OMAHA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
"INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND PROJECTS"
OEDC
Completed in 1923, the Jewell Building is located at 2221 North 24th Street, Omaha, Nebraska. It stands as one of the first substantial commercial buildings constructed in North Omaha. Its substance, however, does not lie in its architectural or commercial value. Its importance has grown and matured as the Jewell Building remains a landmark of African American history in the community. Its walls fondly hold the memories of time - for past, present and future generations of community residents as well as visitors.
Today, the renovated Jewell Building provides commercial office space for OEDC, the NAACP, 100 Black Men and American Harvest Company. Purchased in 1983 by Omaha Economic Development Corporation, the dust has been removed. The building has received historic designation on the National Register of Historic Places. Driven by the building’s history, its tenants are bringing life back to the community.
In a segregated society, Dreamland Hall, located on the second floor of the Jewell Building, met the need for a spot for black entertainment in the community. The long-time club hosted big bands and jazz artists. Performances by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Jimmy Lunceford, Lionel Hampton and Nat King Cole often filled the night air with an excitement that touched and reinvigorated even passersby.
During World War II, the USO leased the Jewell Bldg and Dreamland as a place where African American soldiers from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps could find entertainment while home on leave or traveling through Omaha. Later in its history, the building hosted activist Whitney Young who spoke to the community about the civil rights movement in America.
JEWELL BUILDING
