown historic landmark, sat empty for more than thirty years and was stripped of much of its historical grandeur. In 2006 a group of developers began redeveloping the building, which will also serve as condos.[6] However, not all of the city's lost buildings are deemed significant losses: the Omaha Auditorium, designed by noted and prolific local architect John Latenser, Sr., was almost universally panned for its gaudy and half-completed construction.[7]

In North Omaha, the historic Strehlow Terrace apartments have been renamed "Chambers Court" in honor of locally renowned Nebraska Legislator Ernie Chambers.[8] Fort Omaha, a Indian War-era supply depot for the United States Army, has been re-purposed as a local community college.[9]

In April 2001 the Nebraska Methodist Health System purchased the Indian Hills Theater on West Dodge Road and in June 2001 announced plans to demolish the theater and replace it with a parking lot. Indian Hills was the last drum-shaped, three-projector Cinerama theater in the United States. Despite the grass-roots formation of the Indian Hills Preservation Society, letters of support from Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh and Kirk Douglas, and the unanimous vote of the Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission finding that the theater should be declared a Landmark of the City of Omaha, in August 2001 the building was demolished.[10]

[edit] City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission

Demolition of the Old Union Pacific Headquarters in Downtown Omaha in fall 2008.
Demolition of the Old Union Pacific Headquarters in Downtown Omaha in fall 2008.[11]
Main article: Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission

The first comprehensive preservation ordinance in Nebraska was adopted by the Omaha City Council in 1977.[12] The commission was created after the demolition of the Old Post Office, when the pro-preservation organization Landmarks, Inc. advocated its creation.[13]

As of 2007, more than 90 buildings and structures in Omaha have received Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives, and have been listed by the City of Omaha as Certified Historic Rehabs.[14]

[edit] National recognition

Many historic districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects in Omaha have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three have have been designated as National Historic Landmarks by the United States Secretary of the Interior for their historical significance. However, no Omaha Landmarks have been designated National Historic Landmarks, and many have not been listed on the National Historic Register. The chart below details designations by the city and the federal government.

