Advocating for the protection and appreciation of Blair’s historic assets
Welcome to our online home
As an ADVOCATE, the Alliance seeks to promote public support for the preservation of the city’s historic assets by providing networking and informational assistance to owners of historic properties and local heritage preservation programs. It does this by aligning with other community enhancement groups to pool resources and consolidate efforts toward a common and mutual goal. To learn more about our efforts and what you can do to help, please provide your e-mail address for updates from the Alliance.
Get your 2025 calendar!
In recent years many entities in Washington County have been in the news for their preservation efforts. The Washington County Museum in Fort Calhoun continues to preserve, utilize and add on to the original bank building at the heart of their structure. They have also recently made renovations to the historic Fred Frahm house and moved the Long Creek School onto the museum property where it now functions as meeting and event space. In 2007, the Blair Historic Preservation Alliance partnered with the City of Blair to rescue the 1880 wooden train depot from demolition. It was moved to Lions Park and after renovation now serves as a community meeting and event space.
The Washington County Bank in Blair bought the old Post Office next door to the bank and has been renovating and repurposing this grand structure for offices. Downtown buildings in many of the cities and towns in the county have taken on new life as retail, office, entertainment and living spaces. Many owners of historic homes and farms continue to upgrade and preserve their property for private and public purposes. And the list goes on!
The 2025 Historic Picture Calendar, a joint project of the WC Museum and the BHPA, focuses on and celebrates the Preservation efforts undertaken by public, private and non-profit entities in the county. Many more historic structures have been lost to the “wrecking ball” or fallen into disrepair. Hopefully our salute to those who preserve historic buildings can serve as inspiration and a nudge to save more of these structures. Rather than “throw away” the past, we hope more people will bring new life to places that help all of us remember where we’ve been and how far we’ve come.
Calendars are on sale for $10.00 at the Washington County Museum in Fort Calhoun and at the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Boutique in Blair.
BHPA’s Downtown Research Project
The Blair Historic Preservation Alliance seeks to preserve the history of Blair’s structures and sites through its Historic Landmark Registry by actively researching and documenting the history of each downtown building. We have collected an extensive set of images and recollections. Please view the project’s pages and enjoy a glimpse into Blair’s past.
Do you have history to share?
The BHPA is always looking to increase the information in our archives. If you have pictures or information you would like to share, we would love to hear from you.
Blair Historic Preservation Alliance | P.O. Box 94 | Blair, Nebraska 68008 | contact@blairhistory.com