Traveling Through Nebraska: Cities and Towns: Dundee and Hanscom Park Historic District
Located at 30th to 50th Streets, from Woolworth Avenue to Elm Street, in midtown Omaha, Nebraska, the Dundee and Hanscom Park Historic District is a historic neighborhood that embodies the architectural charm of the city. This district was established in 1989 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places, comprising a mix of early 20th-century housing styles that reflect the distinct residential patterns of the city. As a result, this district has garnered attention for its unique blend of quaint neighborhoods, parks, and urban architecture.
One of the defining characteristics of this district is the high concentration of Prairie School-style buildings, a style popularized by influential architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright. Many of these buildings can be found along the picturesque tree-lined streets of Dundee, whose name was derived from Dundee, Scotland. To complement the neighborhood's historic architecture, in the late 19th century the area was envisioned as a residential park district and this vision culminated in Hanscom Park in 1889. The picturesque Hanscom Park features many walking paths, a playground, a lagoon with ducks and other wildlife, a pavilion that hosts a farmer's market seasonally, and sports facilities.
The main streets of the Dundee and Hanscom Park Historic District feature shopping and dining venues and unique boutiques. North Dundee Avenue was an upscale business district during the early 20th century and this spirit of entrepreneurial enterprise still thrives to this day in some of its storefronts. Local eateries include a wide array of diverse culinary options that range from local favorites like classic Midwestern comfort food, gourmet grilled cheese, classic ice cream shops, traditional French bakeries, Italian delis, health food, an Indian grocery store, traditional Mexican markets, and authentic Asian cuisine shops.
This neighborhood has strong historical roots that contribute to its enduring reputation as a treasured Omaha destination. According to local historical society data, many affluent Omaha families once made the Dundee and Hanscom Park Historic District their home due to the tranquil park setting, scenic streetscapes, architectural diversity, and proximity to downtown Omaha. Examples of historical significance that stand out include the district's connection to the area that was designated by J.J. Brown as part of Omaha's real estate development expansion in the late 1800s.
Despite facing the widespread redevelopments and modernizations seen in other American cities, this historic district was fortunate enough to maintain most of the its turn-of-the-century constructions. However, the 1980s saw devastating flooding along the park's lagoon that damaged some buildings and inflicted lasting environmental effects on some of its native wildlife habitats. In an effort to preserve this neighborhood, residents and preservationists stepped forward to successfully advocate for the rebuilding of crucial park infrastructure like new irrigation systems and strategically placed rip-rap dam projects to prevent future lagoon flooding incidents.
To ensure that Dundee and Hanscom Park Historic District could sustain its development momentum into the future, neighborhood investment projects focused primarily on community awareness, and by instilling community-inspired initiatives throughout the residential district and park areas, growth in modern building developments has become a viable way to alleviate past restraints on these long-coveted cultural grounds. Today the outcome of 25 or more years of diverse, innovative construction, park conservation initiatives, is not only an intimate way for an urban explorer to still learn from an aged, timeless part of America, but an open place for free exchange of American eclecticism through their unique array of antique boutique businesses peppered off in distinctive blocks.
Walking throughout Hanscom Park is a means to catch an intimate glimpse into the homespun appeal and original purpose of such neighborhood jewels: tree-lined houses decorated year around with artfully crafted stonework that expresses local taste and artistry. Such attributes encapsulate more than an authentic, once American neighborhood setting; rather the entire natural physical bounds which are Hanscom Park, bringing together many subtle and enigmatic dimensions shaping one's own travels.
In visiting the region, visitors are immersed with a distinct perspective about a place which brings out one of America's most celebrated cultural works within a town neighborhood where residents can often remind travelers that the way we grew has a lot of cultural significance and importance about all who call this beloved cultural area 'home', shaping personal understanding when in return appreciating this remarkable neighborhood preserved landscape piece of the local cultural tapestry.
One of the defining characteristics of this district is the high concentration of Prairie School-style buildings, a style popularized by influential architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright. Many of these buildings can be found along the picturesque tree-lined streets of Dundee, whose name was derived from Dundee, Scotland. To complement the neighborhood's historic architecture, in the late 19th century the area was envisioned as a residential park district and this vision culminated in Hanscom Park in 1889. The picturesque Hanscom Park features many walking paths, a playground, a lagoon with ducks and other wildlife, a pavilion that hosts a farmer's market seasonally, and sports facilities.
The main streets of the Dundee and Hanscom Park Historic District feature shopping and dining venues and unique boutiques. North Dundee Avenue was an upscale business district during the early 20th century and this spirit of entrepreneurial enterprise still thrives to this day in some of its storefronts. Local eateries include a wide array of diverse culinary options that range from local favorites like classic Midwestern comfort food, gourmet grilled cheese, classic ice cream shops, traditional French bakeries, Italian delis, health food, an Indian grocery store, traditional Mexican markets, and authentic Asian cuisine shops.
This neighborhood has strong historical roots that contribute to its enduring reputation as a treasured Omaha destination. According to local historical society data, many affluent Omaha families once made the Dundee and Hanscom Park Historic District their home due to the tranquil park setting, scenic streetscapes, architectural diversity, and proximity to downtown Omaha. Examples of historical significance that stand out include the district's connection to the area that was designated by J.J. Brown as part of Omaha's real estate development expansion in the late 1800s.
Despite facing the widespread redevelopments and modernizations seen in other American cities, this historic district was fortunate enough to maintain most of the its turn-of-the-century constructions. However, the 1980s saw devastating flooding along the park's lagoon that damaged some buildings and inflicted lasting environmental effects on some of its native wildlife habitats. In an effort to preserve this neighborhood, residents and preservationists stepped forward to successfully advocate for the rebuilding of crucial park infrastructure like new irrigation systems and strategically placed rip-rap dam projects to prevent future lagoon flooding incidents.
To ensure that Dundee and Hanscom Park Historic District could sustain its development momentum into the future, neighborhood investment projects focused primarily on community awareness, and by instilling community-inspired initiatives throughout the residential district and park areas, growth in modern building developments has become a viable way to alleviate past restraints on these long-coveted cultural grounds. Today the outcome of 25 or more years of diverse, innovative construction, park conservation initiatives, is not only an intimate way for an urban explorer to still learn from an aged, timeless part of America, but an open place for free exchange of American eclecticism through their unique array of antique boutique businesses peppered off in distinctive blocks.
Walking throughout Hanscom Park is a means to catch an intimate glimpse into the homespun appeal and original purpose of such neighborhood jewels: tree-lined houses decorated year around with artfully crafted stonework that expresses local taste and artistry. Such attributes encapsulate more than an authentic, once American neighborhood setting; rather the entire natural physical bounds which are Hanscom Park, bringing together many subtle and enigmatic dimensions shaping one's own travels.
In visiting the region, visitors are immersed with a distinct perspective about a place which brings out one of America's most celebrated cultural works within a town neighborhood where residents can often remind travelers that the way we grew has a lot of cultural significance and importance about all who call this beloved cultural area 'home', shaping personal understanding when in return appreciating this remarkable neighborhood preserved landscape piece of the local cultural tapestry.