[edit] Landmarks in Omaha

The Burlington Station, a contributing property to the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District in Downtown Omaha.
The Burlington Station, a contributing property to the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District in Downtown Omaha.
The 1878 General Crook House, a contributing property to the Fort Omaha Historical District.
The 1878 General Crook House, a contributing property to the Fort Omaha Historical District.
The Nash Block is the last remnant of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District.
The Nash Block is the last remnant of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District.
The Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens is located in the Field Club Historic District.
The Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens is located in the Field Club Historic District.
The Near North Side is home to several properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Near North Side is home to several properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Spaghetti Works is a business located in the Old Market Historic District.
Spaghetti Works is a business located in the Old Market Historic District.
St. Cecilia Cathedral is a contributing property to the Gold Coast Historic District.
St. Cecilia Cathedral is a contributing property to the Gold Coast Historic District.
The Webster Telephone Exchange Building is the current location of the Great Plains Black History Museum.
The Webster Telephone Exchange Building is the current location of the Great Plains Black History Museum.
The Grand Court of the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition was located in Kountze Place on the current site of Kountze Park in North Omaha.
The Grand Court of the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition was located in Kountze Place on the current site of Kountze Park in North Omaha.
The USS Hazard is a National Historic Landmark located in Freedom Park.
The USS Hazard is a National Historic Landmark located in Freedom Park.
Front view of the Livestock Exchange Building in the locale of South Omaha's historic Union Stockyards.
Front view of the Livestock Exchange Building in the locale of South Omaha's historic Union Stockyards.
The Joslyn Castle is in the heart of the Gold Coast Historic District.
The Joslyn Castle is in the heart of the Gold Coast Historic District.
Windows broken out and people climbing the Douglas County Courthouse during the Omaha Race Riot of 1919.
Windows broken out and people climbing the Douglas County Courthouse during the Omaha Race Riot of 1919.
The J.E. Smith Building, formerly part of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District.
The J.E. Smith Building, formerly part of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District.
A 1900 street scene including the Old Post Office.
A 1900 street scene including the Old Post Office.
A 1910 postcard shows the historic columns at the front entrance of Omaha's Burlington Station.
A 1910 postcard shows the historic columns at the front entrance of Omaha's Burlington Station.
Current entrance to the historic Ford Hospital in Midtown Omaha.
Current entrance to the historic Ford Hospital in Midtown Omaha.
Place name Year built Location NRHP?[15] Omaha Landmark?[16]
Ackerhurst Dairy Barn 1935 15220 Military Road No Yes
Ansonia Apartments 1929 2221-23 Jones Street No Yes
Anheuser-Busch Beer Depot 1887 1207-1215 Jones Street Yes No
Aquila Court Building 1923 1615 Howard Street Yes No
Astro Theater 1926 2001 Farnam Street Yes No
Bank of Florence 1856 8502 North 30th Street Yes Yes[17]
John P. Bay House 1887 2024 Binney Street No Yes
Beebe and Runyan Furniture Showroom and Warehouse 1913 105 South 9th Street Yes No
Bemis Omaha Bag Company Building 1887 NW Corner of 11th and Jones Streets Yes Yes
Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District 1889 Cuming Street on the south to Hawthorne Avenue on the north; Glenwood Avenue on the west to North 33rd Street on the east No Yes[18]
Blackstone Hotel 1916 302 South 36th Street Yes Yes
Bradford-Pettis House 1910 404 South 39 Street Yes Yes
Brandeis-Millard House & Carriage House 1904 500 South 38th Street & 3815 Dewey Avenue Yes Yes
Breckenridge-Gordon House 1909 3611 Jackson Street No Yes
Broatch Building 1880 1209 Harney Street No Yes
Broomfield Rowhouse 1913 2502 Lake Street Yes No
Harry Buford House 1929 1804 North 30th Street No Yes
Burlington Headquarters Building 1879 1004 Farnam Street Yes Yes
Burlington Station 1898 925 South 10th Street Yes No
Cabanne Archeological Site 1822 Located on the Missouri River between Omaha and Fort Calhoun (undisclosed location) Yes[19] No
Calvin Memorial Presbyterian Church 1910 3105 North 24th Street Yes Yes
