STORY #31: First Homes of the Country Club Neighborhood
When the Country Club District opened in the mid-1920s, developer Theodore Metcalfe had a clear vision for the neighborhood. He wanted homes that were distinctive — not rows of identical houses, but a variety of architectural styles built by many of Omaha’s best craftsmen.
In the Metcalfe Company promotional brochure Beyond Comparison, he described the excitement surrounding the new development:
“These beautiful new homes now being built or finished in the Country Club District are indeed ‘the talk of the town’… A studied effort has been made to get away from the sameness in styles of architecture and the different types and styles found in this development are proof of the success of these efforts.”
Metcalfe achieved this by working with builders across Omaha, resulting in a neighborhood filled with unique homes created by skilled carpenters, contractors, and architects.
One of those early builders was C. Oscar Johanson.
2333 N. 55th Street (1927)
Among the early homes constructed in the new neighborhood was this six-room brick veneer house built in 1927 by carpenter C. Oscar Johanson. The home, facing west on 55th Street just south of Lake Street, was built at a cost of $8,000.
Johanson was born in Sweden in 1879 and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was just one year old. He grew up to become a skilled carpenter, working for developer Charles Martin, known for the well-built Craftsman homes of the Minne Lusa neighborhood. Johanson later constructed Dutch Colonial homes in Gifford Park Neighborhood Association at 316 N. 37th St., and another in 1925 at 5107 Hamilton St. in Historic Dundee neighborhood for his residences. Both are still standing.
By the time the Country Club neighborhood began taking shape, Johanson was among the builders helping fill the new development with quality homes. Over the next decade, he constructed several others in the area, including:
2028 N. 54th Street (1929)
2207 N. 56th Street (1931)
2018 Country Club Avenue (1931)
2208 Country Club Avenue (1935)
2515 Country Club Avenue (1936)
5002 and 5028 Decatur Street (1936)
Johanson often worked alongside his father, August H. Johanson, who lived with the family and assisted with the building work. He later worked with his brother, Herman.
Oscar and his wife Hilda made their home at 2333 N. 55th St. until her death at age 50. He later married Maria. Johanson continued building homes in Omaha until his death in 1951.
In 1953 his widow, Maria, offered the house at 2333 N. 55th St. for sale. It was listed as a seven-room brick home with a two-car garage and sold for $22,000 — nearly three times the original construction cost.
This house stands as one of the earliest examples of the craftsmanship that helped shape the character of the Country Club neighborhood.
Photo Captions:
2333 N. 55th Street. Rendering from the original Metcalfe Co. Sales Brochure for the Country Club District.
2333 N. 55th Street. Photo courtesy Douglas County Assessor's website.
Building permit notice from the Dec. 4, 1927 Omaha World-Herald.
Announcement of the sale of the home at 2333 N. 55th St. from the Feb. 22, 1953, Omaha World-Herald.
Advertisement for another home built by Johansen located at 5028 Decatur St. From the April 18, 1937 edition of the Omaha World-Herald.
Article from the Nov. 8, 1937 Omaha World-Herald announcing the cornerstone being laid for the new Bethlehem Lutheran Church of the Deaf, to be built by Oscar Johansen.
