Danish Brotherhood in America Headquarters

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Danish Brotherhood in America National Headquarters Building

| image = Danish Brotherhood building (Omaha) from NE 1.jpg

| caption = The front of the building in 2016

| alt = Beige stone building with five double windows rising into the red roof

| location = 3717 Harney St., Omaha, Nebraska 68131

| coordinates = {{coord|41|15|25|N|95|58|07|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Nebraska#USA

| built = {{Start date|1966}}

| architect = Edward Sessinghaus

| architecture = Postmodern, National Romantic style

| added = July 22, 2016

| area =

| mpsub =

| refnum = 16000480{{NRISref|2013a|dateform=|accessdate=March 23, 2024 |refnum=16000480|name=Danish Brotherhood in America National Headquarters Building}}

}}

The Danish Brotherhood in America Headquarters is a building located in the Midtown neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Danish Brotherhood in America was an ethnic fraternal organization and insurance company.{{cite journal |last1=Ries |first1=L. L.|year=2012 |translator-last1=Hoifeldt |translator-first1=Ralf |translator-last2=Hoifeldt |translator-first2=Inga | title=The Danish Brotherhood in America |url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1231&context=thebridge |format=PDF |department= |journal=The Bridge |issn=2572-4479 |publisher=Danish American Heritage Society |via=Brigham Young University Scholars Archive |access-date=March 29, 2024}}

History

The Danish residents of Omaha established the benevolent society in 1882. In 1966, the group had the office building built as the headquarters for their life insurance program.

In 2014, the group sold the building just before their insurance division merged with Woodmen of the World to form the Assured Life Association. Attorney Mike Goodman, with a partner owned the building from 1994 to 2015. Dundee Bank bought the building in 2015 for the loan processing center and renovated the building. In 2016, the National Register of Historic Places listed the building based on the distinctive architecture.{{cite web |url=https://omaha.com/news/local/only-50-years-old-midtowns-danish-brotherhood-building-makes-national-register-of-historic-places/article_72519b22-8403-5a30-847a-7a91e1bb923b.html |title=Only 50 years old, midtown's Danish Brotherhood building makes National Register of Historic Places |last=Burbach |first=Christopher |editor= |newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|publisher= |date=October 31, 2016 |access-date=March 23, 2024 |url-access=limited}}

Architecture

File:Danish Brotherhood building (Omaha) cupola from NE 1.jpg

The organization hired Omaha architect Edward Sessinghaus to design the two-story structure, based on his extensive experience designing distinctive buildings, such as the Sokol Auditorium. By this point he was semi-retired, so Teig & Johnson was the architect's firm of record. He used a postmodern interpretation of the National Romantic style to emphasize the group's Scandinavian heritage.{{cite web |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/594e2a35-f172-4fd9-9871-18f818ac1b66 |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form - Danish Brotherhood in America National Headquarters Building (DO09-0319-086) |last=Thompson |first=Patrick |editor= |publisher=National Archives |website=National Register of Historic Places |date=March 2006 |access-date=March 23, 2024}}

The exterior has a hipped roof made of red terra cotta tiles and ashlar stone walls with a water table encircling the base of the building. Five bays are created by stepped parapet style dormer windows. There are carved stones with the organization's crest over the front door and a stylized "DB" between the windows.

The most prominent feature on the exterior of building is a green screw-shaped spire on the roof. The copper feature is inspired by the Børsen building, a 17th-century stock exchange in Copenhagen, Denmark, where a more elaborate spire is meant to represent intertwined dragon tails.

The interior includes a main boardroom with wood-paneled walls and ceiling with intricately carved moldings. The foyer has a terrazzo floor with Tennessee marble walls and a mirrored ceiling.