Albert Jordan

Fort Street Church, Detroit, 1853.
Jefferson Avenue Church, Detroit, 1854.
St. John's Church, Detroit, 1860.
Trinity Church, Portland, 1871.

Albert Jordan, or Albert H. Jordan (c. 1821[1] – 1872), was an American architect known primarily for his work in Detroit, Michigan.

Jordan was born in England around 1821. In 1852 he followed his brother, Octavius Jordan, also an architect, to the United States. Joining his brother in Hartford, he became a partner in his firm, O. & A. Jordan. That same year he traveled to Detroit to open a western office, with Octavius remaining in Hartford. The brothers' partnership was dissolved in 1854, with Albert Jordan remaining in Detroit.[2]

Jordan remained in independent practice until 1856. That year he made James Anderson, one of his draftsmen, a partner. The firm of Jordan & Anderson lasted until 1861, when Jordan departed for San Francisco.[3] He was pushed there under the economic pressure of the Civil War, which limited architectural opportunities in Detroit. Jordan remained in San Francisco for a decade, when he left again, this time for Portland. He continued to practice architecture, and died in that city in 1872.[4]

The firm of Jordan & Anderson was selected in 1861 as the architects of the new Detroit City Hall. Plans were drawn, but construction did not move ahead. When this now-demolished building went forward in 1867, James Anderson was the sole architect.[5]

  1. ^ "United States Census, 1860". FamilySearch. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  2. ^ Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin. 1991.
  3. ^ Ferry, W. Hawkins. The Buildings of Detroit: A History. 1980.
  4. ^ Morning Oregonian, April 30, 1872: 1.
  5. ^ Austin, Dan. "Old City Hall. http://www.historicdetroit.org/. n.d. Web.