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Christian Specht Building

Buildings and structures in Omaha, NebraskaCast-iron architecture in the United StatesCommercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in NebraskaHistory of Downtown Omaha, NebraskaHouses completed in 1884
Italian Renaissance Revival architecture in the United StatesNational Register of Historic Places in Omaha, Nebraska
Specht building (Omaha) from S 1
Specht building (Omaha) from S 1

The Christian Specht Building is located at 1110 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It is the only existing building with a cast-iron facade known in Nebraska today, and one of the few ever built in the state. The building was deemed an Omaha landmark in 1981, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Christian Specht Building (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Christian Specht Building
Douglas Street, Omaha

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Wikipedia: Christian Specht BuildingContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 41.258788888889 ° E -95.931061111111 °
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Address

Specht Building

Douglas Street
68131 Omaha
Nebraska, United States
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Specht building (Omaha) from S 1
Specht building (Omaha) from S 1
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Nearby Places

Burnt District, Omaha

The Burnt District was the original red light district in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 19th century. The area was located east of Creighton University from Douglas Street six blocks north to Cass Street and from the Missouri River west to Sixteenth Street, centered around the area currently containing Pioneer Courage Park. It was the location of several notorious brothels, with more than 100 establishments employing 1,600 sex workers. Particularly popular during a depression which struck Omaha in the 1890s, the Burnt District was a predecessor of Tom Dennison's Sporting District.Omaha's Burnt District was a particular area of downtown where most of the city's brothels were located. The most notorious of the brothels was called "the Cribs", and consisted of rows of shacks with alleyways filled with young girls. Contemporary estimates placed the number of sex workers at over 1,600 women. A man named M. F. Martin owned several of the properties in the Burnt District. The brothels did not work in secret; there were actually large windows through which observers could peer into the acts going on therein.A businessman owned this district with large returns on his investment. Bribes were regularly given to local city leaders, policemen, and judges. The existence of prostitution on this scale was justified by the Christian community as a necessary evil; it was thought the district would help protect "good" women from sexual assault like a sewer that drains moral impurity from the Christian world.The impact of these areas contributed to heavy corruption, terrible abuse of women and children, abortions, suicides, and 30% of the men in the city of Omaha had a sexually transmitted disease. These areas existed for over 20 years before they were successfully shut down.An Episcopalian minister from Rochester, New York was popular throughout Omaha for his missionary work within the Burnt District. Reverend Dr. Ramsey founded a chapel for prostitutes, ensuring the regular attendance of former prostitutes on a weekly basis.This region is also known as Hell's Half Acre.