John McDonald

John "Jack" McDonald was a Canadian-American architect who primarily practised in Omaha, Nebraska, from 1884 to 1955.

Early life and education McDonald was born on April 22, 1861, in Prince Edward Island, Canada, as the second of eleven children, all of whom were raised on the family farm. His parents were of Scottish descent. In 1880, McDonald was admitted into McGill University, Montreal, where he wrote his undergraduate thesis on municipal water systems. In mid 1883, he worked as a civil engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway and in 1884, he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in civil engineering before moving to Omaha.

Career Following his graduation from McGill, McDonald moved to Omaha in 1884. In 1886, he began a partnership with fellow architect and classmate David Ogilvy. Although Ogilvy moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1890, both continued to work together until 1892. McDonald and Ogilvy primarily worked on residential projects such as the Barker Building in downtown Omaha. In 1892, McDonald began working on the estate of his close friend George Joslyn. The estate, Lynhurst, now known as Joslyn Castle, was completed in 1903. McDonald simultaneously worked on the estate, the Nebraska and Apiary buildings for the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, and a number of residential projects during the turn-of-the-century Omaha housing boom.

In 1917 McDonald began partnering with his son, Alan McDonald. Their first joint project, First Unitarian Church of Omaha, was completed in 1916.

In 1947, Alan McDonald became ill and died of a heart attack at age 56. His father retired shortly after, closing the firm in 1950.

Selected works Joslyn Castle, 1893 Nebraska and apiary buildings at the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, 1898 Bradford–Pettis House, 1910 Forest Lawn Memorial Park Chapel, 1913 Hill Hotel, 1919 Medical Arts Building, 1920 First Unitarian Church, 1917 Standard Oil Red Crown Service Station, 1922 Benson High School, 1926 Joslyn Memorial, 1931 Beth El Synagogue, 1940

Personal life and death In 1890, John McDonald married 24-year-old law clerk Martha Tibbits. They moved to 3102 Woolworth Avenue in Hanscom Park. Their first and only child, Alan McDonald, was born in 1890.