Since its construction in 1885, the Administration Building on Nebraska Christian’s campus has been an iconic symbol of Christian education in central Nebraska. It first housed Nebraska Central College, a Methodist school that soon combined with two other Methodist institutions to become Nebraska Wesleyan in Lincoln. After the campus sat empty for nearly a decade, Nebraska Central College & Academy opened in 1899. This institution, run by the Nebraska Society of Friends, was in operation from 1899 to 1953. From 1955 to 1959, Calvary Life College used the campus, which was bought by Nebraska Christian Schools in 1959. Nebraska Christian officially opened in the fall of 1959 and operates on the same campus to this day.
The Administration Building holds a special place in the hearts of many NC alums, local community members, and those whose relatives attended one of the colleges housed on the campus. Over the years, the building has fallen into disrepair, and the question of what should happen with the Ad Building is one that has hung over the school for years.
In February 2019, we announced that the Administration Building would be preserved! This decision was made through the joint efforts of the Nebraska Christian Schools Board represented by Chairman Paul McHargue, Superintendent Tim Hekrdle, Nebraska Christian Schools Foundation Director Jody Heuermann, and Foundation Chairman Belinda Strobel.
The primary focus of the Ad Building Preservation Project was to address the most urgent, external needs of the building. Work on the building began in July 2019, and by October, the roof was complete, the windows were installed and wrapped, and metal work was finished. Additional work on the outside of the building took place in the summer of 2020.
The $475,000 previously raised for the Ad Building Preservation Project provided what we needed to seal and fortify the exterior and do some minor work in the building. We have now fully shifted our efforts to the interior of the building, and we are undertaking extensive interior renovations and restoration. Our new goal is to raise an additional $1 million for the Ad Building Preservation Project, which will allow us to make our space fully functional. And the work has already begun! This summer, two rooms on the main floor were gutted and renovated to create new office space. They are being finished up now and will soon be in use!
If you haven’t already, please consider what your part might be in this project. If you would like to donate, please make your check payable to the NCS Foundation, PO Box 222, Central City, NE 68826. Designate “Ad Building” in the memo line. Thank you for your bountiful support thus far and for your continued giving, that we might see the Administration Building fully preserved for generations to come!
