OUR HISTORY

Over the last year, we have revitalized our efforts to become clearly identifiable as a preservation organization. We retained our refined and recognizable branding but adopted a simpler name. On June 16, 2023, Restoration Exchange Omaha became Preserve Omaha.

At the beginning of 2023, REO was on the brink of shutting down. In March, we learned that the "McManor" at Forest Lawn Cemetery — designed by noted Omaha architect John McDonald — was slated for demolition. The fight to save the McManor reignited public interest in preservation through community conversation and support. While we lost the McManor, we preserved what is now Preserve Omaha.

Since then, we have rebuilt from the ground up. Our work includes launching PresFest, our large free annual preservation fair at Joslyn Castle; reestablishing partnerships; expanding educational efforts; and advocating for the preservation of Omaha’s buildings, spaces, and culture.

Preserve Omaha exists because of the dedication of earlier preservation leaders. In 2011, the National Trust for Historic Preservation assessed preservation efforts in the Omaha–Council Bluffs metro. That assessment became the catalyst for forming Restoration Exchange. In 2013, three organizations united to create REO.

Landmarks, Inc., founded in 1965 to save Omaha’s historic Post Office, became Nebraska’s oldest preservation nonprofit and served for 43 years as an advocate for Omaha’s historic environment.

Restore Omaha, founded in 2005 by architects, planners, neighborhood leaders, and preservation professionals, focused on education through an annual conference and seasonal tours.

Omaha Urban Neighborhoods advocated for revitalizing neighborhood business districts, including securing National Register designation for the Vinton Street Commercial District and coordinating walking tours along North and South 24th Streets.

Together, we became stronger.

Preservation matters because it helps us understand who we are and where we come from. It binds us to one another and to our shared past, while also creating tangible economic and environmental benefits for our communities.

Help us make a difference by joining our movement.