Terminal Building (Lincoln, Nebraska) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Terminal Building
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Terminal Building, seen from the northeast.
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 Location in Nebraska
Location in the United States
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| Location | 947 O St., Lincoln, Nebraska |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Hyland, Paul V.; Selden-Breck Construction Co. |
| Architectural style | Chicago School, Commercial Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003527 |
| Added to NRHP | December 29, 1986 |
The Terminal Building is a tall office building located at 947 O Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was built in 1916.
Contents
What is the Terminal Building like?
The Terminal Building is a ten-story office building. It is made of strong concrete. The outside of the building has white, shiny tiles on its north and east sides. The other sides are covered with bricks.
The building has a flat roof and straight walls. It doesn't have many fancy decorations. It also has many large windows. Because of these features, it is a good example of the Chicago School or Commercial Style of architecture. This style was popular for office buildings. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1986. This list includes important historic places in the United States.
Most of the inside of the building has been updated over the years. However, the lobby on the first floor still looks much like it did when it was new. The lobby has different types of marble on the floor and walls. It also has fancy plaster designs on the walls and ceiling. Some of the original wooden shop fronts are still there. There are also large glass doors with "T" symbols on them. Near the stairs, a bronze plaque remembers the people who built the building. It also honors the architects and the company's leaders.
The History of the Terminal Building
The Terminal Building was designed in 1915 by an architect named Paul V. Hyland. He was from Chicago. Hyland also designed three other old buildings in Lincoln. These were the First National Bank building, the McAffee House, and the Frank H. Woods House. Some people think another architect, Joseph G. McArthur, who worked in Hyland's Lincoln office, might have designed it.
The building was first built for the Lincoln Traction Company. This company was a new version of the Lincoln Street Railway Company, which started in 1881. The Lincoln Traction Company was the biggest streetcar company in Lincoln. Streetcars are like electric trains that run on tracks in the city streets. People in Lincoln were sometimes unhappy with the company. This was because of arguments about taxes and higher ticket prices.
In 1905, some local people started a new company called Citizens Railway. They wanted to compete with the Lincoln Traction Company. This competition worked! In 1909, the two companies joined together. Most of the leaders of the new company were from Lincoln. They used to be leaders of Citizens Railway.
The new combined company now controlled almost all of Lincoln's streetcars. In the early 1900s, the company grew a lot. It carried over 12 million passengers each year! By the time they started building the Terminal Building, the company even had its own power plant. They made enough electricity to sell steam heat and power to other customers.
The Terminal Building was used for two main things. It was an office space for the company's workers. It was also the main station for all the company's streetcar lines. In the lobby, passengers could buy tickets. There was also a store where they could look at electric appliances while they waited for their streetcar.
Why Streetcars Disappeared
Over time, the Lincoln Traction Company started to lose money. This was due to several reasons. The First World War, worker strikes, and the rise of buses all played a part. By 1926, another company bought the Lincoln Traction Company. They mainly wanted to run its electricity plant. By 1931, the company only had three streetcar lines left. In 1942, a bus company bought the Lincoln Traction Company. They stopped using the company's name. The very last streetcars ran in Lincoln in 1943.
The Terminal Building is one of the last remaining parts of the Lincoln Traction Company. It is also one of the few things left from Lincoln's old streetcar system. Most of the streetcar tracks were removed during the Great Depression. This happened as part of government projects to create jobs.
Fire in the Building
In the early morning of February 19, 2018, firefighters came to the building because of a big fire. The fire was mostly on the eighth floor, in one corner. But smoke damaged the ninth and tenth floors. Water used to put out the fire also damaged the sixth and seventh floors below. The first floor of the building, which is very important historically, was mostly safe from the fire.
