page_title: John M. Donaldson
section_title: Success in Detroit
hierarchical_section_title: John M. Donaldson / Success in Detroit
caption_attribution_description: English: Statue of Pere Marquette at the Detroit City Hall
context_page_description: John M. Donaldson was an American architect and artist born on January 17, 1854, in Stirling, Scotland. Donaldson was principal designer of the successful Detroit-based architectural firm Donaldson and Meier from 1880 onwards.
context_section_description: He returned to Detroit and in 1874 was invited to produce architectural sculpture for the Detroit City Hall then being built.  For this building Donaldson made a model of a statue of Pere Marquette that was carved in stone by Julius Melchers.  When the building was demolished in the 1950s the statue was salvaged and now stands on the campus of Wayne State University.
  In 1878 Donaldson joined in  partnership with architect Henry T. Brush, but Brush's death a year later in 1879 ended it.  In 1882, Donaldson married Charlotte Grosvenor Brush, his former partner's widow.  In 1880, he formed a partnership with Henry J. Meier, Donaldson and Meier. Though Meier died in 1917, the firm continued as Donaldson and Meier until the 1970s.
  Donaldson was a member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Sculpture Society.
  In 1900, Donaldson wrote a letter for the Detroit Century Box time capsule.
caption: Statue of Pere Marquette at the Detroit City Hall
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