 His influence on building practices at Tjust in Småland was such that the characteristic Tjust empire style ("Tjustempiren") was sometimes referred to as the "Jonsson empire style".He also gradually acquired some architectural skills, and was himself behind the design of
a number of buildings including Linköping Savings Bank ("Linköpings Sparbank") and Ljungstedtska school ("Ljungstedtska skolan").The rapid growth of shipping in the mid-19th century led to a need for more lighthouses along the Swedish coasts, and Jonsson was responsible for many new or refurbished lighthouses during the 1840s