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This 1937 or early 1939 view of Johnson Lumber headquarters was as it appeared while heading southeast along Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard from Crain Highway in Glen Burnie.
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This aerial view of the Glen Burnie yard (above) was taken in early 1970. The yard was situated along railroad tracks (now a bike path) running parallel to Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard. The Glen Burnie carnival grounds are seen behind the tracks.
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A television commercial for Johnson Lumber showing a “delivery starship” was introduced in 1997. The ad announced, “If you liked us in the past, you’ll love us in the future.” Radio ads in recent years have employed the very successful and unforgettable jingle, “Johnson Lumber is the place to go!”
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Glen Burnie Yard 1937
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Employees of the Glen Burnie yard prior to its relocation to Millersville in 1974 are shown in the yard and at the store entrance. Some achieved 50 years of employment here.
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Glen Burnie Yard
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Annapolis Yard - Johnson Lumber dock, foot of King George Street. USNA Palmer Stadium grandstand in the background.
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West ST / Annapolis yard
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1994 – Millersville Yard
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“Little Edgewater”
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Construction of Edgewater Yard
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March 2003
When Joshua “Fred” Johnson first opened the doors of the J.F. Johnson Lumber company in 1921, movie tickets were 15 cents, the US population was a third of what it is today, and sliced bread hadn’t even been invented yet (I guess you could say sliced was the best thing since Johnson Lumber).
Their humble beginnings were spent providing lumber and millwork to local builders in Glen Burnie. Since then, they have expanded to supplying builders’ materials for projects up and down the Mid-Atlantic and offering everything from windows to kitchen countertops and everything in between. But know that Johnson Lumber has never forgotten where they came from. Their rich history runs deep in the community and their commitment to quality has never wavered.
Looking back, one of the proudest, most cherished moments in the company’s history was published 25 years ago while it was enjoying its 75th anniversary:
“With the advent of the Second World War many controls were placed on businesses (lumber being a critical material) by the federal government including a corporation income tax. The company was designated as one of 35 lumber companies across the United States to supply building materials to the government. Johnson Lumber delivered materials to Fort G. Meade, Bainbridge Naval Training Center, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the Naval Academy, the Ford Tank Works in Chester, Pennsylvania, and the “Manhattan Project" at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Large quantities of lumber and supplies were also sent to ports of embarkation for delivery to the armed forces overseas. Many residents of Glen Burnie went to sleep with the hum of the company's mill running late into the night.”
Employees of the Glen Burnie yard prior to its relocation to Millersville in 1974 are shown in the yard and at the store entrance. Some achieved 50 years of employment here.
The company’s flagship location sat firmly in Glen Burnie for 50 years. Then, in early 1970s, the city began plans for revitalization. In 1975, nearly 55 years after first opening its doors, Johnson Lumber moved to Millersville to make way for new light rail service. Although, the tracks were never extended South of Dorsey Road and the District Court building was erected where the lumber yard once stood.
Johnson Lumber’s second location originally sat at the foot of King George Street in Annapolis and has a history that well predates Johnson’s. The Henry B. Myers Company was a family-owner grocery founded in 1880. When the sons of Myers took over, they expanded the company’s offerings to include hardware, gardening supplies, heating oil, and, you guessed it, lumber. The lumber yard was located at the King George site adjacent the Naval Academy. In 1908, the Farinholt Meredith Company purchased the Myers Company lumber yard, expanding their footprint in Annapolis; they already operated a lumber and hardware company at the rail yard on West Street. Meredith subsequently expanded their
Annapolis Yard - Johnson Lumber dock, foot of King George Street. USNA Palmer Stadium grandstand in the background
holdings on King George Street and began offering wood planing, steam drying, storage facilities, and office space. In 1926, Johnson Lumber acquired the Farinholt Meredith Company, along with the King George Street facilities.
The addition of that waterfront location gave Johnson Lumber a solid foundation on which to grow. The Glen Burnie location was seeing competition from several Baltimore lumber companies, and the second location opened up a new market with much less competition.
In 1942, the neighboring Naval Academy set forth plans for a major expansion. The plans called for the land on Johnson Lumber’s property to be used for the construction of the Halsey Field House. Quickly, Johnson Lumber packed up and moved farther up the road to West Street. The ten-acre lot was near a developing residential area. The grounds were improved over time with the addition of a paint store, incinerator, and storage facility. But as Johnson Lumber grew, its footprint shrank. Half of the West Street lot was sold off over the years and Parole Elementary School was built on the rear of the property. Johnson Lumber needed more space. So, in 2003, 61 years after opening the West Street lumber yard, 87 years after acquiring the Farinholt Meredith Company, Johnson Lumber packed up once again and moved to the other side of the South River to Edgewater, where they are still located today. Visit them online here.
Three Questions for the President of Johnson Lumber, Bob Johnson
1. Who started Johnson Lumber one hundred years ago and who are the owners today?
"The founders were my grandfather and his brother, whom I never met because they passed away before I was born. By the time of my birth, the company had been in existence as a corporation for more than 30 years. I started my career at 21 years old in 1975 as one of several third-generation members of the families in our business. By now we have about 70 stockholders which are all part owners of Johnson Lumber. They live in Maryland and as far away as the State of Washington, San Diego, Florida and Maine, and many places in between."
2. How has Johnson Lumber stayed relevant amid the growing popularity of big-box hardware stores?
“These are great companies and offer many things that we also do and have. We have developed a great deal of product and construction knowledge over the years. We try very hard to respond to what our customers want us to do. So, we can only hope to provide things that are more satisfactory for both old and new customers, no matter how big or small our competitors happen to be.”
3. How does Johnson Lumber last another 100 years?
“It won’t be by the same the ways that we lasted for the first 100 years because retailing is always changing. But some principles remain for all time. We will have to supply what, where, when and how the customer wants things to happen. And if we do it a little better than the other folks nearby, we will last for a long time.”
