Berggren Architects is proud to officially announce its partnership with Bryan Health to provide a feasibility study for the relocation of the William Jennings Bryan House at Fairview (Bryan East Campus) in Lincoln, NE. For several years, Bryan Health has been engaged in careful, long-range planning to ensure its facilities can continue to meet the growing healthcare needs of the community, the state of Nebraska, and the surrounding region.

As part of this effort, the organization has taken a thoughtful and strategic approach to evaluating how campus growth may impact its most historically significant asset, the William Jennings Bryan House. Berggren Architects has been honored to work alongside Bryan Health from the onset of this process contributing to early planning discussions and evaluations when it comes to the William Jennings Bryan House. With the project now moving forward, we are excited to share our role in leading the feasibility study focused on creating the right team for successfully relocating the historic structure and how the structure may be relocated.

This effort represents a unique opportunity to balance two important priorities: preserving a landmark of national and local significance while enabling the continued advancement of healthcare services and education on the Fairview Campus.

With careful planning, collaboration, and respect for the building’s legacy, the William Jennings Bryan House’s natural beauty and historic character can continue to be preserved while better serving the evolving needs of Bryan Health and the community it supports.

Photo Courtesy of Maegan Ludena & Grace Shepherd – Berggren Architects Media Team

A Historic Landmark with Deep Roots in Lincoln

William Jennings Bryan first arrived in Lincoln in 1887, where he established a law practice. He quickly became a prominent political figure, serving multiple terms in Congress and gaining national recognition for his leadership and oratory.

In the late 1890s, Bryan sought to create a rural retreat for his family, purchasing land southeast of Lincoln overlooking the Antelope Creek Valley. Over time, he expanded his holdings to create a substantial estate known as Fairview. This rural environment combined agricultural life with a setting for intellectual, political, and social engagement.

Construction of the Fairview residence began in 1901, designed by Lincoln architect Artemus A. Roberts in a blend of Queen Anne and Classical Revival styles. Completed in 1903, the home featured brick masonry construction with stone detailing, a slate roof, prominent gables, and a distinctive tower. The property also included carefully planned landscaping, orchards, and outbuildings that reflected Bryan’s vision for both functionality and beauty.

The Bryan House quickly became more than a private residence. It served as a place of gathering, hosting political events, public receptions, and notable visitors, including Woodrow Wilson. Bryan also used the home as a place of work, writing speeches, editorials, and publications from his study, which contributed to his national influence.

In 1922, Bryan donated the home and surrounding ten acres to the Nebraska Methodist Conference with the intention of establishing a hospital dedicated to serving the community. This gift laid the foundation for what would become Bryan Health.

Evolution of the Fairview Campus

Following the establishment of the hospital in the early 20th century, the Fairview site began to evolve into a major healthcare campus. Over the decades, Bryan Health expanded its facilities to meet increasing demand, adding new buildings, services, infrastructure and more land.

Throughout this period of growth, the William Jennings Bryan House remained a constant presence, adapting to serve a variety of roles. It functioned as a nurses’ dormitory, the superintendent’s residence, administrative offices, a childcare facility for hospital staff, and a museum open to the public. While its use evolved, the structure itself remained largely intact, preserving much of its original architectural character.

However, as both the hospital and the city of Lincoln grew, the surrounding landscape changed dramatically. What was once a prominent hilltop residence overlooking open land has gradually become enveloped by hospital development and surrounding neighborhoods. Today, the house sits within a dense medical campus, with limited visibility and increasing pressure for additional medical space.

Planning for the Next Century of Care

As Bryan Health looks ahead to its next 100 years of service, it continues to invest in expanding and modernizing its facilities. Growth in inpatient services, outpatient care, and the Bryan College of Health Sciences has created new demands for space, improved adjacencies, and more efficient campus organization.

Comprehensive campus planning efforts have identified key areas where expansion is necessary to support critical healthcare functions, including clinical services, education, and essential support facilities such as laboratories, pharmacy services, utilities, and administrative operations.

Within this context, the current location of the William Jennings Bryan House presents challenges. While the structure remains historically significant, its position within the campus limits the ability to expand surrounding facilities and further reduces the home’s visibility and accessibility.

Recognizing both the importance of the building and the need for continued campus growth, Bryan Health engaged Berggren Architects to lead a feasibility study exploring potential for relocation of the Bryan House.

A Thoughtful and Strategic Approach

The feasibility study involves creating a proper and skillful team to do an evaluation of the multiple facets of relocating an historic structure, each carefully analyzed for accessibility, visibility, long-term growth, and compatibility with zoning and special use requirements.

Through this process, the project team is working to identify solutions that allow the Bryan House to remain connected to the campus while preserving its National Historic Landmark status and avoiding conflicts with future development.

Preserving the Past While Supporting the Future

Relocating a historic structure of this significance is a complex and highly coordinated effort, requiring expertise in preservation, planning, and design. The goal is not only to protect the physical integrity of the building, but also to maintain its historic meaning and connection to the community.

With careful planning and collaboration, the William Jennings Bryan House has the opportunity to become more visible, more accessible, and more fully integrated into the future vision of the Fairview Campus.

Berggren Architects is honored to be part of this important effort, helping ensure that the legacy of the William Jennings Bryan House continues to serve Lincoln and the region for generations to come, while supporting Bryan Health’s mission to provide exceptional healthcare and education well into the future.

Next Steps

Berggren Architects has been successful in establishing this team and evaluating potential sites for the house, but that is only a small step in the process. The next steps to take involve finding out if the house can be moved to a new location, adapting the site to be sympathetic with its original location, as well as the more technical and necessary engineering requirements. As of now, we don’t have this information, but we will keep you up to date as this project evolves.