Center School (Omaha, Nebraska) 1893 1730 South 11th Street Yes Yes
Charles D. McLaughlin House Yes No
Christian Specht Building 1888 1110 Douglas Street Yes Yes
Charles Storz House 1909 1901 Wirt Street No Yes
Clarinda & Page Apartments 1909 3027 Farnam Street, 305-11 Turner Boulevard No Yes
Columbian School 1892 3819 Jones Street Yes Yes
Joel N. Cornish House 1886 1404 South 10th Street Yes No
Country Club Historic District 1925 North 50th Street on the east to North 56th Street on the west; from Corby Street on the north to Seward Street on the south No Yes
Dietz Memorial United Methodist Church 1888 1423 South 10th Street No Yes
Dr. Samuel D. Mercer House 1885 3920 Cuming Street Yes No
Douglas County Courthouse 1912 1700 Farnam Street Yes No
Douglas Eggerss-O'Flyng Building 1902 801 South 15th Street Yes Yes
Drake Court Apartments and the Dartmore Apartments Historic District 1916 Jones Street on the south to St. Marys Avenue on the north; from South 20th Street on the east to South 23rd Street on the west Yes Yes
Eggerss - O'Flyng Building 1902 801 South 15th Street Yes Yes
Epeneter House 1905 502 North 40th Street No Yes
Farnam Building Yes No
Field Club Historic District 1898 Pacific Avenue on the north to Center Street on the south; South 32nd Avenue on east to South 36th Street on the west Yes Yes
First National Bank Building Yes No
First Unitarian Church of Omaha 1917 3114 Harney Street Yes Yes
Flatiron Hotel 1912 1722 St. Mary's Avenue Yes No
Florence 1846 Weber Street on the south to I-680 on the north; Pershing Drive on the east to North Ridge Drive on the west No Yes
Florentine Apartments 1911 907 South 25th Street No Yes
Ford Hospital 1916 121 South 25th Street Yes No
Fort Omaha Guardhouse 1883 Intersection of North 30th and Ellison Avenue No Yes
Fort Omaha 1868 Fort Street on the South to Laurel Avenue on the North; North 30th Street on the east to North 33rd Street on the west Yes Yes
Franklin School Yes No
G.C. Moses Block Yes No
Gallagher Building 1888 1902-06 South 13th Street Yes Yes
Garneau-Kilpatrick House 1890 3100 Chicago Street Yes Yes
Gen. George Crook House 1879 5730 North 30th Street Yes No
George F. Shepard House 1903 1802 Wirt Street No Yes
George H. Kelly House 1904 1924 Binney Street Yes Yes
Georgia Row House Yes No
Georgia Apartments 1890 1040 South 29th Street No Yes
Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens 1913 3202 Woolworth Avenue No Yes
Girls and Boys Town 1917 14100 Crawford Street National Historic Landmark[20] No
Gold Coast Historic District 1880 North 36th Street on the east to North 40th on the west; Jones Street on the north to Cuming Street on the south Yes No
Goodrich Building 1900 1415 Farnam Street No Yes
Gottlieb Storz House Yes Yes
Grossman Apartment 1904 102-108 South 36th Street No Yes
Guy C. Barton House Yes No
Hanscom Park 1876 No No
Havens-Page House 1900 101 North 39th Street Yes No
Hicks House 1892 3017 Pacific Street No Yes
Hicks Terrace 1890 3005-3011 Pacific Street, 1102 South 30th Avenue No Yes
Hill Hotel 1919 505 South 16th Street Yes Yes
Holy Family Church 1883 915 North 18th Street Yes Yes
Horbach Building 1894 1205-1207 Harney Street No Yes
Hospe Anton Music Warehouse Yes No
Howard Street Apartment District Harney Street on the north to Landon Court on the south; South 22nd Street on the east to South 24th Street on the west Yes No
Immaculate Conception Church and School 1926 1024 South 24th Street Yes No
J.L. Brandeis and Sons Store Building 1906 210 South 16th Street Yes No
Jewell Building 1923 2221 North 24th Street Yes Yes
Jobbers' Canyon Historic District Farnum Street on the north to Jackson Street on the south; South Eighth Street on the east to South Tenth Street on the west Removed[21] No
Joslyn Castle 1903 3902 Davenport Street Yes Yes
Keeline Building 1911 319 South 17th Street Yes No
Keirle House 1905 3017 Mormon Street No Yes
Kennedy Building 1910 1517 Jackson Street Yes Yes
Kimball House No Yes
Kirschbraun and Sons Creamery, Inc. Yes No
Kountze Place 1883 Locust Street on the south to Pratt Street on the north; North 16th Avenue on the east to North 30th Street on the west No No
Kuncl-Hruska House No Yes
Leone, Florentine and Carpathia Apartment Buildings 1909 907-911 South 25 Street Yes No
Lincoln Highway (Omaha) 1913 North 183 Street and West Dodge Road northwest towards North 192 Street No Yes
Little Bohemia Bounded by South 10th Street on the east, South 16th Street on the west, Pierce Street on the north, and Martha Street on the south No No
Little Italy Bounded by Pacific Street on the north, Center Street on the south, South 10th Street on the west and the Missouri River on the east. No No
Livestock Exchange Building 1926 4920 South 30th Street Yes Yes
Lizzie Robinson House 1910 2864 Corby Street Yes Yes
Malcolm X Housesite 1925 3448 Pinkney Street Yes No
Mary Rogers Kimball House Yes Yes
