Last updated: September 8, 2022
Place
Burlington Headquarters Building
David Calease, NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
925 South 10th Street
Significance:
Commerce; Transportation; Architecture
Designation:
National Register of Historic Places
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Private Property Owner
Designed by A.R. Dufrene and constructed in 1879 the Burlington Headquarters Building served as the headquarters for the Burlington and Missouri Railroad Company. Recognized by both the National Register of Historic Places and as an Omaha Local Landmark, it is significant for its distinct architectural characteristics, major remodeling by noted Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball, and its role within the advent of the railroad and its social and economic development in the Midwest.
A group of entrepreneurs in Aurora, Illinois founded the Burlington line in 1849 when they secured a charter for a route that would connect their town with the only rail line at the time serving Chicago. The modest enterprise was composed of three small companies: the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroads. By 1870 the Burlington extended to the Missouri River at Kansas City and was heading toward central Nebraska to connect with the Union Pacific. The Burlington continued to push west, providing access from Nebraska to Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. In 1887, nearly two-thousand miles of track were operated from the Burlington Headquarters Building; that number quadrupled by 1901. One hundred years after the company’s inception, fourteen states are connected by 11,000 miles of track.
A.R. Dufrene’s original design was for a three story, brick building in the Italianate style with a heavy ornamental cornice. In 1886 an additional floor was added to increase the company’s office space. In an effort for the Omaha building to resemble the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Company Building in Chicago, Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball was hired in 1899 for a remodel. Externally not much changed, but a 41 by 43-foot central light court penetrated the second, third, and fourth floors and the roof. A pyramid skylight covers the court on top. The changes were meant to create an overall feeling of lightness, briskness, and mobility reflecting the age of mobility in Omaha. In 1982 the Burlington Headquarters Building was renovated for the use as modern offices.
A group of entrepreneurs in Aurora, Illinois founded the Burlington line in 1849 when they secured a charter for a route that would connect their town with the only rail line at the time serving Chicago. The modest enterprise was composed of three small companies: the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroads. By 1870 the Burlington extended to the Missouri River at Kansas City and was heading toward central Nebraska to connect with the Union Pacific. The Burlington continued to push west, providing access from Nebraska to Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. In 1887, nearly two-thousand miles of track were operated from the Burlington Headquarters Building; that number quadrupled by 1901. One hundred years after the company’s inception, fourteen states are connected by 11,000 miles of track.
A.R. Dufrene’s original design was for a three story, brick building in the Italianate style with a heavy ornamental cornice. In 1886 an additional floor was added to increase the company’s office space. In an effort for the Omaha building to resemble the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Company Building in Chicago, Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball was hired in 1899 for a remodel. Externally not much changed, but a 41 by 43-foot central light court penetrated the second, third, and fourth floors and the roof. A pyramid skylight covers the court on top. The changes were meant to create an overall feeling of lightness, briskness, and mobility reflecting the age of mobility in Omaha. In 1982 the Burlington Headquarters Building was renovated for the use as modern offices.