Heritage Nebraska Hidden Treasures

Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum (Lincoln, NE)

2010-06-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Located on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was the first state and national testing facility when it started in 1920. Sixty years later, in 1980, it was designated as an Historic Landmark of Agricultural Engineering by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

Thorpe Opera House (David City, NE)

2010-06-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Built in 1889, the 1,000-seat second floor auditorium was the largest west of Omaha. Performances included political debates, traveling theater acts, magicians and vaudeville. Old playbills and stage curtains with advertising of businesses from the past remain. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Pavillion Hotel (Taylor, NE)

2010-06-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

This Victorian-era building was built in 1887 and was lauded as the finest hotel between Rapid City and Grand Island. It is located in a popular tourist and recreation area and owners see it as a model for heritage tourism. The building is under current renovation turning it into a lodging and reception event center.

Pavelka Farmstead (Bladen, NE)

2010-06-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Built in 1905, this was the home of Anna (Mrs. John) Pavelka, the character for whom Antonia was named in Willa Cather's "My Antonia." The house and the "fruit cave" mentioned in the book still exist on the property. The Nebraska State Historical Society owns the National Register of Historic Places –listed property.

Old Great Western Sugar Factory Dormitory (Mitchell, NE)

2010-06-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

The old Great Western Sugar Factory Dormitory in Mitchell, Nebraska was built in 1926. Of the several such dormitories built at sugar factories in the Nebraska Panhandle, this was the only one used to house German POWS during World War II. The dormitory later served as a boarding house and nursing home until 1995. New owners are developing it into a hostel, restaurant and health club.

Oak Ballroom (Schuyler, NE)

2010-06-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Oak Ballroom is a 1937 WPA project built of native oak trees and rock. The original dance hall is still in use. The structure rests in a park-like setting with lagoons dug by workers waiting for more lumber to arrive. Booths were put in place in the early 1950s and a new maple floor was installed in 1954.

Meadow Grove Federal Credit Union (Meadow Grove, NE)

2010-06-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Meadow Grove Federal Credit Union is located in the old Security Bank which was built in 1905 and has remained in use as a financial institution since that time. When the bank closed in 1929, everything was left "as is" in the vault, which is where it remains today. The original vault and teller cages are still used.

Mars Historical Area (near Royal, NE)

2010-06-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Mars Historical Area represented the first settlement in the region and opened the area for pioneer settlers. While the original town of Mars has faded away, many of the original dugouts and wagon trails are still visible, as is the old livery stable. Historical tours and camping are available.

Flag Creek Bridge (Orleans, NE)

2010-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Flag Creek Bridge located on the Goldenrod Highway (Highway 136) near Orleans is unique because of its four light pillars. A Transportation Enhancement grant four years ago paid for rewiring of the lights, which had not worked for 40 years. The project was successful and the lights are working again.

Historic Downtown Sidney (Sidney, NE)

2010-06-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Downtown Sidney is a well-preserved Panhandle community that boasts a National Register Downtown District featuring buildings from the late 1870s through the 1950s. The city thrived during an era when the community was a hub of activity at one end of the major trail leading to the Black Hills Gold Rush.

Downtown Scribner (Scribner, NE)

2010-06-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

The town of Scribner was organized in 1871. Many original old buildings line the brick streets and Main Street Boulevard. The buildings have seen few "modernizations" over the years that would detract from the look of the original town. The Musbach Museum (1884) is a repository of much of the town's history and the Old Hotel (1901) is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bess Streeter Aldrich House & Museum (Elmwood, NE)

2010-06-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

The house is an excellent example of 1920s craftsmanship and still retains most of its original exterior, woodwork, lighting and fixtures. It reflects the rich history of the nationally famous Nebraska author who wrote nine novels and more than 160 short stories about Nebraska settlers.

Bassett Lodge & Range Cafe (Bassett, NE)

2010-06-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

The Bassett Lodge & Range Cafe in Bassett, Nebraska is a National Register-listed two-story streamlined Art Moderne style hotel and cafe built in 1949-51. It was developed as an anchor of the downtown commercial core of this Sandhills community and played host to cattle buyers from across the country who attended local sales.

