North Omaha has been home to several large mansions and estates, especially in its early years. Built in the grand tradition of the United States’ wealthy families, they were intended to broadcast success, ensure comfort and secure lusciousness right after the pioneer era of young Omaha.

This is a graphic of the historic mansions in North Omaha today. — Historic mansions in North Omaha today include (from upper left) the Brenner Mansion; Smyth Mansion; Lantry Mansion; Mercer Mansion; Bay Mansion, and; Zabriskie Mansion.

Built throughout the area north of Omaha, these fine homes belonged to real estate moguls, nouveau riche businessmen, and old Eastern inheritors that moved west. Some were elegant and restrained, while others simply oozed money. None of these mansions were built to be accessible, either; instead, they all sat on regal country estates that were determined to be inaccessible to the everyman workers living in the city.

There were even rows of mansions in North Omaha. For instance, on Wirt Street between 18th and 22nd, there were more than a dozen very large houses with many rooms. The Major Wilcox mansion at 2100 Wirt was next to the Weller mansion at 2102 Wirt, which was down the street from the Alfred Jones mansion at 2018 Wirt.

This article is a history of early mansions and country estates in North Omaha.

1. The Redick Mansion

Redick Mansion, aka the Mayne Mansion, aka Omaha University Redick Hall, 3612 North 24th Street in North Omaha, Nebraska — This was the Redick Mansion, aka the Mayne Mansion, aka Omaha University Redick Hall, at 3612 North 24th Street in North Omaha.

Built: 1885
Address: 3612 North 24th Street
Architecture: Eastlake Style
Demolished: 1916
Article: John I. Redick Mansion

The most famous mansion built in North Omaha is probably the Mayne Mansion, also known as the Redick Mansion. The house had 20 rooms total. In 1909, John Redick’s son sold the mansion and a city block’s worth of land to the University of Omaha. They renamed it Redick Hall and used it as their primary building for the five years. In 1916 the University sold the mansion to a resort on Keeley Island on Lake Shetek near Currie, Minnesota. Renamed the Valhalla Pavilion, it burnt down in a fire in 1928.

2. Poppleton Estate

A. J. Poppleton Mansion, N. 16th St., North Omaha, Nebraska — This was the A. J. Poppleton Mansion at 2232 N. 16th St. in North Omaha.

Built: 1885
Address: 2232 N. 16th Street
Architecture: Victorian Gothic Style
Demolished: est. 1945
Article: Poppleton Est ate

Poppleton was an early lawyer, politician and real estate speculator in Omaha. Serving as a Nebraska Territorial legislator, he was also the second mayor of Omaha. He built his large brick mansion with 15 rooms overlooking the Missouri River valley.

3. The J. J. Brown Mansion

J. J. Brown Mansion, 2225 N. 16th Street North Omaha, Nebraska — This was the J. J. Brown Mansion at 2225 Sherman Avenue around 1900.

Built: 1870s
Address: 2225 Sherman Avenue
Architecture: Italianate Style
Demolished: 1911
Article: J. J. Brown Mansion

A businessman and investor, J. J. Brown ran a wholesaling company in Omaha. With his 12 room mansion on the bluffs along sixteenth, he meant to should the world his wealth. It featured a large porch and 11 foot high ceilings in almost all of the rooms. There was a large drawing room where he hosted his daughter’s high society wedding in 1896. Brown died in 1901. In 1903, the home became the second location for the Wise Memorial Hospital. After they moved in 1908, the mansion was destroyed.

4. McCreary Mansion

McCreary Mansion, N. 24th and Pratt Streets, North Omaha, Nebraska — This was the John McCreary Mansion at N. 24th and Pratt Streets around 1880.

Built: 1876
Address: 3706 North 24th Street
Architecture: Italianate
Demolished: 1926
Article: The McCreary Mansion

The year after his mansion was finished, McCreary retired to his estate and focused on improving his land. Located immediately north of John Redick’s estate, McCreary had ten acres of land. McCreary started with a two story Italianate style home that had a dozen rooms, just outside the city limits. Popular Omaha builder Francis Dellone and his brother designed and built the home for McCreary. In the 1890s, McCreary added another floor to the house for a total of 15 rooms. In 1905, McCreary sold his home and it became the Swedish Mission Hospital. It was integrated into an expansion of the hospital in 1926, and demolished entirely in 1967.

