My college friend, Heather, recently came to Omaha with her family so we could spend our mutual Spring Breaks together. As newer residents, my husband, daughter and I have done our fair share of exploring but I was grateful for another opportunity to be a tourist in my town. I had not yet visited the Durham Museum, which was on Heather’s kids’ list of things to do.
Housed in Omaha’s former Union Station, a beautiful Art Deco building that opened in 1931, the museum highlights the history of Omaha, the state of Nebraska and region. Upon entry, I marveled at the main hall with its marble floors and oak trim around its massive windows. My 8-year-old daughter Clare was mesmerized by the bronze statues of people placed around the concourse who told stories through speakers of where they were going or coming from and what their lives were like during the heyday of the station.
Clare and I also enjoyed a brief film inside the museum that provided background for the names of the major streets, schools and recreational areas around town. It was exciting for us to put the names of Omaha’s founders together with these important places—probably more so than for our guests.
In this issue of retrofit home, we showcase several homes owners chose in the communities they love and renovated to make them more suitable for their families. For example, when a couple began house-hunting in the neighborhood where they grew up, they hoped to find a property that honored the charm and history of Chevy Chase Village, Md. They landed on an aging 4,000-square-foot home; with help from a talented team, they transformed it into a refined, family-friendly residence. Read about the project in “Victorian House”.
Meanwhile, in San Antonio, Molly McMahon, an interior designer, kept driving past an intriguing house that resembled Los Angeles Case Study Architecture while doing school drop-off/pickup. She encouraged her husband, Craig McMahon, AIA, to check it out and eventually the pair became the house’s owners with a goal of restoring it to its 1961 glory. The restoration, which appears on our cover, was a family affair as told by Craig in “Mid-century House”.
These stories underscore how a place can captivate and attract you to put down roots. A community is only as good as the people who love it and strive to make it a great place to live. The Durham Museum opened my eyes to the difficulties Omaha’s founders faced in the early years of this city, and I am grateful to them for shaping the community I love.
