John McDonald (1861-1956), Architect
John "Jack" McDonald was born April 22, 1861 in Prince Edward Island, Canada, the son of Angus McDonald and second born of eleven children. He received his education in civil engineering in Canada, earning his Bachelor of Science from McGill University in 1884. McDonald moved to Omaha after graduation, quickly finding work as a partner in a local firm.[a] It did not, however, take him long to open his own architectural firm, where he was joined by classmate and friend David Ogilvy, Architect. Ogilvy left Omaha by the late 1880s, and McDonald married his wife Martha Tibbitts in 1890. His split with Ogilvy did not hurt him professionally, and business prospered in the rapidly developing city of Omaha.
McDonald's close friend, George Joslyn, hired John at only 30 years old to develop his estate. His association with the name Joslyn granted McDonald access to other big-name clients. In 1917, John established a partnership with his son, Alan McDonald, which lasted until Alan's death in 1947. John McDonald died on May 7, 1956, and is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Omaha. John believed personally that buildings should last forever, and because of this, many of his buildings are still standing and active today.[7][10][12][[#References|[12:13]
This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and content page for more information on the compilation and page organization.
Contents
Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
Omaha, Nebraska, 1892-1950, 1953-1954
Educational & Professional Associations
1868-1880: Private, grammar, and normal schools, Prince Edward Island, Canada.[7][12:1]
1881-1884: Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.[7]
1885-1886: partner, Sidney Smith, Architect, Omaha, Nebraska.[7]
1887-1891: partner, McDonald & Ogilvy, Architects, Omaha, Nebraska and Portland, Oregon.[7]
1892-1917: John McDonald, Architect, Omaha, Nebraska.[7]
1917-1946: partner, John & Alan McDonald, Architects, Omaha, Nebraska.[7]
1938: Registered Professional Architect, Nebraska, February 15, 1938; A-46.[7]
1949-1955: John McDonald, Architect, 604 Standard Oil Building, Omaha, Nebraska.[a]
Other Associations
1901: employed F. William Krelle, draftsman.
1906: employed M. R. Nippell, draftsman.
1908-1910: employed Arthur Dixon Baker (1868-1933), Architect, draftsman.
Buildings & Projects
Apartments (1887), 1313-1315 & 1317-1319 S. 32nd St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:10]
Apartments (1888), 1146 South 32nd St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:10]
J. H. Loomis House (1888), 1920 Wirt, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:178][5] (DO09:0140-057)
House (1888), 1142 S. 32nd St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:9]
Apartments (1888), 1124 and 1126 S. 31st St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:9]
Apartments (1888), 1719 Park Ave. overlooking Hanscom Park, Omaha, Nebraska.[12:9]
House (1890), 1338 S. 31st St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5][12:9 (DO09:0204-108)
House for John McDonald (1891), 1334 S 31st St, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:83][5][12:6] (DO09:0204-107)
House (1891), 1335 S. 30th Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0204-123)
House (1891), 1120 Park Ave., Omaha.[5][12:8] (DO09:0203-009)
G. William Carlock House (1896), 1314 S 30th Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[3:78][5] (DO09:0204-115)
House (1897), 3102 Woolworth Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[5][8] (DO09:0204-136)
House (1897), 3104 Woolworth Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0204-135)
House (1897), 3106 Woolworth Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0204-134)
Williams-Bostwick House (1892-1898-191?), 3716-22 Dewey Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0319-012)
Nebraska Building (1898), Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, Omaha, Nebraska.[1:160][12:15][b]
Apiary Building (1898), Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, Omaha, Nebraska.[1:132][2][12:16]
First Baptist Church (1901), Park Ave. & Harney St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:11]
George A. & Sarah Joslyn Estate aka Joslyn Castle (1892-1903), 3902 Davenport St., Omaha, Nebraska.[3:113][4][5][12:14] (DO09:0321-001) National Register narrative
Flat (1904), 2552 Harney St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0209-040)
Dr. Paul Grossman Apartments (1904), 102-108 S. 36th, Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0319-002)
F.E. Pearce House (1904), 119 S. 37th, Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0319-062)
First Christian Church (1905), 26th & Harney St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:10]
House (1905), 120 N. 32nd Ave., Omaha.[5] (DO09:0212-058)
Charles D. McLaughlin House (1905), 507 S. 38th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0317-004) National Register narrative
Frank Blish House (1905), 117 S. 37th, Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0319-061)
Harry P. Whitmore House (1906), 3905 Dewey Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0317-015)
Alex G. Buchanan House (1906), 1330 Turner Blvd, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:174][5] (DO09:0204-077)
L.L. Black House (1906), 3808 Harney, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0319-047)
Brandeis Commercial Building (1906), 1012-1014 S.10th, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0119-017)
W. A. DeBord House (1907), 3520 Woolworth Ave, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:182][5] (DO09:0204-063)
F. Knapp House (1907), 1330 S. 35th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[3:97][5] (DO09:0204-065)
House for Mr. & Mrs. John Webster Towle (1907-1908), 3602 Pacific St., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:27]
J.W. Thomas House (1908), 3820 Harney, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0319-050)
House for G. Day (1908), 1310 Turner Blvd, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:173][5] (DO09:0204-073)
House (1908) 1330 Turner Blvd., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:26]
House (1908) 3303 Woolworth Ave., Omaha, Nebraska.[12:26]
