Hovland-Swanson, Lincoln, Nebraska





Until 1939, Hovland-Swanson
called 1222-1224 O Street home.

In August of 1939, Hovland-Swanson
occupied a new art-deco structure at
1240 O street downtown.


Twenty years later, Hovland Swanson moved into its
ultimate home at 1230 O Street, a sophisticated modern
building in the style of the times.


The 1959 facade of granite and limestone
was accented with ceramic mosaic panels
in an abstract pattern.

"Nebraska's Fashion Center."

Hovland-Swanson
1230 'O' Street
Lincoln, Nebraska


GR 7-9211



Street Floor
Jewelry • Handbags • Small Leather Goods • Belts • Gloves • Neckwear • Blouse Bar • Accessories • Hosiery • Cosmetics • Shoe Salon • Assembly • Sports Shop • Gift Gallery • Linen Shop • Stationery • Candy • Men's Shop

Second Floor
Misses' Dresses • Half-Size Dresses  Bamboo Room  Coats  Suits  Unique  "Just-Looking"  Millinery  Designer Shop  Fur  Salon  Bride's Shop  Foundations  Intimate Apparel  Personnel Office
Career Dresses • Coats • Suits

Third Floor
Beauty Salon • Tea Room  Credit Office  Cashier  Executive Offices 
Children's World Baby Shop • Toddler Shop • Little Miss Hovland Shop • Boys' Shop • Children's Shoes
Hi-Styler Juniors Junior Dresses • Junior Sportswear • Junior Coats
(56,000 s.f.)


Gateway
February, 1972
18,000 s.f.

Conestoga Mall
1974
Grand Island

Regency Fashion Square
Omaha
August, 1976
40,000 s.f.
Coming in due course.











13 comments:

  1. I have a vintage 50's or 60's Hovland Swanson Women's coat found in a closet of a neighbor. It still has the price tag on it. Wondering whom to contact or if anyone is interested in the coat.

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    1. I’m going through my mom’s treasures. She has hats in their original Hovland Swanson round boxes. Would anyone be interested in having these?

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  2. I had the pleasure of shopping here - once. I had just moved to Lincoln from Buffalo, NY about a year before H-S closed. It was an experience! I've never been able to forget it. It remains one of my fondest shopping memories.

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  3. Hovland Swanson had rather high-end clothing. We had an aunt visit Lincoln from out of town and she spent a LOT of money there! She didn't want her husband to know, so she paid in cash she had stashed away and planned to bring the new things out slowly. Her scheme was thwarted when H-S sent a nice thank you to her home for the $X she had spent with them!

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  4. I also had an aunt from out of town routinely come to town to shop at Hovland Swanson for my cousin. She always stopped to visit because she usually brought a box of hand-me-down clothes for my sisters and myself, which seemed like Christmas to us! As I got older and had my own money, Hovland Swanson was one of my favorite places to shop along with going to the beauty salon and the tea room.

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  5. What year did the Hovland-Swanson store close?

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  6. Are you still taking comments? If so please reply. I was the last designer, bridal and fur buyer and remember so well when I was informed of the forthcoming closing! Nancy J. Tramel Bradley

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    1. What year did they close? What’s become of the building?

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  7. My parents shopped there in 1960 and it was an amazing experience! Dad is 87 now and he's thrilled to know what happened to the store.

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  8. I had a neighbor who grew up in Lincoln. When she died I helped clean out her home. At her estate sale I purchased a navy blue, straw, pill box hat with a pom pom on the top, it was in a Hovland & Swanson hat box. I think I payed $10:00 for it. It is very special to me because when I was a teen my parents could not afford to buy the higher priced clothing as I had four sisters.

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  9. I have a 50s/60s dress from Hovland Swanson that I was looking to sell. As I was researching, I loved finding coming accross this information. I wish stores like this still existed and it's so nice to find a piece of history.

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  10. As a young teen I worked in a department store in Lincoln as a model. I would stand on a pedestal, perfectly still. This would attract the passerby as they were trying to decide if I was a mannequin. I got to keep some of the clothes and got discounts on others. An absolute pre-teen dream. I think i was a member of a club also that the department store had. I also have so many memories of the record department, which in those days meant single hits, not long playing LP. They published a top 50 (?) once a week and we all went in straight out of school. I think that this all took place at H & S, but it might have been Miller & Paines. Does anyone else have this memory. I would love to know. Thank you.

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