Prospect Hill Cemetery and Caretaker Residence (Omaha, NE)

2009-05-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Some of the most prominent people in the development of Omaha are buried among the 15,000 graves dating back to 1858. The caretaker’s residence was built in 1918 at this north Omaha property. The plot itself was developed by Byron Reed, an early Omaha real estate developer. “Not only is this place of significant age, it is a collection of amazing stories of individuals that built our historic city,” says Omaha Landmarks Inc. President Paul Nelson. "It is an extremely beautiful place that is set apart from its surroundings."

Prairie Loft Center for Outdoor Agricultural Learning (Hastings, NE)

2009-05-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

This land near Hastings was once part of the farm operation at the state mental hospital, known as Ingleside and later as Hastings Regional Center. The farm was active before 1894 and until the late 1960s. The barn being used for the educational activities was built around 1931. The property is now being used to teach agriculture appreciation, outdoor education, cultural traditions and the wise use of natural resources. The farm once grew fields of cabbage and had banana trees in the greenhouses.

Nicholas Street Historic District (Omaha, NE)

2009-05-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

The National Register District on the edge of North Downtown Omaha represents one of three patterns of industrial development along railroad lines in Midwestern towns which were formed simultaneously with railroads. This district is not yet on the radar or in the typical websites or brochure racks. It is an area on the cusp of redevelopment and also home to Omaha’s Hot Shops, 50 art studios, four art galleries and many exhibition spaces.

Neihardt State Historic Site (Bancroft, NE)

2009-05-05T13:56:00.001-07:00

The community was the boyhood home of Nebraska Poet Laureate John G. Neihardt from 1900-1921. The town was the boyhood through age 40 home of Neihardt who lived in a house built in 1880. The Neihardt Center has preserved Neihardt’s study in an interpretive center opened in 1976. The property is presently owned by the Nebraska State Historical Society. Many buildings from the Neihardt era remain in the community.

Hotel Chadron/Olde Main Street Inn (Chadron, NE)

2009-05-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Built by the O’Hanlon family in 1890, the elegant Chadron House was adorned with gold and green wallpaper, carpet from Brussels and marble washstands in each room. Some of those luxuries remain for modern day tourists who visit the place which has been run by three generations of innkeepers for more than 100 years. Once a booming business in the National Register District downtown, the hotel is among a handful of local sites that have remained in continuous service.

Joslyn Castle (Omaha, NE)

2009-05-05T13:53:00.001-07:00

George and Sarah Joslyn constructed one of Nebraska’s greatest homes—a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion atop a hill on Omaha’s outskirts – in 1903.The 19,360 square foot four-story house was completed at a cost of $250,000 in 11 months and features a rich use of carved wood, stained glass, chiseled stone, mosaic tiles, and wrought iron. The Castle and the carriage house were built of Kansas silverdale limestone. It includes a reception hall, music room, ballroom, a library and gold drawing room.

Hamilton Methodist Church/Pentecostal Temple (Hastings, NE)

2009-05-05T13:50:00.001-07:00

A fine example of a church built by African-Americans in greater Nebraska. The original building is still standing with minor alterations and still serving a Black congregation. Set apart by its historical significance [potentially eligible for the National Register as a religious property significant in the area of settlement], the church was built in 1904 and has been in continuous use for more than 100 years.

Faling House/Cambridge Bed & Breakfast (Cambridge, NE)

2009-05-05T13:46:00.001-07:00

Constructed from 1907 to 1910, the 10,000 square-foot house built by William Faling in Cambridge is now used as a bed and breakfast. The neoclassic architecture, original fixtures and faux painting by Hansen and Willer were noted in the 1999 nomination to the National Register. Preservationists say the house is set apart from others by its size [10,000 square feet], the quantity and quality of the architectural detail, the faux paintings, Austrian leaded and beveled windows, millworks and original fixtures.

Downtown Fremont (Fremont, NE)

2009-05-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

This National Register District downtown was nominated by the Heritage Nebraska Main Street Advisory Committee. Fremont has had a Main Street program since 1994, before the state Main Street program started. Downtown Fremont has many late 1800’s era buildings, several on-going preservation projects and a collection of antique and boutique shops as well as a mix of businesses from clothing to hardware and shoes. A recent streetscape project featuring historic reproduction streetlamps was seen as the icing on the cake.