Omaha Exploration

A combination reading room, bar, coffee and tea shop opened inside the Barker Building at 1505 Farnam Streets. Before we get to that, let’s take a few minutes to explore the historic building that it calls home.

Two other buildings were constructed on this very site by the Barker family whose patriarch, Joseph Barker Sr, took homestead claims in Omaha in 1856. The wealthy family had the third building constructed in 1929 by Kiewit Corporation – it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The Barker family commissioned local architects James Allan and Noel Wallace to design the office building with ground level retail on the southwest corner of 15th and Farnam Streets. It was designed in a Neo-Gothic Revival Style emphasizing the building’s height. The style continued inside with groin vaults in the lavishly decorated lobby.

This particular storefront was designed as a shoe store with a mezzanine around the perimeter that was used to store shoe boxes. Columns in this space were wrapped in wood paneling along with 14-foot Art Deco-style pendent light fixtures hanging from the ceiling.

For the next 63 years it served as the home to Earl K. Buck’s shoe store which originally went by the name Buck’s Booterie and later Buck’s Shoes. It was just one of 34 locations that Earl owned at the height of his business. This store remained in business even after his death in 1973. After that, longtime employee Duane Siedschlag operated the business until retiring in 1992. Over the next 30 years it remained mostly vacant and the building was boarded up in 1999 and listed for sale in 2000.

The Barker Building underwent an extensive renovation in 2012 led by Dicon Corporation and Shamrock Development. The developers turned the the upper floors into 48 apartments while bringing the street level retail storefronts back to life. Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe moved into the most prominent spot at the corner and Omaha Lounge moved around the corner into the former Buck’s Shoe store. The original light fixtures, ornate entryway and wood shelving remained and were restored. The cocktail lounge with a baby grand piano focused on old-school and traditional drinks while offering live jazz and blues.

The popular jazz and blues bar appears to have moved to West Omaha around 2020. The Reading Room moved in to 1505 Farnam Street in July 2025 and continues the history of both this storefront and the building. Members of the establishment meet regularly to explore a wide range of book genres. Be sure to check out its website for more information on its various memberships and benefits: https://readingroomomaha.com/. The Reading Room is offering free entry to the public through July 13th, 2025.

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