NRHP: Fort Omaha Historic District

Fort Omaha Historic District (Sherman Barracks)

Fort Omaha Historic District (Sherman Barracks)

NRHP Reference #: 74001112

NRHP Listing Date: 19740327

Location

30th bet Fort & Laurel Ave, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska

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Summary

Troops were first stationed in Omaha in 1862 when the city became headquarters for the Military District of Nebraska. Omaha was made headquarters for the Department of the Platte in April 1866. The site for a new post was selected by Major General C. C. Augur and inspected by General William T. Sherman. By mid-November 1868 barracks had been completed. Originally called Sherman Barracks, the post was renamed Omaha Barracks and finally, Fort Omaha in 1878. In 1879 Ponca Chief Standing Bear was held there awaiting trial in the case of Standing Bear vs. Crook. The case set legal precedent in granting Indians status as persons under the law. During World War I Fort Omaha was the site of a major balloon school. The historic district includes a group of structures around a rectangular parade ground: the General George Crook House (see separate summary); department headquarters and storehouse, all constructed in 1879; and the guardhouse, magazine, and officers' quarters built in the 1880s.

About the National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the country’s official list of historically significant properties. To be eligible for the NRHP a property must generally retain their historic appearance, be at least 50 years old, and have the potential to be documented as historically or architecturally significant at either the local, state, or national level. The National Register of Historic Places is a National Park Service program administered by the Nebraska State Historical Society for the state of Nebraska. Visit the Nebraska State Historical Society's website to learn more about the program.