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Historic Restoration Tour

Sunday, October 19, 2008 1 – 5 pm

Minne Lusa - Miller Park Neighborhood
Rain date October 26

Questions? Please fill out our Contact Form
or Call 402-457-2241.

Historic Restoration Tour

Seven homes will be open for tours as well as ten other identified properties for the windshield tour. AIA members can earn 4 CEU's for attending the tour.

Ticket Information

$10 per ticket or two tickets for $15.00

Purchase the day of the tour at any site location or Reserve tickets online. Pickup reserve tickets at Mt. Olive Lutheran church, 7301 N 28 Ave. Click map at left for a printable PDF map.

Payment by cash or checks only. Tour tickets include a map of all sites on the tour.

Historic Restoration

As you visit the sites on this year’s tour, please note that we have included a variety of project types, including Preservation, Rehabilitation and Restoration projects.  In the world of preservation, each has a slightly different meaning.  The National Park Service Technical Preservation Services provides the following definitions:

Preservation  

focuses on the maintenance and repair of existing historic materials and retention of a property's form as it has evolved over time.

Rehabilitation  

acknowledges the need to alter or add to a historic property to meet continuing or changing uses while retaining the property's historic character.

Restoration  

depicts a property at a particular period of time in its history, while removing evidence of other periods.

Reconstruction  

re-creates vanished or non-surviving portions of a property for interpretive purposes.

For more information on these definitions, please see National Park Service guidelines.

Florence

1. The Florence Mill - 9120 N 30th St
   

   Project Type: 

   Interior Restoration

   History: 

   The mill was originally constructed during the winter of 1846-47 as Mormon Pioneers made their trek to new settlements in the west.   After more than 150 years, little remains of the original structure beyond a few hand-hewn, pegged timbers; however, its legacy and spirit lives on in Florence. The mill has played an important role in the history of Omaha and the growth of the Florence area in particular. From the time of its construction until the 1980s, the mill remained operational.  Still visible inside the mill are original supporting beams that were put in place by Mormon Pioneers in 1846. The grain elevator was added in 1915. The mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and has been designated as a Nebraska State Historic Site and was a Save America's Treasures Project.

   Project: 

   Abandoned for 10 years, when purchased, the Mill was filled with #14,000 of dirt, grain, pigeon excrement and spider webs.  The Owners attended several conferences on historic mills to learn about proper cleaning methods for the wood floors, walls and ceilings, which is an on-going project.  The Owners have altered nothing on the interior of the building.  Their clean-up efforts however, have exposed historic signage, wood floors, and the 1915 machinery.

Minne Lusa Neighborhood

2. Residence - 2886 Vane St
   

   Project Type: 

   Preserved; Exterior/Interior

   History: 

   Built in 1918, we believe this beautiful Period Revival home was first occupied by Randall Pollock and Lucy (Harding) Pollock.  Mrs. Pollock was President of the Woodman Café.  Little is known of Randall Pollock.  The house passed through a number of hands over the years, including a church group who used the house for services.  The only major alteration to the home over the years was a kitchen upgrade in the 1950s.

   Project: 

   The current owners have preserved the interior of this beautiful Period Revival home, which features flanking sun porches on the ends of the first floor and beautiful built-ins.  They have even maintained the 1950s kitchen.  Restored period furniture completes the look.  The exterior is enhanced with a period appropriate Arts and Crafts style garden. 

3. Henry B. Neef Residence - 2884 Iowa St
   

   Project Type: 

   Preserved; Exterior/Interior

   History: 

   This is the 1st house in Omaha to be built using steel structure.  Constructed in 1929 this Eclectic style home was designed by architect Birger Kvenild for Henry B. Neef.  Neef was the manager of Gate City Iron Works here in Omaha, and president of the Stewart-Holland Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Neef promoted his unique steel framing system for residential homes, arguing that if it were smart and economical to build fireproof commercial buildings, it only made sense to build our homes in the same manner.

   Project: 

   The owner bought this house at auction and was also able to buy back several of the light fixtures that had been removed from the house.  Many of the other custom features are still intact, including the steel stair, iron gate between the porch and living room and fence surrounding the property.  The owner is planning to restore the home as time for projects permit.

4. Mount Olive Lutheran Church - 7301 N 28th Ave
   

   Project Type: 

   Preservation/Exterior; Rehabilitation/Interior

   Available at this site:

   
   

   • Restrooms
   • Reserved ticket pick-up
   • Neighborhood Association Information
   • Refreshments provided by the Mount Olive Lutheran Church

   History: 

   The Original church is relatively young.  It was designed by Charles Shaver out of Salina, KS. Construction began in 1947 and was completed in 1950.  The original building included a limited number of classrooms above the entry hall at the back of the church.  There is a matching church by the same architect in Fairbury, Nebraska.