5. Bailey House

The Bailey Mansion, 1504 N. 19th St., North Omaha, Nebraska — This was the Bailey Mansion at 1504 N. 19th St. in North Omaha.

Built: 1875 estimated
Address: 1504 North 19th Street
Architecture: Eastlake Style
Demolished: 1900 estimated
Article: The Bailey Residence

Built by an Englishman named Frank Bailey, this home is a fine example of the Eastlake style. Its beautiful features highlight the spectacular beauty of the Eastlake style, which valued ways to manipulate wood into looking beautiful. Its ironic, too: Bailey was one of Omaha’s premier brickmakers, operating a large plant that produced thousands of bricks daily.

6. Mercer Mansion

The Mercer Mansion in North Omaha, Nebraska. — *The Mercer Mansion is located at 3920 Cuming Street in the Walnut Hill neighborhood.*

Built: 1885
Address: 3920 Cuming Street
Architecture: Queen Anne Revival Style

As the chief surgeon of the Union Pacific Railroad, Dr. Samuel Mercer traveled the U.S. and saw many places. When he retired from the railroad, he founded Omaha’s first hospital and got into real estate by developing North Omaha’s exclusive Walnut Hill neighborhood. The jewel of the area was his home, a grand 23-room red brick mansion built in the Queen Anne style. Costing more than $60,000 to build, it features a four story tower and exquisite woodwork throughout the home. In the 1920s, the Victorian trim was removed and the house was subdivided into apartments. However, today the home is still owned by Mercer’s descendents, who are essential to the entire city’s history.

7. Smyth House

This is the Smyth Mansion at N. 38th between Webster and Burt in North Omaha.

Built: 1906
Address: 710 North 38th Street
Architecture: Neo-Classical Revival

The Smyth House was built in 1906 in Omaha’s new Gold Coast District. Still standing today, it includes beautiful gardens under a canopy of 100 year old oak trees, and is the private residence of the Herchenbach family, who purchased the property in August 2013.

8. Governor’s Mansion

Built: 1876 estimate
Address: North 16th and Grace Streets
Architecture: Second Italianate Renaissance
Demolished: 1972 estimate
Article: Saunders Mansion

Built by Territorial Governor Alvin Saunders, this fine mansion was built by the last governor as a celebration of his wealth after losing his money during the financial panic of 1873. That year he was forced to sell his downtown home, built during his governorship. He built this one better, using brick and the finest architecture of the period. It may have stood for almost a century afterwards.

9. Nash Mansion

The Edward Nash Mansion was built in 1888 at 3806 Burt Street. It was demolished around 1920.

Built: 1886
Address: 3806 Burt Street
Architecture: Queen Anne / Eastlake Style
Demolished: 1933

This home featured a lot of exquisite woodwork that was typical of the Eastlake style. It had a soaring tower, stately chimneys and beautiful first floor wraparound porch are that was accentuated by second story porches, as well as a grand entry stairway and other beautiful features. The Queen Anne tower came down in a fire in about 1909. The house had been unoccupied since 1928 when Mrs. Nash died.

10. The Dexter Thomas House

Thomas Mansion, 958 N. 27th Ave, North Omaha, Nebraska — This is the Dexter Thomas Mansion, built at 958 North 27th Avenue in the 1870s. Later owned by W.A. Hixenbaugh, it was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the North Freeway.

Built: est. 1875
Address: 958 North 27th Street
Architecture: Stick Style
Demolished: 1953
Article: Thomas Mansion

The Dexter Thomas House was a Queen Anne style mansion built in the 1870s. Highlighting the beauty of wood, the photo above shows the house had beautiful corner posts, lintels, and window frames. Even when the Thomas House sprawls toward the rear, the tall windows and steep roofs keep us looking skyward. There are also carved brackets and spandrels, clipped gable roofs, a detailed sash, and knee-braces on the porch posts. Oh, and the four story tower, there’s that too. The mansion had a long history before its demolition.

