A History of the Johnson Sash and Door Company Building

There are few historic commercial buildings in North Omaha that have maintained the integrity of their original design for more than a century. One of them is located at the intersection of three neighborhoods, and today it offers a distinct vision for the future of the area. This is a history of the Johnson Sash and Door Company Building in North Omaha.

This is part of the original 1912 blueprint for the Jackson Apartments built at 1412 Military Avenue, then called 1402, 1404, 1406 and 1408 Military Avenue. Courtesy of the City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Commission. — This is part of the original 1912 blueprint for the Jackson Apartments built at 1412 Military Avenue, then called 1402, 1404, 1406 and 1408 Military Avenue. The original blueprints are courtesy of the City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Commission.

Located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Military Avenue and Hamilton Street, the modern addresses of the Johnson Sash and Door Company Building are 1412 Military Avenue and 4302 Hamilton Street. However, this neighborhood landmark building has century-plus history that starts different than today.

On the Edge of the Countryside

This is the Northwest corner of Military Ave and Hamilton St. in 1890.

This is the Northwest corner of Military Ave and Hamilton St. in 1900.

An 1890 fire insurance on the left shows an empty lot on the northwest corner of Military Avenue and Hamilton Street, while a 1900 map shows the Nebraska Hay and Grain Company feed mill and office on the site.

The history of the lot where 1412 Military Avenue was constructed began before 1890, when the lot was platted as part of an expanding city. At that time the city limits were at the present-day NW Radial Hwy. In 1900, the northwest corner was home to a feed mill belonging to the Nebraska Hay and Grain Company. Along with that there was an office building located at 1408 Military Avenue.

Based on an official blueprint from the City of Omaha and supported by a fire insurance maps and newspaper ads, I dispute the Douglas County Assessor’s Office records that place the building’s construction in 1900. The original county records were probably destroyed in the 1919 riot that led to the lynching of Will Brown, and the date was incorrectly used when the records were redone afterward.

Urbanizing the Area with the Jackson Apartments

This is an announcement for the building permit of 1402-1408 Military Avenue from the Omaha Daily Record on Tuesday, February 6, 1912.

The building on the northwest corner of Military Avenue and Hamilton Street was built in 1912 as the Jackson Apartments. In February 1912, R.E. Jackson got a building permit to construct 1402-1408 Military Avenue as brick stores and dwellings that would cost $7,500. Lloyd D. Willis (1877-1926) of Omaha was the architect, and he designed the building for Jackson. The Jackson Apartments were designed as a two-story structure with a recessed basement in a commercial vernacular style, and built out of masonry bricks and decorative red brick with three storefronts on the first floor and four apartments on the second. With commercial space on the first floor and apartments on the second floor, it was built with more than 6,700 square feet on the first floor and 5,100 square feet on the second floor.

Each apartment had four rooms including a living room/kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. They were all on the second floor and each one had its own entry door on the front of the building. The addresses for the apartments were 1402½, 1404½, 1406½, and 1408½. In 1918, one of the apartments was advertised for rent for $15 monthly.

This is a doctored old pic of the Johnson Sash and Door Company building at 1402 Military Ave. and Hamilton St.

Today, there is a large apron of concrete in front of the building, as well as the building facing the corner askew, which is an infrequent practice in Omaha at the time. That is because the Belt Line Railway cut across Military Avenue from the building, and in order to maintain the street width to the intersection the city took away the corner in front of the building as part of Military Avenue. Later when the railroad was removed, the street was realigned at the section was restored to the building’s lot, leaving the unique large concrete apron on the sidewalk area in front of it.

By 1918, the first floor became a garage for the new automobile industry with a single entry off Hamilton on the south side. The garage had a capacity of 15 cars within, and the entire building had wood floors on the first and second floors. The three addresses for separate storefronts were 1402, 1406 and 1408 Military Avenue. At different points there was a single business in all of them and multiple businesses in the first floor of the business.