    

   Project: 

   The exterior has been beautifully preserved, while the interior has undergone several rehabilitation projects.  In the early 1970s, before the building was considered historic, the congregation gave the church a facelift, painting the austere block walls and updating the woodwork to the then-popular dark stained oak.  In the late 1980s, the church needed to expand; this time maintaining the original austere feel of the sanctuary, the dark woodwork of the 1970s, and matching the original light fixtures, while rehabilitating the rear of the church for better traffic flow and a larger library.

    

Near North

5. General Crook House Museum - 5730 N 30th St
   (Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus)

   Project Type: 

   Preservation/Exterior; Restoration/Interior

   History: 

   The General George Cook residence was constructed in 1879 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is located on officer’s row at Fort Omaha.  Fort Omaha was one of six built as headquarters in the territories during the westward expansion and settlement of the United States.  Headquarters' Forts were similar to other western forts in terms of layout and function, but had a larger number of barracks and stables, and an office building for the general’s staff.  Each played a significant role in Native American affairs, provided organization and supplies for forts further out, and acted as a stabilizing presence for settlers. 

   Fort Omaha was constructed in 1868 as a place where troops could be wintered and sent out by rail whenever needed.  The young city of Omaha recognized the potential for economic growth and provided incentives for the post to be located here.  The first buildings were all frame construction and faced inwards around a rectangular parade ground of thirty acres.  When post commanders were required to live on the property, construction was switched to brick.  The Fort was closed and re-opened several times over the years and each re-opening was accompanied by a building campaign to enable the Fort to better serve the Army’s latest needs.  Its large number of remaining buildings, including support building such as stables, magazine, storehouse, and hospital, is unusual and adds to the historic integrity of the district as a whole.

   Project: 

   The Museum is the authentically restored home of General George Crook.    The furnishings are from the 1880 Victorian period. Collections at this living history museum include decorative arts, costumes, art & crafts and period furnishings.

   Adjoining the Museum is the Crook House Victorian Heirloom Garden, which overlooks the majestic parade ground and historic buildings of Historic Fort Omaha.  Many of the more than 110 varieties of heirloom flowers, trees and shrubs are native to Nebraska. Some plants were originally carried here on wagon trains or were available by mail order catalog in the 1880s.

6. I.E. Burdick Residence - 1618 Emmet
   

   Project Type: 

   Preservation/Restoration; Exterior/Interior

   History: 

   I.E. Burdick was the owner, builder and architect for both this house and the house next door at 1614 Emmett. Built in 1890, it is one of four houses known to be designed by him. Burdick practiced architecture in Omaha until 1905.

   Project: 

   The Owner’s have completely brought this 1890 house back to life in 8 years. They bought it when it was boarded up for $7,000 and have redone the exterior, main & upper levels. Work included exterior restoration of the main body of the house, restoration of the interior woodwork, plaster and woodwork repair. They also had their interior front stair stolen, found it and have re-installed it. Their current project is to rebuild the wraparound porch on the exterior and finish some interior millwork.

7. Caretaker’s House & Chapel, Prospect Hill Cemetery - 3203 Parker Street
   

   Project Type: 

   Exterior Restoration; Interior Preserved/Rehabilitated

   History: 

   The Prospect Hill caretaker’s house is located on the grounds of Omaha’s oldest documented cemetery. Designed by local architect Frederick A. Henninger in 1917, the two story house is an example of eclectic Revival. Serving the cemetery as a chapel, office and residence; the house was listed as a local historic landmark in 1977. On Memorial Day in 1984, a new flag pole was dedicated for the grounds. Congressman Hal Daub raised a flag which had flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

   Project: 

   As the house aged into the 1990’s, the existing red clay tile roof was in desperate need of repair. Prospect Hill received a grant to fully restore the roof in 2000. In accordance with preservation standards, each tile was carefully removed and re-installed over a new roof underlayment. In 1989, the chapel window, long boarded up, was replaced with a new leaded glass sash. The brick exterior walls have been recently tuck pointed, and routine repair work is ongoing. Future plans for capital improvements are being established to replace the exterior storm windows with authentic wood storm sashes, and a major mechanical and electrical overhaul is needed. The cemetery also plans to remodel the two main level restrooms as a part of the project.

Windshield Survey

1. Historic Florence
   including the
   • Masonic Temple,8223 N 30th Street
   • Florence Building, 87021 N 30th Street
   • Price Building, 8607 N 30th Street
2. Idledale Lane
   Classic Ranches of the 1950s, located between 28th Street and Weber Street
3. The Prettiest Mile
   Florence Boulevard between Read Street and Himebaugh Avenue
4. The Miller Park Pavilion
   Miller Park Drive and 27th Avenue
5. Site of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition
   Between Florence Blvd and 14th Ave and Ames Avenue and Locust Street
   For more information see the Omaha Public Library's Transmississippi Exhibit
6. Sacred Heart Catholic Church
2207 Wirth Street
7. Omaha Star Building
   2216 N 24th St Home of Nebraska's largest African American newspaper
8. Sherman Apartment Building
   2501 N 16th St; Constructed in 1897