Nebraska Green Book
Nebraska Green Book Project
The Nebraska State Historical Society (NSHS) is excited to kick off a two-year study of the Negro Motorist Green Book in Nebraska. During the Jim Crow segregationist era, Victor Hugo Green, a New York City mailman, began publishing the Green Book to help Black American and international travelers find safe lodging, restaurants, gas stations, and other various businesses throughout North America until 1967. Due to urban renewal, natural disasters, and shifting land uses, many Green Book sites have been lost.
With this project, NSHS hopes to increase awareness about Nebraska’s Green Book sites, Black history throughout the state, and reasons to preserve and celebrate it. NSHS is working with consulting historians at Stantec along with the public – including residents, regional historians, and property owners – to ensure the project achieves these goals.
NSHS understands that public input and engagement are key to a successful project, and we want to hear from YOU. Stay tuned for social media posts on Facebook, X, and Instagram with project information and updates.
Check out the potential economic benefits of listing a Green Book site to the National Register of Historic Places!
Take Part
Contribute to Nebraska Green Book Project
View Green Book Project Map
View Green Book Tours (Coming Soon)
Share your story & photos
Share your story & photos
Contribute to the Nebraska Green Book Project with your personal stories and photos.
Green Book Map
Green Book Map
View the Green Book locations in Nebraska. (Coming Soon)
Green Book Tour
Green Book Tour
Take a virtual tour of various Nebraska Green Book locations. (Coming Soon)
Project Phases
The project has four primary phases:
- Reaching Out to the Public
- Research
- Site Visits
- Writing the Story
Stantec’s team will conduct research on Nebraska’s Green Book sites online and in person at our state’s many historical organizations, libraries, and research institutions. This research will help Stantec locate Green Book sites and understand their importance.
After completing research, Stantec historians will travel to Nebraska to document all remaining Green Book sites.
Once research and site visits are completed, NSHS and Stantec will select two Green Book sites to nominate to the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to writing nominations, Stantec will produce a Multiple Property Documentation form. Multiple Property Documentation forms collect information about related significant properties to support future National Register nominations. The Multiple Property Documentation form will contain a history of Green Book properties in Nebraska and will streamline the process for nominating future Green Book sites.
Project Timeline
| Key Tasks | Key Dates |
| Public Outreach and Research | Sept. 2024 – Jan. 2025 |
| Site Visits (What happens during the survey?) | Winter 2025 |
| Tell the Story through a state-wide Multiple Property form and two National Register of Historic Places nominations | June 2025 – May 2026 |
| Present at Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board Meeting | May 2026 |
| National Park Service Review | May 2026 |
FAQ
What is an architectural survey?
An architectural survey is a tool to collect data about architectural styles, approximate construction dates, and important characteristics of buildings in a specific area or related to a defined period in history or historical theme. In this case, architectural historians will survey locations of Green Book sites in Nebraska, photographing and recording details about buildings and other features.
Why survey?
NSHS facilitates architectural surveys to identify properties that may be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). A Multiple Property Documentation form will also be developed to nominated two Green Book sites in 2026 and support future NRHP listings of Green Book sites.
What areas will be surveyed?
Architectural historians will conduct architectural survey of Green Book properties in Omaha, Lincoln, Ainsworth, Fremont, Grand Island, Scottsbluff, and Chadron.
Why is this data important?
Because we don’t know what we don’t know! Details from the architectural survey will supply property owners and the public with information about Green Book sites and Black tourism during the Jim Crow era. With this data, the NSHS hopes to increase awareness of, preserve, and celebrate Nebraska’s Green Book sites and Black history throughout the state.
Will the surveyors come on my property? Do they need to come inside?
The architectural historians conducting the survey will not enter your property unless a scheduled appointment is made with the owner/occupant. The surveyors will stay in public rights-of-way wearing yellow vests. If an owner is interested in listing their property in the NRHP and provides advanced permission for interior photography, surveyors may enter the property.
Can I have a copy of my data?
Yes. NSHS hopes to make the survey data available through an online mapping tool. At a minimum, data will be provided to individual owners upon request.
My property was surveyed before, why does it need to be surveyed again? Will this change anything for my property?
This architectural survey will allow NSHS to update and correct previously conducted architectural surveys, especially documenting additions or alterations to buildings. If your property was already surveyed and no major changes have occurred, there may be no changes. New observations could impact whether your building is recommended eligible for listing in the NRHP.
Will the architectural survey affect my property boundary?
No, because this is not a land survey. Architectural historians do not survey property boundaries, only the buildings and other features of Green Book sites. As a result, the architectural survey will not result in changes to a plat or deed and will not impact property value.
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