Story #56: 2524 N. 53rd Street (1929)A Home Built to Last... and Loved by Every Generation
One of the joys of researching Country Club's first 100 years is discovering homes that have been cherished by each generation of owners. 2524 N. 53rd Street is one of those homes.
Completed in the spring of 1929 by Rasp Brothers, this handsome English Tudor Revival home immediately caught attention. Newspaper articles described it as a seven-room brick residence with an attached garage, breakfast nook, tiled kitchen sink and table, Cra-Tex finished walls, and soft pastel bedrooms. So admired was the design that Rasp Brothers built a nearly identical home just down the block at 2319 N. 53rd Street.
The first owners were Allen T. and Laura Hupp. Allen served as secretary-treasurer and later general manager of the Associated Retailers of Omaha and the Associated Retail Credit Bureau, organizations that helped local merchants with retail promotions and with credit reporting and collections during a time when consumer credit was becoming an important part of everyday life. Beyond business, Hupp was deeply involved in Omaha civic life, leading YMCA membership drives, Community Chest campaigns, Ak-Sar-Ben activities, and numerous charitable organizations. In fact a YMCA membership drive is where he volunteered with John W. Rasp whose company, shortly afterwards, built this home.
In 1937, the Hupps sold the home to Earl O. and Alice Johnson. Earl started as an office boy at Walsh Brothers Insurance Company and worked his way up to become president, a remarkable career spanning more than four decades. The Johnsons lived here for more than 20 years and were known for hosting an annual New Year's Eve gathering with lifelong friends that stretched across 35 consecutive years—a tradition the World-Herald called unparalleled.
The home's story continues today. Purchased by its current owners in the fall of 2019, this nearly century-old Tudor remains a beautiful reminder that great architecture endures when each generation chooses to care for it.
For almost 100 years, 2524 N. 53rd Street has been more than just a beautiful house. It has been a home, passed from one thoughtful steward to the next.
