02/27/2026
As widely reported in Omaha, the former Broadview Hotel—also known as Trimble Castle—was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 2026. The designation recognizes its importance to community’s African American heritage: the hotel was listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book, offering safe lodging to Black travelers during segregation. It was also recognized for its concrete block architecture.
Located at 2060 Florence Boulevard, the house was built in 1909 for Max and Flora Burkenroad by the Omaha Concrete Stone Company. The owner of the company, Frank Whipperman, was a passionate advocate for concrete block construction. In 1907 he completed one of Omaha’s first all–concrete block buildings, Pearl Memorial Methodist Church, where he served on the board. That same year he built a prize-winning concrete block residence for Dr. R. E. Lamoreaux at 1330 South 33rd Street, designed by noted architect Frederick A. Henninger.
While these early projects used a relatively modest range of block forms, the Burkenroad residence was far more ambitious. Designed by architect Joseph P. Guth, it incorporated roughly 40 different shapes and sizes—an extraordinary display of the material’s versatility.
Concrete block had been available since the mid-19th century, but its popularity surged after the advent of the rotary kiln around the turn of the twentieth-century made cement more reliable and affordable. In 1900, Harmon S. Palmer patented the first cast-iron concrete block machine, sparking a nationwide boom. Hand-operated machines with interchangeable molds allowed builders to imitate “quarry-faced” stone and produce everything from sills and lintels to columns and cornices. Companies such as Sears, Roebuck and Co. even sold block-making equipment by mail order, fueling the rapid spread of this innovative building technology.
