George and Sarah Joslyn’s historic Palm House was destroyed in Omaha’s 1913 tornado. Its loss so devastated the couple that it was never rebuilt.

Support Sought for Reconstruction
of Joslyn Castle Palm House

Editor’s Note: This is the third in a continuing series of entries from the first Omaha Catalogue of Urban Design Philanthropy, a compendium of strategic giving opportunities that focus on the city’s natural and built environments. The Omaha Catalogue was published in December 2007 by Omaha by Design and the Omaha Community Foundation. For more information, contact Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design, or Sara Boyd, vice president of the Omaha Community Foundation, at 402.342.3458.

Picture yourself at a business meeting, social gathering or wedding reception in a re-creation of George and Sarah Joslyn’s historic Palm House. The original greenhouse-style structure, which housed Sarah’s rare orchid collection and seldom-seen tropical plants, was destroyed in Omaha’s 1913 tornado. Its loss so devastated the Joslyns that the Palm House was never rebuilt.

The Friends of Joslyn Castle plan to reconstruct the Palm House in its original edge-of-downtown location and make it available to the community for social and business gatherings of all sizes. This one-of-a-kind glass structure also will house a catering kitchen, technology for business meetings and seminars, and restroom facilities accessible from indoors and by those strolling the picturesque castle grounds. It also will serve as a showplace for magnificent floral displays.

The Joslyns, early residents of Omaha’s Gold Coast neighborhood, were philanthropic leaders at a time when the city was emerging from its frontier days to embrace fine architecture and culture. They were proud of their Scottish baronial castle-mansion and of their spectacularly beautiful grounds. Their Palm House demonstrated their love of nature, plants and flowers, and their story is incomplete without it.

Re-building of the Joslyn Palm House will create a wonderful event space in midtown Omaha that will generate revenue for the restoration and further community enjoyment of this magnificent home. Omahans can take pride in having preserved and enhanced one of the nation’s top historic properties, attracting residents and tourists to a setting in which they can experience the lifestyle that Omaha’s Gold Coast neighbors established in the early 1900s.

The total estimated cost of the project is $2.5 million. Naming rights are available.