Contractor-builder, Max Fisher had already built a dozen homes in Omaha by the time he went tiptoeing around a historic, desirable neighborhood in Los Angeles looking for ideas. Through his “exhaustive” spying mission, Fisher eventually found inspiration in one attractive Beverly Hills home and set about to replicate the French Normandy in Omaha’s own Fairacres. His fine reproduction at 615 North Fairacres Road was completed in 1938 and was a stunning white on white, French influenced structure topped with an all-white shingled roof—Omaha’s first.

 

 

 

 

 

Max Fisher buys the soon to be 615 North Fairacres lot back in July of 1937. Sunday Bee News.

 

Postscript: Bert Murphy, namesake of the aforementioned Bert Murphy subdivision in Fairacres, was covered in a number of our previous investigations. For more on Mr. Murphy check out:

The Curious Case of the French Fairytale Cottage Part One

The Questions of Lamplighter Lane

Mysteries of Omaha: 830 North 89^th Circle

 

 

 

 

I only just tripped across the 615 North Fairacres home featured in an article adjacent to the clues of a case I am working now. Rest assured, this will be a very short piece today.

 

 

 

An example of Fisher’s earlier work. 807 South Happy Hollow Boulevard designed and built by Max Fisher. Sold in 1928 to Ross Johnson, treasurer of the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. Omaha Bee. 

 

 

 

310 South 57^th Street. Max Fisher built of matted brick with Bedford stone trim. October 1928. Omaha Sunday Bee-News. 

I was very excited thinking this was the twinsie of the image below but no…310 South 57th Street is actually a Dutch Colonial Revival and not this home featured in the photo above.

 

 

 

 

This is interesting. Seemingly the exact same house at 5305 Izard Street. Max Fisher also built this home. Daniel A. Johnson purchased. Reported to have a spacious living room two steps down from the entrance hall and dining room. You simply must drive by this one. Even more gorgeous now. November of 1929. Omaha Sunday Bee-News.

 

I think someone at the Bee got this confused… but almost a year later. Odd.

 

 

Everyone’s favorite English house at 501 South 52^nd Street had been recently built by Fisher and sold to Harlan K. Peckham of the Suttie-Peckham Company.  1931. Omaha Bee News.

 

 

 

All of these examples point to Max Fisher embracing a “look.” He had a defined Tudor style by the early Thirties, and although one could argue that the look of these previous homes was simply inline with the architectural times, one can observe from his 1938 615 North Fairacres Road home that he did try on a new influence after traveling to California.

 

 

 

 

 

When completed in 1938, Max Fisher described 615 North Fairacres’ dream-worthy front hall with a semi-circular staircase of ivory colored wrought iron rail—and whispered of my favorite detail–the hall was covered with blue and white inlaid linoleum. Just like the movies. My heart’s desire! I feared the linoleum probably didn’t make it through decades of our harsh snowy winters to live to see these architectural end times. (These are the words that only a linoleum whisperer will understand.) A living room, to the south of the hallway was also detailed in all-white, its main attraction a fireplace, which Mr. Fisher brought from California. A solid walnut den was droolingly described with bookcases lining floor to ceiling. A breakfast room was tucked behind a formal dining room with a butler’s pantry adjacent. The generous cupboard space and work board of the butler’s pantry was outfitted with a sink, thought to be throughly modern.

 

Her first photo. Max Fisher’s 615 North Fairacres Road was completed in 1938. Featured an all white house with all white roof–unusual for Omaha. Omaha World-Herald. Summer of 1938.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max Fisher’s blue and white linoleum inlay in the entryway of 615. This was thought beautiful in its day and this inset motif, which I cannot make out, took some skill. The curved borders and strips would be a great deal of work. Omaha World-Herald. Summer of 1938.

 

 

 

 

 

**marginal note: Virginia Savage McAlester’s bible A Field Guide to American Houses illustrates a great likeness of our 615 North Fairacres Road. There are slight differences such as the second floor windows and elaborations. Overall tantamount: both the illustration and actual 615 building emphasize a  steeply pitched roof, dormer windows, symmetry, formal chimneys on both ends. What Savage McAlester names the French Eclectic was popular in America from 1915 to 1945. We must recognize that categorizing and names change over time with interpretation. I might be making too much of the “Beverly Hills Colonial” name.

 

 

In the fall of 1938 the J. A. Swansons became the first family of 615 North Fairacres. The World-Herald downgraded the whole architectural phenomenon by calling the home a “Beverly Hills Colonial,” divulging Mr. Fisher had “obtained the plans while visiting California.” I will choose to believe the Herald‘s earlier, delicious tale of adventure. John Albert Swanson is a character I have written of previously in our other wanderings. For more on J. A. Swanson, check out:

 

Mysteries of Omaha: Hidden House Part Four

Mysteries of Omaha: 4025 Izard Street

 

 

 

President of Standard Blue company, Mr. J. A. Swanson and wife, Anna “Anne” Carolina Edquist Swanson and chidren would set about making 615 North Fairacres their own.

 

 

The old Standard Blue Print Company down at 1411 Harney Street. Masterman Co. is show to the left at 1409 Harney. Photographer: Bostwick, Louis and Frohardt, Homer. Durham Museum.1956.

 

 

 

After the Swansons moved into 615 North Fairacres Road, their home was professionally photographed. All previous photos by Bostwick, Louis and Forhardt, Homer. Durham Museum. 1939.

 

 

I was surprised to see my linoleum entry passion covered over (or ripped up– gasp) by carpeting so quickly but why quarrel over taste 85 years later.

 

615 North Fairacres Road’s freshly carpeted entry and stairwell. Twas lovely, however, I must know if that linoleum is still intact. Photo by Bostwick, Louis and Forhardt, Homer. Durham Museum. 1939.

 

Mr. Swanson must have made his Standard Blue home office right away in that sumptuous woody den I had read about, for the Durham photos revealed as much. Smart move.

 

 

615 North Fairacres Road’s woody den, described by Max Fisher, quickly became Mr. Swanson’s home office. It seems that I would like to conduct my future interviews in this very room. Photo by Bostwick, Louis and Forhardt, Homer. Durham Museum. 1939.

 

 

 

What a magnificent sight a white house with white trim with a white roof ensemble would be on a snowy day like today. Alas this gorgeous girl has a different roof now, a different entry minus the original iron work. And the addition of a chimney–pointed out by a FB reader. 615 North Fairacres remains a true beauty although not as stark as her early years, thanks to the flattering garden surround, and complimentary shrubs and trees.

 

 

 

How 615 North Fairacres Road stacks up today. Image borrowed from Douglas County Assessor site. Please review the historic photo shown earlier and note the missing chimney, now present. In fact there are two prominent chimneys to the left (north elevation) and right (southern elevation) of the front door.

 

 

South side of the house reveals a large chimney as well.

 

 

615 North Fairacres Road lovingly attended by her current stewards.

 

 

Now I really must get back to the current investigation at hand.

 

 

 

I welcome your feedback and comments on this treasured Omaha home, J. A. Swanson, Max Fisher and the Fairacres neighborhood. Let us hear from you. Please share your additional clues to the story in the “Comments,” as we know more together. Everyone would love to read what you have to say and it makes the sharing of Omaha history more fun. You can use an anonymous smokescreen name if need be. We want to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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