Farnam Building, Omaha

The Farnam Building is a historic commercial and residential building associated with the final years of major downtown construction before the Great Depression. Completed in 1929, it was developed by the Byron Reed Company, Nebraska’s oldest real-estate firm, to house its corporate offices together with shops and professional space.

Retail businesses occupied the first floor, the Byron Reed Company used the second floor, and offices filled the upper levels. It was one of the last major commercial projects completed before the economic downturn slowed development. Designed by architect George B. Prinz, the seven-story building combines Sullivanesque, Art Deco, Gothic Revival, and other eclectic influences rather than following a simple Chicago School design. Its main façade has a two-story limestone base with broad storefront windows and brick walls above. Brick pilasters emphasize the building’s vertical form, while bronze spandrel panels separate the windows. A carved limestone crown with relief decoration and an Art Deco-style parapet complete the upper façade, giving the building a distinctive appearance. The Farnam Building remained connected with offices, retail businesses, and downtown commercial activity for much of the 20th century. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, when a rehabilitation converted the upper floors into about 30 apartments while retaining commercial space at street level.

Today, it functions mainly as a private residential building and is not generally open to visitors, although its limestone base, brick pilasters, bronze panels, and ornamental crown can be viewed from the public sidewalk.