Difference between revisions of "John Jeffery Davey (1874-1947), Architect"

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John Jeffery Davey, 1912

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dba: J. Jeffery Davey, sometimes J. Jeffrey Davey

John Jeffery Davey (1874-1947), Architect

John Jeffery Davey was born in Dover, New Jersey to John and Bessie (nee Jeffery) Davey on March 17, 1874, and died in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 1947. He was described as a "Structural & architectural engineer" on his death certificate.[1] He was first recorded in Nebraska in the 1898 Omaha City Directory and the 1900 federal census. In 1901 in Omaha, Davey married Laura B. Boyd, a native of Dubuque, Iowa.[2][3][a] He and Laura lived at a "Family Hotel" on Farnam Street in Omaha in 1910.[4] He is listed through 1917 as an architect in Omaha, then the 1918 directory notes that Davey "moved to Chicago Ill."[b] He designed numerous buildings in Omaha and the region, especially in Florence, Omaha's northernmost suburb.

After leaving Omaha, Davis' WWI draft registration card described him as a "Structural Eng[inee]r" and placed him (and "Lauretta") at the Army Supply Base in Norfolk, Virginia in 1917-1918.[5] By 1920, Davey was lodging in a Chicago hotel, where the U. S. Census listed "J. J. Davey" as a "Struct[ural] Engineer".[6 In 1930 John J. and Loretta lived in Chicago and they rented a Chicago house in 1940, when his occupation was listed as "Architect" and his "Industry" as "Architectural design Office space."[7] When Davey died in Houston in 1947, his death certificate stated he had resided there for five years.

This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.

Proposed hall for Aerie #154 F. O. E., 1910 (Nebraska State Historical Society)

Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings

Omaha, Nebraska, 1898-1917

Educational & Professional Associations

1900-1917: architect, 544 Brandeis Theater Bldg, Omaha, Nebraska.[25]

1920-ca. 1942: architect, Chicago.[6][7]

Other Associations

1909-1910: employed W. V. Kernan as draftsman.

Buildings & Projects

R. Peters & Company dwelling house (1907), 1323 S 35th St, Omaha, Nebraska.[10][12] (DO09:0204-069)

Omaha Mitten & Manufacturing Company factory (1908), Fifteen & Burt, Omaha, Nebraska.[17]

M. Hamlin doublehouse (1908), 526 Park Ave, Omaha, Nebraska.[10][12] (DO09:0207-036)

J. Hamlin doublehouse (1908), 530 Park Ave, Omaha, Nebraska.[10][12] (DO09:0207-037)

"St. Louis flat building" (1908), 1806 Emmet St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12][17][a] (DO09:0142-010)

Three cottages, "about $2,200 each" (1908), southwest corner of Thirteen and Ohio Streets, Omaha, Nebraska.[17]

J. Henry house (1909), 1327 Turner Blvd, Omaha, Nebraska.[10][12 (DO09:0204-081)

Four-story addition to Creighton Medical college (1909), Fourteenth and Chicago Streets, Omaha, Nebraska.[18]

Three-story brick building for Novelty Skirt Company (1909), North Sixteen Street (across street from Hotel Loyal), Omaha, Nebraska.[18]

Additions to Florence School building (north and south of "present building") (1909), Florence (now Omaha), Nebraska.[18]

Proposed hall for Aerie #154 F. O. E. (1910) , South Omaha, Nebraska.[9][16]

Creighton University retaining walls (1910), Twenty-fourth and California Streets, Omaha, Nebraska.[19]

Jacobs Memorial (wing of Gardner Memorial) (1910), Dodge Street, Omaha, Nebraska.[20]

Commercial Garage (1911), 2602 Leavenworth, Omaha, Nebraska.[12] (DO09:0207-029)

O.E. Berg House (1911), 115 S. 38th Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[11][12] (DO09:0319-027)

Store and Office Building for Anton Dworak (1911), Omaha, Nebraska.[13]

Moving Picture Theatre (cap. 600) for F.E. Goff (1911), 24th & Parker St., Omaha, Nebraska.[13]

Store Building for Frank Robbins (1911), Kimball, Nebraska.[13]

Store Building for George Herberling (1911), Omaha, Nebraska.[13]

Office building for Fred Krug Brewing Company (1911-1912), 26th & Krug Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska.[15][21]

Florence Building (1912), Florence (now 8702 North 30th Street, Omaha), Nebraska.[14]

A. Krug house (1912), 3316 Woolworth Ave, Omaha, Nebraska.[10][12][16] (DO09:0204-085)

W. F. Callfax house (1912), 1920 S 32nd Ave, Omaha, Nebraska.[10][12] (DO09:0200-011)

Rowhouse (1912), 1931-1937 S. 9th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12] (DO09:0063-001)

