Omaha Exploration

In the next of a multi-part series, we’ll explore the history of buildings that sit along the streetcar route and get acquainted with the businesses being impacted by its ongoing construction.

In this article, we’ll explore the Horbach Building which is home to Dubliner Pub, Plant’d Farma Boutique and The Garden.

Built in 1894 by John Horbach, the building reflects the success he found outfitting wagon trains heading west on their long journeys. The future city councilman and real estate developer used his wealth to construct the four-story structure with a cast-iron storefront and hired architect Louis Mendelssohn to design it.

Originally home to a tack supply business, the building has housed a wide variety of enterprises over the years. In addition to serving as the longtime home of the Driscoll Leather Company and Peerless Equipment Company, other occupants included a manufacturer of syrups, molasses, jellies, preserves, starch, and grocery sundries, as well as a millinery, wallpaper company, mannequin company, and several restaurants and bars. The building was designated an Omaha Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

While the upper floors were converted into condominiums in 2007, the Horbach Building is best known as the longtime home of Dubliner Pub. Located at 1205 Harney Street, Paul McGill converted the basement, which had been used for coal intake and storage, in 1978. After adding stairs that led from its below-grade location to the sidewalk, he opened Horbach’s Pub with an old-time speakeasy atmosphere. In 1982, he renamed it the Dubliner, which has since been recognized as one of the city’s most authentic Irish pubs. In addition to live music and more than 100 beers, it offers a distinctive basement setting that includes exposed brick walls and historic artifacts.

On the ground floor at 1207 Harney Street is Plant’d Farma Boutique, a dispensary offering natural wellness products focused on holistic health and well-being, along with hosting events such as yoga, open mics, and live music. Next door is The Garden, the city’s first cocktail cannabis bar, which offers drinks, late-night food, and an outdoor patio.

If Dubliner Pub, Plant’d or The Garden appeal to you, consider paying them a visit so they can remain open when streetcar construction is finished in 2028.

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