Story #50: Bert Hene: The Architect Behind Some of Country Club's Earliest Homes
Not every architect who helped shape Omaha's most desirable neighborhoods became a household name.
But Bert B. Hene probably should have.
Born in Burlington, Iowa, in 1890, Hene studied engineering and architecture before beginning a career that brought him to Omaha in the early 20th century. Over the next four decades, he designed and built homes throughout Dundee, Happy Hollow, Fairacres, West Farnam, and the rapidly developing Country Club District. By the time of his death in 1949, newspapers described him as a well-known Omaha architect and contractor responsible for many of the city's finest residences.
Architectural historian Lynn Meyer later noted that Hene's work was generally rooted in the English Tudor and Period Revival styles that became so popular during the 1920s and 1930s. In fact, city records credit him with at least 46 buildings across Omaha, including homes, apartments and commercial structures.
During the late 1920s, when Theodore Metcalfe was transforming farmland into the Country Club District, Hene was among the architects helping give the neighborhood its distinctive character.
One of his most impressive commissions was the home of Harry F. Reed, president of the L.G. Doup Company, at 2506 N. 55th Street. Constructed in 1927 on a prominent corner lot overlooking the new development, the substantial brick residence featured a tile roof and commanding views across the surrounding neighborhood. Newspaper advertisements proudly noted that Hene both designed and built the home, which was showcased during public open houses as one of the premier residences in Omaha's newest "show place."
Hene's work could also be found elsewhere in the neighborhood.
In November 1927, construction began on a brick veneer residence for Jason C. Young at 2008 N. 53rd Street with the Hene Construction Company serving as contractor. He also designed and built the home at 2044 N. 55th Street in 1929 and designed the residence at 2031 N. 55th Street, further contributing to the architectural character of the growing neighborhood.
While Hene's name may not be familiar today, many people know two of his descendants and clients.
His daughter, Elinor Hene, married John Couric, making Bert Hene the grandfather of journalist and television broadcaster Katie Couric. Years later, Couric would occasionally mention her Omaha roots and her grandfather's career as an architect.
Hene also designed the home of Howard Buffett at 2501 N. 53rd Street. That house became the childhood home of Howard's son, Warren Buffett. Decades later, when Katie Couric remarked on national television that "Warren Buffett lives in a house my grandfather built," Buffett himself clarified that she was referring not to the home he owns today, but to the Country Club residence where he grew up.
Today, Bert Hene's legacy lives on in the streets of Country Club and throughout Omaha. Although often overshadowed by better-known architects of the era, his homes remain lasting reminders of the craftsmanship, elegance, and optimism that defined Omaha's great neighborhood-building boom of the 1920s.
We'll take a closer look at the Howard Buffett home—and its connection to a young Warren Buffett—in a future post.
Photo Captions:
Omaha World Herald announcement from November 6, 1927.
Omaha Bee announces home open for inspection on June 19, 1927.
1927 photo of the beautiful Harry Reed Home located at 2506 N. 55th St. Photo courtesy Durham Museum Archives. (BF3782-001).
The Jewish Press published Bert Hene, Sr. death announcement on March 11, 1949.