11. Stroud Mansion

The Stroud Mansion at 5100 Florence Boulevard in North Omaha, Nebraska. — *The Stroud Mansion in a real estate photo.*

Built: 1909
Address: 5100 Florence Boulevard
Architecture: Neo-Classical
Demolished: 1969
Article: Stroud Mansion

Just after the turn-of-the-century, a wagon maker named T. F. Stroud built a fine Southern-style estate in North Omaha. With more than 1,800 acres, his home was situated off Florence Boulevard north of the old town of Saratoga on Browne Street. The Stroud Mansion was built with at least nine rooms, including six bedrooms. Over the next 50 years, the home switched hands several times and was eventually demolished to make room for the Omaha Housing Authority’s senior home called the Florence Tower.

12. Zabriskie Mansion

Zabriskie Mansion, 3524 Hawthorne Avenue, Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District, North Omaha, Nebraska — This is a 2020 image of the Zabriskie Mansion at 3524 Hawthorne Avenue in the Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District.

Built:1889
Address: 3524 Hawthorne Avenue
Architecture: Stick / Eastlake / Queen Anne
Article: Zabriskie Mansion by Jody Lovallo

One of the first homes in Bemis Park, the Zabriskie Mansion is one of the finest Queen Anne style structures ever in Omaha. Its original owner was a ship officer, American Civil War veteran, Union Pacific general agent and accountant. Multiple wall surfaces, high multiple rooftops, a round turret, straight and round-arched windows and prominent gables and chimneys have been preserved excellently, and today is in excellent condition.

13. Anna Wilson’s House

Anna Wilson Mansion 2018 Wirt, North Omaha, Nebraska — A. D. Jones, Dr. Elizabeth Reeves, Robert Beech Howell, Anna Wilson, the Omaha Old Peoples Home Association, the Crosby Funeral Home, and many others touched the house at 2018 Wirt Street in Kountze Place from 1891 to 1970.

Built: 1889
Address: 2018 Wirt Street
Architecture: Eastlake / Queen Anne
Demolished: 1970
Article: Anna Wilson’s Home

Built by Omaha settler Alfred Jones toward the end of his life, the home at 2018 Wirt Street sat on a 10 acre lot that was covered by fruit trees. Notorious madame Anna Wilson bought it after the turn of the century, filling it with her huge library and fine art, as well as covering the grounds with beautiful flowers and other fineries. When she died in 1911, it was bequeathed to the Omaha Old Folks’ Home, which sold it. The house was then sold several other times before it was demolished.

14. Parker Mansion

The Parker Mansion at 3012 Vane Street in the Florence Field neighborhood.

Built: 1854
Address: 3012 Vane Street
Architecture: Unknown
Demolished: 1956
Article: Parker Estate

Started being built by Florence banker James M. Parker, the Parker Mansion was finished by his son Fred. However, Fred wasn’t satisfied with any part of his father’s estate, including the hundreds of acres he inherited spread throughout North Omaha. He sold most of it off, keeping a 10-acre estate and building a grant museum on the boundary between Florence and Omaha. Sprawling across his compound, there were mystery tunnels, beautiful art and ghost stories surrounding the Parker Estate. It was all dismantled and demolished by 1956 though, and today there’s no trace left.

Mansion 15: The Lantry-Thompson Mansion

Lantry-Thompson Mansion, 3524 State St., North Omaha, Nebraska — The Lantry-Thompson Mansion was built at 3524 State Street in 1891. After more than 120 years, it still stands tall over the Florence neighborhood.

Built: 1891
Address: 3524 State Street
Architecture: Queen Anne
Article: A History of the Lantry – Thompson Mansion

Built by a land speculator named Victor Lantry, the historic Lantry – Thompson Mansion was built in 1891 at 3524 State Street. The 4,000 sf house has 6 bedrooms and sits on 4 acres on land that were originally platted in 1871. Located across the street from Notre Dame at N. 36th and State, it originally sat on a plot of land that had more than 200 acres. Today, it has 4 acres, but retains much of its original beauty.

