North Omaha’s has A LOT of unsung architectural heroes, and one of them is Joseph P. Guth. Guth moved from Germany to Omaha in 1884 and designed business blocks, breweries, factories and warehouses, fire stations, schools, houses and multifamily residences, churches and halls across the city for more than 40 years. Leo A. Daly was his most famous student.

The Life of Guth

Joe Guth was born in Stuttgart, Germany in 1860 and immigrated to the United States in 1884. After working in Ohio and Minnesota, he moved to Lincoln to work for Burlington Railroad as a designer in 1887, then to Omaha to work with the U.P. the next year. Moving back to Ohio, he came back to Omaha to start his architectural firm in 1891.

Throughout his career in Omaha, Guth lived in North Omaha’s posh Kountze Place at 1911 Wirt Street. His wife was Bell Guth, and they had two daughters and a son. He died in 1928 and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

The Druid Hall at 2412 Ames Avenue in North Omaha, Nebraska in 2016 — *The Druid Hall at 2412 Ames Avenue was designed by Guth in 1914, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.*

Architectural Designs

Many of Guth’s designs are remarkable today, with many included on the National Register of Historic Places – NPS (NRHP) and several others that should be. In addition to building so much of what’s listed here, Guth was responsible for building most of Gottlieb Storz’s brewery on North 16th.