To spot the Gold and Company Store Building, just look for the tall, castle-esque, white stone structure with striking vertical lines and large windows rising above the trees-plus, that huge “GOLD’S” sign makes it pretty hard to miss.
Alright, take a good look-this grand building towering before you is the legendary Gold’s Building, and trust me, it’s got stories deeper than its six floors! Imagine the excitement on a cold November day in 1924: crowds in their wool coats, breath puffing like little steam engines, lined up outside as the newest shopping marvel in Lincoln swings open its doors. William Gold, the co-founder himself, might have been there to make sure every detail shined just right, his son Nathan waiting in the wings to take over and keep things golden for decades to come.
You probably notice its bold vertical lines, those little finials along the roof, and that unique mixture of Gothic Revival and Art Deco. If this building could speak, it’d probably tell you it was built to impress and to last. Designed by Davis & Wilson, it looked like it belonged in a big city-maybe a place where you’d expect to see people selling magic carpets and fancy hats. By 1929, Gold’s had grown so popular that it just had to expand-like a favorite pair of jeans right after Thanksgiving dinner. And they weren’t shy about more space either, getting new additions in ’31, ’35, ’47, and ’51. Hey, when business is golden, sometimes even buildings need to loosen their belts.
Generations of Lincoln locals came here to shop for wedding dresses, back-to-school clothes, or maybe just to people-watch from behind the glass. But in 1964, the winds of change blew in when Gold and Company merged with J. L. Brandeis and Sons, making for a super-sized retail adventure until Brandeis finally packed up shop in 1980. By the 2020s, the old building was in need of love-and, talk about a dramatic twist, in 2023, demolition crews started nibbling away at its south side. The plan? Transform the iconic original part into a hotel, giving it a fresh chapter in Lincoln’s downtown story.
So take a moment, listen for echoes of laughter and old cash registers, and know you’re standing outside a building that’s seen style, struggle, and success-plus a lot of holiday shopping headaches.