This is the Northwest corner of Military Ave and Hamilton St. in 1910.

In 1918, the map shows the northwest corner of Military Ave and Hamilton St. has a brick building on it, which is the present-day building at 1402 Military Ave.

A business called Schmid & Connell opened the first a garage there and lasted through 1918. It was one of the first automobile garages offering service in this area of the city. The J.W. Galloway Garage was located there for a few years afterward. Purtell and Jensen had a garage there for several months, in 1919, and starting later in 1919, the Military Tire Shop was located in the building Military Avenue.

Apartments above the building were advertised for several decades. Apparently they had between four and six rooms, each including a kitchen, dining room, bathroom and bedrooms.

From 1921 to 1931, W.A. Haberstroh & Son operated their furnace company at 1402 Military Avenue. William A. Haberstroh (1872-1928) was a German immigrant who offered supplies to furnace repairmen as well as installation services direct to customers. Starting his business in 1898, he moved to the building after the garages moved out. His sons kept running the business after he died in 1928, not moving away from the address until 1931. That year, a business called Vento Manufacturing Company moved in and only lasted for two years before closing.

Becoming Home to Johnson Sash & Door Company

This is a doctored old pic of the Johnson Sash and Door Company building at Military Ave. and Hamilton St. Johnson S&D moved into the building in 1952, about 30 years after this pic was taken. Pic from the internet.

In 1952, Johnson Sash and Door Company moved into the building. The company was established in 1931 by Clarence E. Johnson, who was later joined by his son Richard C. Johnson in 1961 when they incorporated the business. A seller of windows, doors, garage doors, bedroom doors, front doors, and screen door, they sold much more as well to builders and DIYers for use in houses, apartments and small businesses throughout Omaha and beyond. They also sold house paint, lumber and more for home improvement projects. In 1971, Clarence E. Johnson (1900-1971) died of a heart attack. With his son taking over, the business kept operating for several more decades.

After serving Omaha for more than 85 years, in 2021 Johnson Sash and Door Company closed. Craig Johnson, a third generation family owner of the business, was involved in the business through its end.

Modern Times

After closing, the Johnson Sash and Door Company Building sat empty for a few years. The building was sold in 2021 as a 14,550 square foot industrial building. It was sold again in 2023 and went for $635,000.

In early 2025, I heard from Tim Steinbach, leader of a nonprofit called Ooh De Lally, that they’ll be using the building for programming in the near future. Those plans are coming to fruition in 2026 when the building will become an anchor point along the new Belt Line Trail.

Maybe someday this century-old neighborhood landmark will be recognized for its important visual consistency in the area an be revitalized. The City of Omaha could recognize it as an official Omaha Landmark, and it could be listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance as an economic landmark in the community. It could also have a historic plaque placed outside that explains its history. We’ll see!

Thanks to Tim Steinbach for inspiring this article, and best of wishes to Ooh De Lally in their mission!

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Elsewhere Online

“The Johnson Sash and Door Company Building and Omaha Belt Line Trail Head” by Omaha Exploration.

BONUS

This clipping entitled "Health officer may take steps to abate Walnut Hill nuisance" is from The Omaha Daily News on June 2, 1915. — This clipping entitled “Health officer may take steps to abate Walnut Hill nuisance” is from The Omaha Daily News on June 2, 1915. It was first mentioned in the newspaper in the 1880s.

This article about the dump at N. 43rd and Military Ave. is from the The Omaha Daily News on Sunday, May 30, 1915.

This pic was taken from the Hamilton Street viaduct looking south in 1919, and shows the Sunderland Brothers Coal Yard and the Atchison-Coop-Corneer Coal Yard on the left. On the right is the Hydralic Press Brick Company factory. Pic courtesy of the Durham Museum.

This is the logo of the former Johnson Sash and Door Company in Omaha, Nebraska.

Omaha Refining Company ad — This is from an ad for the Omaha Refining Company, which had a distributor at N. 43rd and Hamilton St.