Last updated: September 2, 2022
Place
Barker Building
David Calease, NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
306 South 15th Street
Significance:
Architecture
Designation:
National Register of Historic Places
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Private Property Owner
The Barker family purchased the now-downtown plot for the Barker Building in 1856, when Omaha was just a frontier town. However, the land remained undeveloped until fifteen years later, when brothers George and Joseph Barker commissioned a six-story building from local architects Louis Mendelssohn and George Fisher.
The current building is the third to stand on this site—the first two buildings both burned in accidental fires. This third iteration of the Barker Building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was designed by local architects James Allan and Noel Wallace in 1929, shortly before the stock market crashed and the Great Depression swept over the country. Construction was carried out by Peter Kiewit Construction, one of the oldest construction firms in the state, now known nationally and international for their work.
The seven-story building was constructed in the Neo-Gothic style. This style in office buildings in Omaha constructed prior to 1940 is rare, making the Barker Building a distinct example. The faces of the building are finished in brick and terra cotta, creating alternating tan and cream stripes. The base of the building consists of a gray granite base with inset flat terra cotta pieces. The first floor is occupied by commercial tenants, while the rest of the building has been renovated for residential use.The Barker Building is a private apartment complex and is not open to the public but can be viewed from South 15th Street.
The current building is the third to stand on this site—the first two buildings both burned in accidental fires. This third iteration of the Barker Building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was designed by local architects James Allan and Noel Wallace in 1929, shortly before the stock market crashed and the Great Depression swept over the country. Construction was carried out by Peter Kiewit Construction, one of the oldest construction firms in the state, now known nationally and international for their work.
The seven-story building was constructed in the Neo-Gothic style. This style in office buildings in Omaha constructed prior to 1940 is rare, making the Barker Building a distinct example. The faces of the building are finished in brick and terra cotta, creating alternating tan and cream stripes. The base of the building consists of a gray granite base with inset flat terra cotta pieces. The first floor is occupied by commercial tenants, while the rest of the building has been renovated for residential use.The Barker Building is a private apartment complex and is not open to the public but can be viewed from South 15th Street.