Woodmen of the World Building (Omaha, Nebraska)
| Woodmen of the World Building | |
|---|---|
 The Woodmen of the World Building shortly after construction in 1912 | |
  Former location within Nebraska | |
| 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″N 95°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 | Holibard and 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 Holibard and 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.
History[]
The first WOW building in Omaha was the 1885 , 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.
See also[]
- List of tallest buildings in Omaha, Nebraska
- Yule marble
References[]
- ^ a b "Woodmen of the World Building", The Western Architect, 18 (12): 129, December 1912
- ^ a b "Woodmen of the World Building". emporis.com. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ a b McKee, Jim (July 17, 2010). "Jim McKee: Modern Woodmen helped build Omaha". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska: Lee Enterprises. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- ^ "Woodmen of the WorldTower and First National Tower". unl.edu. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
External links[]
- Postcard view of the Sheely Building First WOW building in Omaha
- History of the Woodmen of the World
- Historic photos of Omaha Includes WOW building
- Floor plans from the Architectural Record (1912)
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- Buildings and structures completed in 1912
- Buildings and structures demolished in 1977
- History of Downtown Omaha, Nebraska
- Demolished buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska
- Woodmen of the World buildings
- 1912 establishments in Nebraska
- Skyscraper office buildings in Omaha, Nebraska
- 1977 disestablishments in Nebraska
- Nebraska stubs