“START PLAZA WORK—Grading on $250,000 Project Will Begin Monday,” announced The Omaha Daily News on Aug. 1, 1926.

With that headline, Omaha residents were introduced to an ambitious new plan for the edge of the Country Club District: a Spanish Revival–style commercial center to be called Country Club Plaza—modeled after the celebrated Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.

When the Metcalfe Company sold lots in the Country Club District, buyers agreed to a detailed set of building conditions—rules designed to shape the look, feel, and “status” of the new neighborhood. According to the property abstracts, these provisions remained in effect until January 1968.

Why Schools Sold the Country Club Neighborhood

When developers began marketing the new Country Club District in the 1920s, they didn’t just sell winding streets and beautiful homes — they sold education

When the Metcalfe Company platted the Country Club District in late 1925, they weren’t just selling land — they were selling a vision of modern living

In the fall of 1925, as the former Omaha Country Club land was being transformed into a new residential district, the Metcalfe Company launched a clever marketing campaign: “Wanted — A Slogan.”

The next generation behind the Country Club District. Theodore “Ted” Metcalfe grew up surrounded by ink, headlines and campaign buttons. Born in Omaha in 1894, he was the son of Richard L. and Bessie Metcalfe—and journalism and politics ran in his blood.

The man behind the Country Club Neighborhood. Before winding streets and elegant homes defined the Country Club Neighborhood, one remarkable figure helped shape its vision: Richard L. “Met” Metcalfe — president of the Metcalfe Company and Country Club District, Inc.

When the Omaha Country Club sold its 105 acres in 1925, it wasn’t just land changing hands—it was the future of a neighborhood taking shape. The buyer was the Metcalfe Co., a young but fast-rising Omaha firm that had already earned a reputation as realtors, developers and community builders.

While plans for a new Omaha Country Club were underway, disaster struck the old clubhouse at 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1925. A caddy spotted flames above the soda fountain and grill room, and staff rushed to rescue furniture and trophies as firefighters battled the blaze for more than an hour.

Annexation, Rising Taxes & A Club No Longer “In the Country”. When Omaha annexed Benson in 1917, the Omaha Country Club suddenly found itself inside city limits — and facing a sharp increase in property taxes, reportedly four times higher than before.

Over time, many of the summer homes along North 56th Street became year-round residences — and several still stand today.

Some founding Omaha Country Club members loved the peaceful setting so much that they built summer homes along the west side of the golf course on what was then Rose Hill Avenue (now North 56th Street). The road earned its name from the wild roses that once grew across the hillside and fields.

When the Omaha Country Club (OCC) first opened, its clubhouse was more than a golf facility — it was a retreat “in the country” where members gathered to relax, socialize and escape the city.

Designed by architect Thomas Kimball, who was also a charter member of OCC, the clubhouse was described by The Illustrated Bee as medieval in style, reminiscent of the lodges of old Scottish barons. Inside, the grand social room featured a “broad-mouthed fireplace forming an inglenook,” with mounted hunting trophies — deer, moose and coyotes — displayed above the doors and along the walls.

When the Omaha Country Club first opened, its grounds stretched roughly from 52nd to 56th Streets and from Blondo Street north to Military Avenue — an area that would later shape the curving streets and triangular lots of today’s Country Club neighborhood.

According to the 2017 Omaha Country Club history book, in 1899 a group of prominent Omahans purchased about 80 acres south and east of the terminus of the Benson trolley line at 56th and Military Avenue to establish the Omaha Country Club and its golf course. The golf course was the first club of its kind in Omaha and one of the earliest in Nebraska.

In 2026, we’re celebrating 100 years of the Country Club neighborhood - one of Omaha’s most distinctive residential areas, known for its winding streets, mature trees and remarkable homes.