Mason School 1888 1012 South 24th Street Yes Yes
Mason Terrace & Van Closter Residence No Yes
Medlar Building No Yes
Megeath House No Yes
Melrose Apartments 1916 602 North 33rd Street No Yes
Military Road Segment 1857 Begins at Nebraska Highway 64 as Nebraska Highway 28K, ends at Bennington Road near North 204th Street Yes No
Miller Park 1891 Saratoga Street on the south to Redick Avenue on the north; Florence Boulevard on the east to North 30th Street on the west No No
Minne Lusa 1916 Vane Street on the north and Redick Avenue on the south; Florence Boulevard and Pershing Drive on the east and North 30th Street on the west No No
Monmouth Park School 1903 4508 North 33rd Street Yes No
Mormon Pioneer Cemetery 1846 3301 State Street No Yes
Morton Meadows neighborhood 1922 Center Street on the south to Leavenworth Street on the north; South 42nd Street on the east to South Saddle Creek Road on the west No No
Nash Block 1907 902 Farnam Street Yes Yes
Near North Side 1855 Cuming Street on the south to Locust Street on the north; North 30th Street on the west to 14th Street on the east No No
Neble House 1894 2752 South 10th Street No Yes
Normandie Apartments Yes Yes
Notre Dame Academy and Convent Yes Yes
Old Market 1880 Harney Street on the north to Jackson Street on the south; South 10th Street on the east to South 13th Street on the west Yes Yes
Old People's Home 1917 3325 Fontenelle Boulevard Yes No
Omaha High School 1900 124 North 20th Street Yes No
Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District 1880 Jackson Street on the north to the Union Pacific main line on the south; South 15th Avenue on the west and 8th Street on the east Yes No
Omaha Bolt, Nut and Screw Building Yes Yes
Omaha National Bank Building 1888 1650 Farnam Street Yes No
Omaha Public Library (building) 1891 1823 Harney Street Yes Yes
Omaha Quartermaster Depot Historic District 1881 Hickory Street on the south to Woolworth Avenue on the north; South 22nd Street on the south to the Union Pacific Railroad Yards on the west Yes No
Orpheum Theater 1927 409 South 16th Street Yes No
Packer’s National Bank Building 1907 4939 South 24th Street Yes Yes
Park School Yes Yes
Parlin, Orendorff and Martin Plow Company Building Yes No
Poppleton Block 1890 1001 Farnam Street Yes Yes
Porter House Yes Yes
Prague Hotel 1898 1402 South 13th Street Yes No
Prospect Hill Cemetery 1979 3202 Parker Street No Yes
Redick Tower Yes No
Reed House No Yes
Riviera Theater No Yes
Robbins School 1910 4302 South 39th Avenue No Yes
Robinson Memorial Church of God in Christ No Yes
Rose Realty-Securities Building Yes No
Rosewater School 1910 3764 South 13th Street Yes Yes
Sacred Heart Catholic Church Complex 1902 2206 Binney Street Yes No
Saddle Creek Underpass 1934 Dodge Street (US 6) over Saddle Creek Road Yes No
Saint Joseph Parish Complex Yes Yes
Site of Saint Mary's Academy Yes No
St. Cecilia's Cathedral 1905 701 North 40th Street Yes Yes
St. John's A.M.E. Church 1867 2402 North 22nd Street Yes No
St. John's Collegiate Church No Yes
St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church Yes Yes
St. Matthias' Episcopal Church Yes No
St. Philomena's Cathedral and Rectory Yes Yes
St. Regis Apartments Yes No
Sanford Hotel Yes Yes
Saunders School 1899 415 North 41st Avenue Yes No
Simon Brothers Company Yes No
Slater House No Yes
South Omaha Bridge 1936 Located on Hwys 275/92 over the Missouri River Yes No
South Omaha Main Street Historic District 1883 South 24th Street between M Street on the north and O Street on the south Yes No
Springwell Danish Cemetery 1889 6326 Hartman Avenue No Yes
Standard Oil Company Building of Nebraska Yes No
Steiner Rowhouse No. 1 Yes No
Steiner Rowhouse No. 2 Yes No
Strehlow Terrace 1905 2024 North Sixteenth Street Yes No
Swoboda Bakery 1889 1422 William Street Yes No
The Berkeley Apartments Yes No
The Melrose 1916 602 North 33rd Street Yes No
The Sherman 1897 2501 North 16th Street Yes No
Thomas Kilpatrick House 1890 No Yes
Trans-Mississippi Exposition Site 1898 1920 Pinkney Street No Yes
Trinity Cathedral Yes No
Union Passenger Terminal 1931 801 South 10th Street Yes No
Union State Bank Building No Yes
USS Hazard 1944 2497 Freedom Park Road National Historic Landmark[22] No
USS Marlin 2497 Freedom Park Road Yes No
Vinton School 1907 2120 Deer Park Boulevard Yes Yes
Vinton Street Commercial Historic District Along Vinton Street between Elm Street on the west and South 17th Street on the east No Yes
Wattles House 1895 320 South 37th Street No Yes
Weber Mill 1846 9102 North 30th Street Yes Yes
Webster Telephone Exchange Building 1906 2213 Lake Street Yes No
West Central-Cathedral Landmark District North 38th Street between Capitol Avenue on the south and Cuming Street on the north No Yes
West Farnam Apartments No Yes
Zabriskie House 1889 3524 Hawthorne Avenue Yes Yes

