Today, building structures out of natural, eco-friendly materials is increasingly popular amongst people who are concerned about our impact on the environment. What many people don't realize is that these building methods have been around far longer than most of today's environmentalists have. Well before today's "traditional" building methods and materials became commonplace, organic building materials were often used out of necessity. Sometimes they were even used to display prosperity.
1. The Pilgrim Holiness Church in Arthur was built of hay bales.
When the church was constructed in 1928, traditional building materials were scarce. That scarcity meant that the materials that could be found were prohibitively expensive. So the good people of Arthur used what was available and cheap: baled rye straw. They built two-foot-thick walls and plastered the inside and outside with a thick, sticky "gumbo mud." The church has been preserved beautifully over the years and is now thought to be the oldest standing straw bale church in the country.
2. Lakeland High School, near Ainsworth, is made of good old sod.
In 1934, Brown County residents found themselves in need of a high school but at a loss for construction materials. They summoned the pioneer spirit of previous generations of Nebraskans and built their high school out of sod. The material was cut from local lake beds and the construction was overseen by a foreman. When it was finished, the school had two rooms - one for classes and one for the teacher to live in - two outhouses, and a stable for students to park their horses in, all made of sod. A total of 33 students attended classes in the sod high school before the building began to fall apart and was closed in 1941.
3. Grand Island's Sugar Beet Palace was built to show off the success of the crop.
In the late 19th century, a new, bountiful crop brought prosperity to Nebraska: the sugar beet. The very first sugar beet processing factory in the U.S. was built in Grand Island. This exposition building was erected in celebration of Nebraska's new lucrative venture into sugar beet farming. Inside, the walls were covered with everything related to sugar beets and other grains important to Nebraska's economy. Large maps - one of Nebraska and one of the United States - were made of corn, wheat, and oats. Large figures were made of grains, and most of the decorations on the inside and outside of the building were related to sugar and sugar beets.
4. This little palace showed off corn's role in Nebraska's economy.
This whimsical structure never actually housed people - it was only the size of a doll house - but it did send an important message about corn and its importance in Nebraska. Built by Grand Island grocer H.B. Kerr, the little palace is made almost entirely of popcorn. Kerr displayed the little palace at the 1889 Hall County Agricultural Society Fair, where it stole the show.
These structures held varying degrees of importance and, with the exception of the church in Arthur, they were understandably short-lived. If you'd like to see some more of Nebraska's impressive - and more permanent - architecture, read more here.
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