Fire Engine House (1913), northeast corner of Nineteenth and Harney Streets, Omaha, Nebraska.[22]

Nine-unit apartment house for Mrs. L. Weinberg (1914), Twenty-first and California, Omaha, Nebraska.[23]

Delmar Hotel (1916), 213 S. 24th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12][24] (DO09:0124-029)

Undated Florence & Omaha Projects

New School house, Florence, Nebraska.[16]

Henry Anderson's new building on Main Street, Florence, Nebraska.[16]

The "new Krug building," Florence, Nebraska.[16]

The "building George Siert will erect on Main street," Florence, Nebraska.[16]

Many residences, Florence, Nebraska.[16]

Creighton College buildings, Omaha, Nebraska.[16]

Plaza hotel, Omaha, Nebraska.[16]

Notes

a. Davey is listed in his marriage record and death certificate as "John Jeffery Davey." Jeffery was his mother's maiden name, but most Omaha sources identified him as "J. Jeffrey Davey." Further, he is listed as either J. Danby or Davey in Omaha Architect’s database. His wife's name is given as "Laura B. Boyd" and her age as 26 (born c. 1875) on their marriage record of October 30, 1901, but "Loretta" is provided as her name in most subsequent records and her date of birth varies in several sources. She probably lived her decade in Tampa, Florida, where a "Loretta Davey," age 80 and a native of Dubuque, Iowa, died in 1957.[8]

b. An Omaha newspaper mentioned in June 1917 that Mr. & Mrs. Davey were leaving for an "indefinite stay" at Excelsior Springs, Arkansas, noting that "Mr. Davey is recovering from a serious illness."[25]

References

1. "John Jeffery Davey," Ancestry.com. Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982, s.v. "John Jeffery Davey," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

2. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census, "Jeffrey J. Dancy [sic]," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

3. Ancestry.com. Nebraska, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1855-1908, s.v. "John Jeffery Davey," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017.

4. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census, s.v. "John D. [sic] Davey," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

5. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, s.v. "John Jeffery Davey," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.

6. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census, s.v. "J. J. Davey," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

7. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census, "s.v. "John Davey," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002; and Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census," s.v. "John J. Davey," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

8. "Mrs. Loretta Davey," The Tampa (Florida) Tribune (September 15, 1957), 8.

9. "Omaha World-Herald" (November 23, 1910): 6.

10. Landmarks, Inc., "An Inventory of Historic Omaha Buildings" (Omaha: City of Omaha and Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, 1980), 96, 155, 156, 173, 181, 90.

11. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

12. City of Omaha Planning Department, Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, Database, Query on Architects, May 20, 2002; courtesy of Lynn Meyer, Preservation Planner.

13. "Omaha, Nebraska," American Contractor 32:21 (May 27, 1911): 63.

14. "Beautiful Building in One of Omaha's Thriving Suburbs," Omaha (Nebraska) Daily Bee (December 22, 1912), 29 (illustrated with perspective rendering labelled "Fontanelle Building").

15. "City Officials Put Letter in Corner Stone," Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald (September 20, 1911), 12.

16. "Live Wires of Florence--Some of the Men Who Have Made the Fontanelle Building a Real Possibility," The Florence (Nebraska) Tribune (September 17, 1912), 1 (with photo of J. J. Davey and paragraph on his buildings).

17. "Mitten Company to Have Fine Factory--Building of Fireproof Construction Will Be Erected at Fifteenth and Burt Streets," Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald (April 17, 1908), 5.

18. "New Buildings Come Fast--Permits for Over Two Hundred Thousand Dollars Worth in Ome Day. Creighton Medic Annex One," Omaha (Nebraska) Daily Bee (April 17, 1909), 4.

19. "Concrete Walls That Frame Edge of Campus--Massive 'Retainer' Bordering Creighton University All Along Twenty-fourth," Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald (June 12, 1910), 20.

20. "Jacobs Memorial Ccrner [sic] Stone Laid," Sunday World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska) (August 7, 1910), 3.

21. "New Office for Krug Co.; Will Leave Jackson St.," Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald (August 20, 1911), 25.

22. "City Official Notices. Notice. Proposals for Construction of Fire Engine House," Omaha (Nebraska) Evening Bee (July 10, 1913), 8.

23. "Buying and Building," Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald (November 25, 1914), 23.

24. "Neville Builds Four Stories, Twenty-fourth," Evening World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska) (March 21, 1916), 1.

25. "Purely Personal...Mr. and Mrs. J. Jeffery Davey will leave this evening for Excelsior Springs, where they will make an indefinite stay. Mr. Davey is recovering from a serious illness," Evening World-Herald (June 26, 1917), 12.

Page Citation

D. Murphy & E. F. Zimmer, “John Jeffery Davey (1874-1947), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, February 6, 2023. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, October 31, 2024.

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