The Sheldon Museum of Art has been accepted into the prestigious National Register of Historic Places. The register is the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.
Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.
Sheldon was designed expressly as a museum to house and display the art collections of the university and the Sheldon Art Association.
The museum is the work of the iconic American architect Philip Johnson, reflecting the era of Modern architecture and New Formalism. The temple form of the building with massive arched façade clad with travertine marble displays the classical influence of past styles. A sculpture garden located on the south side of the building ties the building to the outdoor landscape and with the rest of the campus.
This is a notable year for the Sheldon to receive this distinction. The museum is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Sheldon Art Association, as well as the 50th anniversary of the building itself. For a building to be accepted into the National Registry of Historical Places it must be at least 50 years old, and must be notable for its integrity and significance.
Recognizing the historical value of one of the cities most important landmarks, longtime Sheldon supporter Dan Worth, senior principal at Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects in Lincoln, initiated the nomination for the museum to be included.
In July, the university received notification from the Nebraska State Historical Society that the building’s nomination was accepted, and the building officially became part of the registry on Sept. 3.