House (1909), 2202 Hanscom Blvd, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:129][5][12:26] (DO09:0200-027)
House for H. Fish (1909), 3311 Woolworth Ave, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:181][5] (DO09:0202-036)
George H. Thummel House (1909), 404 S. 38th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0319-015)
Porter-Phelan House (1909), 444 N. 38th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0323-017)
Bradford-Pettis house (1910), Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0319-008) National Register narrative
Danna C.. Bradford hse (1910), 404 S 39th St, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:101]
Rowhouse (1910), 3040-42 Cass St., Omaha. Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0214-015)
Commercial Building (1910), 3928 Farnam, Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0319-046)
Building (1911), 601 N. 16th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0127-017)
Arthur English House (1911), 521 N. 38th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5][8] (DO09:0323-011)
John McDonald House (1911), 515 N. 38th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5][8] (DO09:0323-012)
Drummund Motor Company Building (1912), 2570 Farnam St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0209-015)
House (1912), 130 N. 39th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0321-024)
Mrs. Martha A. Fitzgerald House (1913), 113 S. 38thSt., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0407-026)
Beebe & Runyon Warehouse (1913), 105 S 9th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[3:41][4][5] (DO09:0068-001) National Register narrative
Commercial Building (1913), 1416 Howard St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0121-041)
Benjamin F. Marshall House (1913), 3646 Burt St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0325-018)
W.L. Coakley House (1913), 204 S. 37th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0319-037)
Forest Lawn Cemetery Chapel & Crematory (1913), Omaha, Nebraska.[9]
Oblate House (1915), Creighton University, 2104 Davenport, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:112][5] (DO09:0126-013)
Commercial Building (1915), 2401 Farnam St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0209-045)
John Bachelor House (1916), 525 Main, Valentine, Nebraska. (CE14-082)
Muse Theater (1916), 2405 Farnam St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0209-044)
Western Newspaper Union Building (1916), 621 S. 15th, Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0121-069)
Yates Elementary School (1916-1917), 3252 Davenport, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:112][5] (DO09:0212-002)
Mid-America Youth Foundation Center (1917), 513 S. 15th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0121-056)
Commercial Building (1917), 1712 Jackson St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0122-040)
First Unitarian Church (1917-1918), 3114 Harney, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:132][4][5] National Register narrative
Regis Hotel (1918), 312 S. 16th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0124-043)
Tadousec Apartments (1919) 418 S. 38th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[4][5] (DO09:0319-014)
Faidley Building (1920), 1514 Douglas, Omaha, Nebraska.[3:116][5] (DO09:0123-035)
DeWitt K. Ellingwood House (1921), 3647 California St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0323-013)
Building (1923), 705 S. 12th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0121-083)
Children’s Museum (1924), 551 S. 18th St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0122-038)
Garage (1938), 1763 Jackson St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0122-063)
Fairmont Creamery (1940), 1101 Jones, Omaha, Nebraska.[4] (DO09:0121-093)
Brodkey’s (1946), 1524 Harney St., Omaha, Nebraska.[5] (DO09:0123-079)
Notes
a. Last Omaha directory listing, 1955. In the business section of the 1954 and 1955 directories, McDonald is listed as John T. McDonald; it is not known if this represents his middle initial, or if it was a typographical error. He is not known to have otherwise used a middle initial.
b. The Nebraska Building was a joint project of James H. Craddock, Lincoln, and John McDonald.[1:160]
References
1. James B. Haynes, History of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of 1898 ([Omaha]: Committee on History, 1910).
2. “Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition,” Omaha Public Library Website, 1998. Images accessed July 7, 2003, <http://www.omaha.lib.ne.us/transmiss/buildings/apiary.html>
3. Landmarks, Inc., An Inventory of Historic Omaha Buildings (Omaha: Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, 1980).
4. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
5. City of Omaha Planning Department, Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, Database, Query on Architects, May 20, 2002; courtesy of Lynn Meyer, Preservation Planner.
6. AIA Historical Directory of American Architects: A Resource Guide to Finding Information About Past Architects, accessed June 1, 2010, http://communities.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/ahd1029358.aspx
7. Application for Registration to Practice Professional Engineering and Architecture, Nebraska State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Architects, December 30, 1937. Nebraska State Historical Society RG081 SG2.
8. Erin Grace, “Homeowners Cherish and Preserve Their Link to Omaha’s Past,” Omaha World Herald (January 28, 2014), 1B-2B.
9. The Cemetery Handbook (Chicago: Allied Arts Publishing Co., ca. 1920), 184-187.
10. "John McDonald," Find A Grave Memorial # 146327972, May 11, 2015. Find A Grave.com Accessed July 27, 2016. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=146327972&ref=acom
11. “McDonald, Alan,” Who's Who in Nebraska. Lincoln: Nebraska Press Association (1928), 129.
12. Joan M. Fogarty, Building Omaha: The Architectural Legacy of John and Alan McDonald (Omaha: Elman Printing Company, 2013).
Page Citation
D. Murphy, “John McDonald (1861-1956), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, July 27, 2016. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, May 18, 2024.
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