[edit] Notable former locations

Former notable locations in Omaha
Name Location Notes
Bee Building 17th and Farnam Built in 1888 and demolished in 1966, along with the Old City Hall.
Hotel Fontenelle 1806 Douglas Street Designed by Thomas Rogers Kimball and built in 1914, it was demolished in 1983.
Indian Hills Theater 78th and Dodge Streets Built in 1962, this was the largest and last Super-Cinerama in the U.S.
Jefferson Square Bounded by 15th, 16th, Farnam and Douglas Streets Dedicated November 25, 1865, it was razed by the city March 18, 1969. The first park in Omaha, it was the location of the first school and hot air balloon in Omaha.
Jobbers Canyon Bound by Farnam Street, South Eighth Street, Jackson Street, and South Tenth Street. Built up from the 1860s, the entirety of the area was demolished in 1989.
Krug Park 2936 North 52nd Street Originally opened in 1895, it was bought by Frederick Krug in 1902 and became the site of the nation's worst roller coaster accident in 1930, and redeveloped into a traditional public park in 1955.
Old Post Office 16th and Dodge Streets Built in 1898, the building was demolished in 1966.
Old City Hall 18th and Farnam Streets. Completed in 1890, the building was demolished 1966.
Peony Park 78th and Cass Streets This amusement park was opened in 1920 and demolished in 1996.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ (1959) Historical Sites in Douglas County, Nebraska. City of Omaha Planning Department.
  2. ^ Becker, H.W. (1982) A Comprehensive Program for Historic Preservation in Omaha. Nebraska State Historical Society.
  3. ^ Gratz, R.B. (1996) Living City: How America's Cities Are Being Revitalized by Thinking Small in a Big Way. John Wiley and Sons. p. V.
  4. ^ National Trust for Historic Preservation and Zagars, J. (1997) Preservation Yellow Pages: The Complete Information Source for Homeowners, Communities, and Professionals. John Wiley and Sons. p.80.
  5. ^ (nd) Christian Specht Building
  6. ^ The Burlington. The Burlington website (2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
  7. ^ "Omaha Auditorium", Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 3/26/08.
  8. ^ Chambers Court: Building to receive millions in renovations.. WOWT.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
  9. ^ (n.d.) Fort Omaha HistoricOmaha.Com
  10. ^ Foster, M. (2001) "Curtain closes on Omaha Theater", National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved 8/30/07.
  11. ^ Mullin, C. (2007) "Demolition of U.P. Building Chugging Along", Omaha World Herald. August 27, 2007. Retrieved 2/15/08.
  12. ^ "Planning," City of Omaha. Retrieved 9/22/07.
  13. ^ "About" Landmarks, Inc. Retrieved 9/22/07.
  14. ^ "Certified Historic Rehabs in Omaha". City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission. Retrieved 8/30/07.
  15. ^ (2007) National Register of Historic Places - Nebraska, Douglas County. National Park Service. Retrieved 6/7/07.
  16. ^ Omaha Landmarks. Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission. Retrieved 7/7/07.
  17. ^ Bank of Florence City of Omaha website.
  18. ^ (nd) Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District. City of Omaha Historical Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5/29/07.
  19. ^ (nd) National Register of Historic Places - NE, Douglas County. Retrieved 6/7/07.
  20. ^ (nd) National Historic Landmarks Survey. National Parks Service. Retrieved 6/4/07.
  21. ^ (2002) National Register of Historic Places Listings. National Park Service. Retrieved 6/7/07.
  22. ^ (nd) National Historic Landmarks Survey. National Parks Service. Retrieved 6/4/07.

[edit] External links

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