This recent article was released by Union Adventist University. It is great news to see that this historic Christian Record Services building is under their ownership. Below is the article:
On August 19, 1936, a cornerstone was laid across the street from Union’s campus. Inside the stone was placed the history of Christian Record up to that point, starting when Austin Orlando Wilson printed the first copy of the braille magazine in 1899 using a clothes wringer. That history includes a disastrous fire in Battle Creek, after which the ministry for the blind moved to College View in 1904. They used the basement of the old college administration building for several years, then purchased a building across 48th Street in 1912. By 1936, they were ready for a new, purpose-built facility. Though they later moved their headquarters again in 1963, the old building still proudly proclaims itself as “Christian Record” on its Art Deco facade.
Designed by Union alumnus Felix Lorenz, it has been home to a number of businesses over the years, including a hair salon. Through it all, it remained the Christian Record Building. In 1986, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which guarantees the facade will remain the same.
In recent decades, the Christian Record Building has provided office space and a lunchroom for employees of Union Bank and Trust. It’s next door to a bank branch and just a block away from their corporate headquarters on Calvert Street. As Union Bank and Trust expanded into an $8.8 billion corporation, they lovingly cared for the old Christian Record Building, but they also outgrew it. Lincoln is now dotted with far larger and more modern locations. Last fall, Jason Muhleisen, the CEO of Union Bank and Trust, contacted Dr. Yami Bazan, president of Union Adventist University, with an offer to sell the old building to the university, a neighbor he knew would also cherish the building’s unique history.
Bazan said “no.” She explained that Union was not in a financial position to purchase property. Then Muhleisen offered to sell the building to the university for $1. That was an offer Bazan could not refuse. After several rounds of review by lawyers on both sides, this week Bazan signed the papers and paid the dollar. The university took possession of the 2,345 square foot facility that the General Conference paid $15,000 to construct in 1936 — now valued at $800,000.
“A lot of us on campus are dreaming about what we can do with this beautiful and well-maintained building,” said Bazan. “We don’t have any specifics yet about how it will serve Union’s mission, but we are so grateful to Union Bank and Trust. They have been good neighbors to us for more than 100 years. I am thankful to them for giving us this opportunity to dream and grow.”
