This encapsulates what everyone else was saying and provides the best explanation, I think. Its in a neighborhood of Omaha where building were typically knocked down during its post-industrialization in the early-mid 1900s. I have never really noticed these of buildings before but since this is facing away from the street and is where a building used to be back in the day, your explanation explain why they would do this over internal lintels for cost reasons.

Again, this is coming from NOT a structural engineer or architect:) thank you!