Old Market (Omaha, Nebraska)

The Old Market is a neighborhood located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States, and is bordered by South 10th Street to the east, 13th Street to the west, Farnam Street to the north and Jackson Street to the South. The neighborhood has many restaurants, art galleries and upscale shopping. The area retains its brick paved streets from the turn of the 20th century, horse drawn carriages, and covered sidewalks in some areas. It is not uncommon to see a variety of street performers, artists, and other vendors.

The area is on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, and borders the former site of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District, as well as the extant Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District and the Warehouses in Omaha MPS. There is a walking tour of historic buildings available from the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. There are also several specifically noted historic buildings within the district.

Buildings within the Old Market have served a variety of purposes, and were built during various eras. Originally built to sell groceries wholesale and retail to the city of Omaha and beyond, the Old Market district was preceded by the Market House in Omaha's Jefferson Square. The Old Market district was formed when the Market House still stood. The buildings and businesses included:

P. E. Iler Block, a contributing property to the district. Built in 1901, the six story building was originally built as a warehouse. A 1990 rehabilitation converted the building into retail and office space. The Windsor Hotel is a three story brick building built in 1885. The building was converted into rental residential and commercial space, in 1985. The Broatch Building was built in 1880, and expanded in 1887. The McClure Smith Building is a two story brick building that was built around 1878. Originally a steam bakery, a 1985 rehabilitation converted the building to office and retail space. The A. I. Root Building is a three story brick building constructed, in 1904, as offices. The building was doubled in size by the addition of an equal size portion, in 1909. In 1993, it was converted to retail and residential spaces. The Morse Coe Shoe Company, now known as the Mayfield Apartments, was built as a five story warehouse and light industrial building, in 1894. A 2002 rehabilitation converted the structure to a mixed use of apartments, retail space and parking. The George H. Lee Building was built, in 1903, as warehouse and office space.

Most of the buildings in the Old Market are brick, and the streets throughout are covered with bricked surfaces, cobblestone and asphalt. There were also cast iron fronts, metal cornices, stone trim, and metal sidewalk coverings shelters attached to many of the buildings around the turn of the 20th century.

Name Built Location NRHP? Notes Windsor Hotel 1885, 1889 520 524 South 10th Street Yes Omaha Fire Station Number One 1902 04 514 South 11th Street Yes P. E. Iler Block 1900 01 1113 1117 Howard Street Yes Millard Block Number Two 1887 1109 1111 Harney Street Yes Designed by the architecture firm Isaac Hodgson and Son. Mercer Hotel Gahm Block 1890–92, 1900 1202 1208 Howard Street; 414 418 South 12th Street Yes Originally designed by architect Charles F. Beindorff, and completely renovated in 1900 by architect Charles Cleves. Millard Block 1881 82 1101 1107 Harney Street Yes W. J. Broatch Building 1880, 1887 1209 1211 Harney Street Yes Steele, Johnson and Company / Baum Iron Company Building 1881 1219 21 23 Harney Street Yes Today, Baum continues to operate at this location as the Baum Hydraulic Company. Poppleton Block 1886 413 423 South 11th Street Yes Ernest Myer Building 1912 1015 Howard Street Yes Hotel Howard 1909 1002 06 Howard Street Yes Lehman Building 1905 1008 1012 Howard Street Yes 1934 1014 Howard Street Yes Mercer Block Number Two 1887 501 509 South 11th Street Yes Designed by architect Henry Voss. Rocco Brothers / Craftsmen Guild 1895 511 South 11th Street Yes Kosters / Gilinsky / French Cafe Building 1891 1013 1017 Howard Street Yes Metz Block 1890s 508 10 12 South 10th Street Yes Public Market 1905 NE corner of 11th and Jackson Ames Block 1889 1101 1111 Howard Street Yes Designed by the architectural firm of VanBrunt and Howe from Kansas City, Missouri Mercer Block Number Three 1905 1102 1112 Howard Street and 414 424 South 11th Street Yes Designed by architect Charles Cleves. Woolworth Building 1887 1114 24 Howard Street Yes Designed by the firm of Mendelssohn and Lawrie. A. I. Root Building 1904, 1909 1210 12 14 16 Howard Street Yes Designed by architect F. A. Henninger. Morse Coe Shoe Company Building 1894 1119 23 Howard Street Yes George H. Lee Building 1903 1115 17 Harney Street Yes Designed by architect John Latenser. 1901 (est) 1205 07 Harney Street Yes George Warren Smith Building 1880 1213 15 Harney Street Yes 1880 1113 Harney Street Yes National Building 1915 406 South 12th Street Yes Baker Corey McKenzie Building 1919 1120 24 Harney Street Yes Designed by the architectural firm of John Latenser and Sons. P. E. Iler Block 1881 1108 10 12 Harney Street Yes Millard Kirkendall and Jones Building 1887 1102 06 Harney Street Yes Omaha Crockery Building 1918 1116 20 Harney Street Yes Designed by architect J. Christ Jensen Smith Building 1877 1113 Farnam Street Yes Dewey and Stone Building 1876 1115 17 Farnam Street Yes Clark and French Building 1879 1119 Farnam Street Yes

ConAgra Foods relocated their headquarters to neighbor the Old Market in 1991, after a contentious battle with local advocates after the City of Omaha demolished the Jobbers Canyon Historic District. On October 1, 2015, ConAgra announced that it would cut about 1,500 jobs and relocate its headquarters to Chicago as part of a restructuring plan.

On January 9, 2016, at 2:51 pm local time, a large explosion occurred at M's Pub on the northwest corner of 11th and Howard streets causing a large fire to break out. The fire and subsequent efforts to extinguish it caused a total loss of the 100 year old building as firefighters worked through the night and following morning. Temperatures at the time were in the sub zero range causing large scale freezing of the water from the fire fighting efforts. The explosion is believed to have been caused by a gas line that was accidentally ruptured by contractors on behalf of Verizon installing fiber optic cables. Although several people were injured during the explosion, there were no fatalities. Eyewitnesses reported injuries sustained by multiple people within the immediate vicinity of the explosion, although these were not broadcast by local media outlets.