Notre Dame Sisters of Omaha, Nebraska

The Notre Dame Academy and Convent was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1998. This designation came about for two reasons. The first reason is the architecture of the building itself. The second reason is the contribution the Notre Dame Sisters made to Czech culture in Nebraska.

ARCHITECTURE

The 1893 Columbian World Exposition in Chicago popularized the style of architecture known as Classical Revival, or Beaux-Arts. A variation known as Italian Renaissance Revival remained in use by architects well into the early 1900’s.
Omaha architects Matthew Lahr and Carl Stangel designed the E-shaped convent and school in 1924. Construction proceeded in stages, from 1926 through 1965. Except for a rear addition in 1965, the original plans were followed.
Some of the noteworthy Italian Renaissance Revival style elements of Notre Dame include:
--two poured concrete beltcourses, one that runs the circumference of the building just above the basement windows and a second, with heavy dentil molding, just below the third story windows.
--windows that change type and shape on each floor, as exemplified by the arched windows on the first story and straight-headed windows on the second floor.
--arched and square lintels with voussiers and keystones, best exemplified on the arched first story windows.

--portico featuring columns with Corinthian capitals.
--the central projecting portico is capped by a full pediment with broken raking cornice ornamented with heavy dentil molding and a sculptural image of Mary in the tympanum.
--segmented fan lights

Definitions:
dentil: one of a series of closely spaced rectangular blocks that form a molding, usually below the cornice but can form a decorative band anywhere on the structure
fan light: a semicircular window over a doorway or window
voussier: square shaped stone that makes up part of an arch
keystone: the central stone of an arch
lintel: the horizontal crosspiece over a door or window
pediment: low-pitched (triangular) gable
cornice: horizontal molding on top of the building
tympanum: a recessed space, usually triangular, enclosed by the slanting cornices of a pediment