Town or city Omaha, Nebraska Construction started 1887 Demolished 1966 | Country United States Completed 1888 Cost $500,000 | |
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The Bee Building, later called the Peters Trust Building and finally the Insurance Building, was located at 17th and Farnam Streets in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It was an architectural landmark in early Omaha that was built in 1888 by newspaper editor Edward Rosewater to house his Omaha Bee newspaper as well as several other companies. A period review remarked that the building was "probably only second in the United States to that of the New York Herald."
History
Located next to Omaha's second City Hall, the Bee Building was built on the site of the Rosewater family's former homestead. It was a seven-story red granite structure, with detailing such as carved beehives as exterior ornaments and carved miniature beehives on the doorknobs, playing off the name of the newspaper. Built for almost $500,000, it was touted by the Bee as the world's largest newspaper plant. Circulation in 1889 was 18,736. The noted Omaha National Bank Building was built the same year on the same block.
According to a New York Times article, Edward Rosewater died at his office in the building on September 1, 1906. On March 5, 1909, the Mutual Benefit Health and Accident Association opened its doors in the Bee Building, which has been called Mutual of Omaha since 1944.
Both the Bee Building and the Old City hall were torn down in 1966 to build the Woodmen Tower.