Burlington Headquarters Building
Usage
The building was constructed for the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad at a cost of $40,000. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad took ownership when it took over that company. The first floor was leased by a wholesale grocer and a wholesale notion dealer, with upper floors used as headquarters for the railroad.
Design
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Iowa_and_Nebraska_lands10.jpg/250px-Iowa_and_Nebraska_lands10.jpg)
Designed in the Italianate style in 1879, the original three-story building was constructed with load-bearing masonry walls on a foundation of limestone blocks. A flat roof, straight front and walls, and very little embellishment originally made this building virtually indistinguishable from its neighbors in the Jobbers Canyon. The structure had fireproof vaults on each floor and each office was finished in oiled southern pine. Several offices included fireplaces.
The railroad bought the lot west of the building in 1886, and the building expanded westward and upward, adding fourth floor. Unlike those on the lower floors, the new fourth floor had arched windows and a heavy ornamental cornice, making the building more distinguishable than its neighbors.
In 1899 Thomas R. Kimball was commissioned to remodel the building. His new plans closely resembled the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company Building in Chicago, Illinois. Gutting the building, he placed a central atrium and an open staircase with galleries overlooking a courtyard. An elevator lined with quartersawn oak resembled much of the building's new interior, which Kimball also designed. Features include a combination of skylights, cast iron railings, staircases, columns, and ornamental detailing.
The railroad occupied the building until 1966, when it sat empty for several years. A 1983 rehabilitation converted the entire building into office space that closely matched original designs. Many of the original elements, including the stairway and balconies, remain. Part of the original cast-iron Farnam Street facade remains; and although the original atrium elevator was replaced, a new elevator occupies the same area as the original.
The Gene Leahy Mall wraps around the building today, and is on the outskirts of the Old Market Historic District and is across the street from the Nash Block.
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Burlington Headquarters Building". Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
- ^ "History" Archived 2008-04-23 at the Wayback Machine, Burlington Place. Retrieved 4/12/08.
- ^ Gerber, K. and Spencer, J.S. (2003) Building for the Ages: Omaha's architectural landmarks. Landmarks, Inc. p 52.
- ^ "Nebraska National Register Places", Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 4/12/08.
- ^ "Tax incentive program projects in Douglas County", Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 4/12/08.