Patterson Law Office

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Patterson Law Office is a small, one-story frame building with a false front in Central City, Nebraska. Built in 1872, it stands on a stone foundation and features Greek Revival details on the door, windows, pilasters, and cornice. Inside there are two rooms with wainscoted walls. The building housed John Patterson’s law practice in Merrick County. Patterson, an Irish immigrant who arrived in the area in 1872, became a well-known trial lawyer, county attorney, and school superintendent, helping develop Central City and Merrick County. The office is notable as one of Nebraska’s earliest false-front commercial buildings, predating most 19th-century storefronts by about 20 years. It is also linked to author-photographer Wright Morris. The Patterson Law Office is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP reference number 79001451) and was added on March 13, 1979. Address: 1517 18th St, Central City, NE.