J. Johnson & Sons

81-85 Church Street (former)

J. Johnson & Sons, c. 1950s. Courtesy Joe Taylor.

J. Johnson & Sons, Inc., founded in 1863, sold fine men’s clothing. Its founder Jacob Johnson immigrated from Bavaria to Cleveland, OH in 1840. In 1850, he and members of his family moved to Waterbury, CT where he apprenticed in the craft of tailoring. In 1863 he founded J. Johnson & Sons in Waterbury, and in 1869 he opened a branch store in New Haven. At one point it employed sixty-five people and called itself "The Live Store". His sons Albert and Joseph Johnson joined him in the business and succeeded him when he passed away in 1913. Albert’s son James later inherited the business. The Johnsons were leading New Haven philanthropists, and deeply involved in civic and community affairs. Members of the Johnson family served on the boards of hospitals, museums, banks, and social services agencies. In 1930, Albert and Joseph Johnson decided to create the Johnson Junior Symphony, a children’s orchestra. They enlisted the help of Harry Berman who served as manager and conductor. The Johnson Junior Symphony initially used space on the top floor of the J. Johnson & Sons store, sharing space with the tailors who altered the clothing. The youth orchestra was eventually taken over by Albert's son, James S. Johnson, who kept it going for twenty-six years. In 1964 the J. Johnson & Sons building was sold to Kennedy’s. Near the top of the original building on Church Street, the engraving The Johnson Building remains to this day.

Text sources: Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven Archives and the Johnson Family.