Meyer and Raapke

The story

Written by AI from this property's National Register nomination and the record above; every sentence is checked against its sources before it appears here. Corrections: privacy@treealive.com

Meyer and Raapke is a warehouse building at 1430-1407 Harney St. in Omaha, Douglas County, part of the Warehouses in Omaha listing group. It was built in 1886 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style.

Why it's listed

It was listed under criteria A and C, with local-level significance in commerce and architecture. Its significance spans 1886 to 1909, 1911 to 1921 and 1937 to 1943, the years Meyer & Raapke's wholesale grocery, Corey & McKenzie's printing business and the Levenson Chemical Company each occupied the building.

Physical character

Rusticated limestone covers the lower stories, brick, stone and stucco make up the walls above a limestone foundation, and a pressed metal cornice and cast iron pilasters and imposts mark the east elevation. Two-over-two and four-over-four double-hung wood windows survive, and the interior keeps exposed wood joists, cast iron columns and a tongue-and-groove wood floor. The storefront was modernized in 1949, and the first floor was remodeled again in 1944 and the 1960s.

Historical context

Henry Meyer and Louis Raapke opened a retail grocery in Omaha in 1868, and their wholesale grocery firm occupied this building from 1886 until 1909. Meyer died in 1904, and Raapke sold the business in 1913 and died in 1917.