Omaha National Bank Building
Encyclopedia
The Omaha National Bank Building was built in 1888-89 at 1650 Farnam Street in Downtown Omaha
, Nebraska
. Built in the Italian Renaissance style, the building was saved from demolition by a rehabilitation in 1978. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972, the building was originally known as the New York Life Insurance Building; it was renamed in 1906.
's Omaha National Bank in 1909. Constructed in 1888-89, the building was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by the New York City
architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White
. The firm designed an identical office tower, the New York Life Building (Kansas City, Missouri), and was Omaha's first ten-story structure.
and renovated it completely.
Omaha pioneer Ezra Millard
was the first president of Omaha National Bank. Future Omaha mayor and Nebraska Senator Joseph H. Millard was president of the Omaha National Bank in after Millard's departure in 1871.
.
ONB moved to the woodman tower in 1970 no merger at that time, a bank merger happened a few years later long after the move to the woodman tower.
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Built in the Italian Renaissance style, the building was saved from demolition by a rehabilitation in 1978. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972, the building was originally known as the New York Life Insurance Building; it was renamed in 1906.
History
Originally occupied by the New York Life Insurance Company, the building was purchased by the Kountze BrothersHerman Kountze
Herman Kountze was a powerful and influential pioneer banker in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 19th century. After organizing the Kountze Brothers Bank in 1857 as the second bank in Omaha, Herman and his brothers Augustus, Charles and Luther changed the charter in 1863, opening the First National...
's Omaha National Bank in 1909. Constructed in 1888-89, the building was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
. The firm designed an identical office tower, the New York Life Building (Kansas City, Missouri), and was Omaha's first ten-story structure.
Omaha National Bank
Started in 1856, Omaha National Bank's original location was at 212 South 13th Street. In 1906 they purchased the building from the New York Life Insurance CompanyNew York Life Insurance Company
The New York Life Insurance Company is one of the largest mutual life-insurance companies in the United States, and one of the largest life insurers in the world, with about $287 billion in total assets under management, and more than $15 billion in surplus and AVR...
and renovated it completely.
Omaha pioneer Ezra Millard
Ezra Millard
Ezra Millard was a U.S. politician who was mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, from 1869 to 1871. He was also brother to Joseph Hopkins Millard, another mayor of Omaha and name sake of Millard, Nebraska....
was the first president of Omaha National Bank. Future Omaha mayor and Nebraska Senator Joseph H. Millard was president of the Omaha National Bank in after Millard's departure in 1871.
Present
Omaha National Bank merged with another bank and moved out of the building in 1972. After being vacated it was slated for demolition. However, the building was rehabilitated in 1978 and converted to office space. Today, called The Omaha Building, it is home to the law firm of Kutak RockKutak Rock
Kutak Rock LLP is a large law firm and lobbying group based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2007, the firm was ranked by the National Law Journal as the largest law firm in the state of Nebraska, and the 119th largest in the United States by number of attorneys. The firm also ranked 150th in profit per...
.
See also
- History of Omaha
- Economy of Omaha, NebraskaEconomy of Omaha, NebraskaThe economy of Omaha, Nebraska has served as a major commercial hub in the Midwestern United States since its founding in 1854. Dubbed the "Motor Mouth City" by The New York Times, Omaha is widely regarded as the telecommunications capital of the United States. The city's economy includes...
ONB moved to the woodman tower in 1970 no merger at that time, a bank merger happened a few years later long after the move to the woodman tower.
External links
- Omaha National Bank. Early Omaha: Gateway to the West. Excellent photos of the bank.
- Historic photo. The bank is the third from the right.
- Pamphlet about the Omaha Bank Building, including photos of Kutak Rock's office from the law firm of Kutak Rock LLP.
- Original postcard photos of the building.
