STORY #14: A Selling Point – Nearby Schools
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.
A promotional advertisement boldly declared: “Nowhere in Omaha can you buy such desirable lots… with such splendid school facilities.”
Families were promised something remarkable for the era: children could walk to excellent schools, come home for lunch, and grow up in what was described as Omaha’s “educational center.”
Three nearby schools made that promise real:
Rose Hill Elementary (56th & Corby)
Opened in 1907 as a two-room schoolhouse surrounded by wild roses, Rose Hill grew alongside the neighborhood. By the 1920s it featured eight classrooms, an auditorium and a gym. As Country Club homes filled in, parents raised money with carnivals, shows and family nights to support the school — a powerful example of community investment in education.
Walnut Hill Elementary
Built in 1926 in a grove of walnut trees, this two-story brick school replaced an aging 1888 building at 40th and Hamilton Streets. It was considered state-of-the-art and proudly housed Omaha’s first elementary school library — a major draw for families seeking modern education for their children.
Benson High School
Completed in 1926 on 22 acres, Benson High was one of Omaha’s most impressive school buildings. Designed by John McDonald, it cost nearly half a million dollars — a staggering sum at the time. Its proximity meant Country Club students could walk to high school and even return home for lunch.
Together, these schools helped transform a former golf course into a thriving neighborhood. Families weren’t just buying lots — they were buying into a future centered on learning, opportunity and community.
Education didn’t just serve the Country Club Neighborhood.
It built it.
Sources: CC has Finest Schools OWH Sept. 11, 1927 p48; Omaha Public Schools Archives and Website ops.org;
Photo Captions:
September 11, 1927 edition of the Omaha World Herald makes an important declaration.
A photo of Rose Hill Elementary School dated June 22, 1929 from The Durham Museum Archives. BF396XX-001
February 16, 1927 photo of Walnut Hill Elementary from The Durham Museum Archives. BF396GGG-005
The stately Benson High School from October 25, 1925. Courtesy of The Durham Museum Archives. BF396HB-002.