Mansion 16. The Old Rectory

Brenner Mansion, 6141 Florence Boulevard, Miller Park neighborhood, North Omaha, Nebraska — This is the Old Rectory, aka the Brenner Mansion, at 6141 Florence Blvd on the Prettiest Mile in North Omaha.

Built: 1916
Address: 6141 Florence Boulevard
Architecture: Second Spanish Colonial Revival

The Old Rectory is at 6141 Florence Boulevard in the Miller Park neighborhood. Built in 1916 estate along Omaha’s Prettiest Mile, it was a private home for several years. Its most notorious resident was Tom Dennison, Omaha’s boss for several years. For more than 20 years, it was a rectory for Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, ending that job in 1962. In 1981, the Brenners renovated the home and named it The Old Rectory.

Mansion 17. John P. Bay Mansion

John P. Bay House, 2024 Binney Street, Kountze Place, North Omaha, Nebraska — This is the John P. Bay House at 2024 Binney Street in the Kountze Place neighborhood.

Built: 1887
Address: 2024 Binney Street
Architecture: Queen Anne
Article: A History of the John P. Bay House

The John P. Bay Mansion was built for an early ice tycoon in Omaha. The 1887 Queen Anne style beauty was designed by architect George L. Fisher, and built in the heart of the fashionable Kountze Place neighborhood. In 1981, it was designated an Omaha Landmark by the City of Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission.

Mansion 18. The McLain Mansion

The McLain Mansion was at 2214 Wirt Street in the Kountze Place neighborhood. — The McLain Mansion, aka the Old Peoples Home, was at 2214 Wirt Street in the Kountze Place neighborhood.

Built: 1870s
Address: 2214 Wirt Street
Architecture: Italianate
Article: A History of the McLain Mansion

The McLain Mansion was built for a wealthy Ohio businessman who was a pioneer in Omaha City. J.J. and Mary McLain were Methodist activists who started hospitals and care societies. Their home became the Old Peoples’ Home in the 1890s, and served in that role for 20 years. After becoming the Woodbine Apartments, the building fell into disrepair and was demolished after a fire in 1969.

Mansion 19. Hillcrest

Hillcrest Mansion, 2711 Caldwell Street, North Omaha, Nebraska. — Alfred and Elenora Brooks Jones were the most noted owners of the Hillcrest Mansion was at 2711 Caldwell Street. They were African American restauranteurs and socialites.

Built: circa 1900
Address: 2811 Caldwell Street
Architecture: Italianate
Demolished: circa 1965
Article: A History of Hillcrest in North Omaha

Originally called Riverview, this large Antebellum style mansion was built around 1900 and was said to be “one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the city.” The mansion was renamed Hillcrest and had a huge two-story, columned home built in style of a Southern plantation mansion. By 1967, the mansion was gone and the lot was selected to become one of GOCA’s temporary “recreation areas” for poverty-ridden areas.

Mansion 20. Rome Miller Mansion

Rome Miller Mansion, 4823 Florence Boulevard, North Omaha, Nebraska — This is the Rome Miller Mansion built in 1898 at 4823 Florence Boulevard in the Saratoga neighborhood.

Built: 1898
Address: 4823 Florence Boulevard
Architecture: Late Gothic Revival
Article: A History of the Rome Miller Mansion In North Omaha

What better place for an aspiring Omaha hotelier to build his mansion than two blocks from the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in 1898? The Rome Miller Mansion is 3,600 square feet of continuous opulence, and still reflects it today. Owned by several notable people over the years, its life has included being a sanitarium, tearoom and apartments. Today its lovingly maintained as a single family home.

Other Mansions

There have been many, many other mansions and estates in North Omaha that I am only beginning to uncover. The include…

Weller Mansion, 2102 Wirt Street—17 rooms that became the Kountze Place Hospital. In 1919, it sold for $25,000.

