Preston Love once claimed that, “If New York, Chicago, and Kansas City were the major leagues of jazz, Omaha was the Triple-A. If you wanted to make the big leagues, you came and played in Omaha.”
Much of the credit for that reputation belongs to the Jewell family. Before opening his namesake building and its famous Dreamland Ballroom, Jimmy Jewell operated the Jewell & Phannix billiards parlor while his wife, Cecilia, traveled Europe as a classical singer and performer. It was their son, Jimmy Jewell Jr., who was responsible for bringing some of the country’s most popular big bands, jazz and blues acts to Omaha.
In 1923, Jimmy Jewell Sr. purchased lots at the southeast corner of 24th and Grant Streets in the Near North Side neighborhood. He hired leading architect Frederick A. Henninger to design a multi-use building that would provide musicians traveling from Chicago, Kansas City, and Minneapolis with a venue large enough to perform in while passing through Omaha.
Designed in the Georgian Revival style, the two-story brick building at 2221 N. 24th Street was constructed by John Lof & Sons. The ground level featured two storefronts, the one on the north had a corner entrance while the southern entrance was recessed. Between them was a central entrance leading to two rear apartments, as well as a staircase to a large hall on the second floor. Above the door was an engraving that read, “Jewell Building – 1923.”…