Woodmen of the World Building | |
---|---|
General information | |
Status | Demolished |
Type | Commercial office |
Architectural style | Italian Renaissance [1] |
Location | 1323 Farnam Street Omaha, Nebraska |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 41°15′28.29″N95°56′21.2″W / 41.2578583°N 95.939222°W |
Completed | 1912 |
Demolished | December 18, 1977 [2] |
Cost | $1,500,000 [3] |
Owner | Woodmen of the World |
Height | 242 ft (73.8 m) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 19 |
Design and construction | |
Architecture firm | Holabird & Roche, Fisher and Lawrie |
The former Woodmen of the World Building in Omaha, Nebraska, was located at 1323 Farnam Street. Built in 1912 by the architectural firms of Holabird & Roche and Fisher and Lawrie, the building was the headquarters of Woodmen of the World (WOW) from 1912 until 1934. WOW relocated in 1934 to the Bee Newspaper Building at 17th and Farnam, also known as the Insurance Building.
The first WOW building in Omaha was the 1885 Sheely Building, occupied by WOW in 1890 soon after the Woodmen of the World was organized. The company then purchased the Sheely Building in 1900 for $60,000 and applied its own name to the headquarters, but the building was too small for a rapidly growing business. [3]
The new WOW building would be 19 stories, the tallest building between Chicago and the West coast, at the time of its dedication in 1912. It was the tallest building in Downtown Omaha from 1912 to 1919. [2]
The Italian Renaissance skyscraper featured exterior decorations of pink granite and terracotta. It included a motor operated revolving door opening into a lobby with a 30-foot high ceiling. Six elevators carried tenants to the upper floors. [1] The building was demolished in 1977. [4]
WOW built its current 30-story Woodmen Tower in 1969. It was Omaha's tallest building until the completion of the 45-story First National Bank Tower in 2002.
Kiewit Corporation is an American privately held construction company based in Omaha, Nebraska founded in 1884. In 2021, it was ranked 243rd on the Fortune 500. Privately held, it is one of the largest construction and engineering organizations in North America. It is an employee-owned company.
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WoodmenLife is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1890, based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that operates a large privately held insurance company for its members.
The First National Bank Tower is a 634-foot (193 m), 45-story office skyscraper located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States, and the official headquarters of First National Bank of Omaha. It is the tallest building in Omaha and the state, and has been since its completion, overtaking the 30-story Woodmen Tower located nearby. Construction began in April 1999 and lasted until 2002, with the building's completion being the subject of ACEC and Emporis awards.
The WoodmenLife Tower is a 478.02 feet (145.70 m) high-rise building at 1700 Farnam Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, and headquarters of WoodmenLife insurance company. Construction of the building began in 1966 and was completed in the spring of 1969. At its completion, the Woodmen Tower was the tallest building in the state of Nebraska, overtaking the Nebraska State Capitol. The Woodmen Tower would hold this record until 2002, when it was overtaken by First National Bank Tower. The building was featured in the 2002 movie About Schmidt, starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Alexander Payne.
Jobbers Canyon Historic District was a large industrial and warehouse area comprising 24 buildings located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, US. It was roughly bound by Farnam Street on the north, South Eighth Street on the east, Jackson Street on the south, and South Tenth Street on the west. In 1989, all 24 buildings in Jobbers Canyon were demolished, representing the largest National Register historic district loss to date.
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The Bee Building, later called the Peters Trust Building and finally the Insurance Building, was located at 17th and Farnam Streets in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It was an architectural landmark in early Omaha that was built in 1888 by newspaper editor Edward Rosewater to house his Omaha Bee newspaper as well as several other companies. A period review remarked that the building was "probably only second in the United States to that of the New York Herald."
The AT&T Building is a 334 foot, 16-story skyscraper in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was the tallest structure in downtown Omaha until the Woodmen Tower and later First National Bank Tower surpassed it in height. The original 15 story building was built in 1918, a twelve-story addition was added on the north end in 1957 and another on the west end in 1964. An additional story was added in 1970 to bring it to sixteen stories. It was home to The Northwestern Bell headquarters until 1991 when US West merged its three Bell Operating Companies. The building is now used for Lumen's Omaha operations.
The Burlington Headquarters Building, also called Burlington Place, is located at 1004 Farnam Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. This four-story brick building was originally designed by Alfred R. Dufrene and built in 1879 next to Jobbers Canyon. It was redesigned by noted Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball in 1899, and vacated by the railroad in 1966. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, designated an Omaha Landmark in 1978, and rehabilitated in 1983. Today it is office space.
The Paxton Hotel, formerly known as Paxton Manor and currently known as The Paxton, is located at 1403 Farnam Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Designed by local architect Joseph G. McArthur, the current building was constructed in 1928, with its predecessor dating from 1882. Named for local businessman and community leader William A. Paxton, today the building houses luxury condominia. It is one of the few significant Art Deco structures in Omaha today. Among some of the prominent guests who stayed at the Paxton were Buffalo Bill Cody and William Jennings Bryan, as well as President William McKinley stayed at the Paxton during the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in 1898.
City National Bank Building, also known as the Orpheum Tower, is a 220 ft, 16 story, tower in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. When built in 1910, it was the tallest building in Omaha. It remained the tallest building until 1912 when the Woodmen of the World was completed. It was added to the NRHP in 1973. The building is now known as the Orpheum Tower and is a 132-unit apartment building.
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