STORY #25: Tudor Style: The Signature Look of Country Club
If there is one architectural style that defines the Country Club Historic District, it is Tudor Revival. Walk down almost any street in the neighborhood and you will see its influence.
Inspired by English medieval cottages and manor houses, Tudor homes feature steep gables, decorative half-timbering, leaded glass windows, prominent chimneys and arched doorways. Builders in the 1920s and 1930s used these details to give homes character while still maintaining a sense of harmony across the neighborhood.
Most Tudor homes in Country Club share a dominant street-facing gable, often paired with smaller secondary gables. Stone trim, diamond-pane windows, and colorful metal lanterns near entryways added charm and craftsmanship.
While the style creates a unified look throughout the district, no two homes are exactly alike. Builders used a variety of details and rooflines to give each house its own personality.
Two homes that showcase some of the more elaborate Tudor detailing in the neighborhood include:
2506 North 55th Street
2021 North 53rd Street
These larger homes feature many of the classic Tudor elements that made the style so popular during the neighborhood’s development in the late 1920s and 1930s.
Even today, the Tudor style remains the architectural backbone of the Country Club Historic District.
Sources: Country Club Historic District National Register Nomination and the Omaha City Directory
Photo Captions:
This architectural rendering of 2506 N. 55th St. is taken from the Metcalfe Co. Sales Brochure for the Country Club development.
The home at 2506 N. 55th St. was built for Harry F. Reed, president of the L.G. Doup Co. a maker of mattresses in 1927. The construction of the home started even before paving was put in the neighborhood and was the first big home to be built in the new development. It was designed by architect Bert B. Hene. 1927 photo of the Harry Reed Home courtesy the Durham Museum. BF3782-001.
A recent photo of 2506 N. 55th St taken from the Douglas County Assessor website.
Architectural rendering of 2021 N. 53rd St. from the original Metcalfe Co. Sales Brochure for the Country Club development.
The home at 2021 N. 53rd St. was built for Henry A. O’Hara, auditor for the Eppley Hotels Co. in 1927. It was designed by architect Charles W. Rosenberry and built by Alex Gustafson. Photo from the Douglas County Assessor website.