Major Wilcox Mansion, 2100 Wirt Street

You Might Like…

BONUS

Former mansions in North Omaha, Nebraska — A few of the former mansions in North Omaha, including from upper left the Alvin D. Jones Mansion; the J.J. McCreary Mansion; the A.J. Poppleton Mansion; the John I. Redick Mansion, and; the Francis Bailey House.

Mercer Mansion, North 40th and Cuming Streets, North Omaha, Nebraska

Mercer Mansion, North Omaha, Nebraska — This is the Mercer Mansion circa 1890. Originally the finest home in Omaha, the Mercer Mansion is still owned by the original family.

Special thanks to Micah Evans for his contributions to this article!

11 Comments

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pnutt81 says:

August 3 at 2:10 pm

Thank you for this walk down memory lane. As a Native North Omahain it’s awesome to see the rich history of our city.

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John Peterson says:

December 4 at 5:02 pm

The McCreary mansion was not torn down in 1926. It remained part of the hospital as new wings were added. It was not torn down until hospital was torn down in September 1974.

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1. Adam F. C. Fletcher says:
  
  December 5 at 6:55 pm
  
  Thanks for your note John – as always, its much appreciated! I’d changed that on the complete article about the hospital, but not here. That original change was because of you sharing your article, so double-thanks! Please keep sending any info, corrections, etc whenever you’d like!
  
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Dan says:

July 20 at 6:48 pm

When I was a kid in the 60’s, we went to Sacred Heart School on 22nd & Binney. Then the John P. Bay home at 20th & Binney was then called Blues Home and it was a home for elderly women. We we weave paper place mats at Christmas and walk down and deliver them and sing carrols to them.
Also it looks like house #7 & 18 look exactly alike. Thank you for all the information you always give.

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1. Adam Fletcher Sasse says:
  
  July 20 at 11:19 pm
  
  Thanks for your note Dan. Fixed 7/18. Awesome about the Bay House–I’ll do up an individual article on it soon.
  
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2. Adam F.C. Fletcher says:
  
  September 20 at 7:00 am
  
  Hey Dan, if you’re interested I just finished a whole article about the John P. Bay House including its history with Ada Blue. I’d love to hear what you think! Its at https://northomahahistory.com/2022/09/20/a-history-of-the-john-p-bay-house/
  
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Norman Terry says:

August 26 at 10:12 am

are there any photos of the CREIGHTON mansion .. It was torn down to make room for a freeway that split Creighton University….I have two pieces of furniture from that house, and do not know what to do with them…no one our family wants the old stuff. sad. Norm Terry. Count John Creighton married the sister of my grandmother’s mother. Would love to see a photo of the house, other than one from afar which we having ,showing it all by itself with no other surrounding homes c. 1870. We have a dining room chair and the hall way table which by tradition is where John took his last communion. Norm Terry

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Donald Gappa says:

March 22 at 10:32 pm

Hi Adam. Really enjoyed reading about the mansions. Great job as usual. There is a house on Florence Blvd that was moved there from Fort Omaha. Do you know about it?

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1. Adam F.C. Fletcher says:
  
  March 23 at 4:04 am
  
  Hi Donald, how are you!? Great to hear from you. You’re talking about the house at 6327 Florence Blvd, and I broke the story about it years ago. My article with all kinds of pictures and all the details is at https://northomahahistory.com/2017/11/14/a-history-of-6327-florence-boulevard-in-north-omaha/
  
  Let me know what you think?!
  
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  1. Donald Gappa says:
    
    March 23 at 9:44 pm
    
    Adam, thanks for the great article on 6327. I used to drive past it years ago and thought it was something special. In later years I learned more about it while volunteering at the Crook House. An interesting side note; John Sullivan and his wife Lejean, are friends of mine. They live in Plattsmouth and we are all members of the Plattsmouth Conservancy. John did mention once years ago that he had owned the house but we never talked it about it. Thanks again for “the rest of the story”.
    
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