You’re now standing in front of the impressive Jordan School, a grand, three-story brick building with enough character to make even the nearby Bates College campus do a double take. Check out those big arched windows, Romanesque entryways, and granite trim-they’re all straight out of the Italian Renaissance playbook, thanks to architect William R. Miller. It’s almost like the building is showing off, isn’t it? No wonder it earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places back in 1984.
Imagine the year is 1902. Lewiston’s teenagers are trading their previous classrooms, first above today’s Dingley Building and then on Main Street, for this shiny, purpose-built high school. Picture the clamor of students arriving, shoes tapping on the granite steps, excited about their new school. The Jordan School wasn’t just another schoolhouse-it was Lewiston’s first real high school building, designed for just that purpose.
The building owes its name to Lyman G. Jordan, who was a legend around here: 15 years as the first high school principal and a Bates College professor who could probably outthink the average chemistry set. He even served on the Lewiston school board, so you could say he wore a few hats-hopefully not all at once.
After serving Lewiston’s older students for almost thirty years, the building shifted gears in 1931, becoming a junior high where younger voices filled the halls with laughter, the scratch of chalk, and the dreaded pop quizzes. The party lasted until 1983, when the building retired from school duty and swapped backpack-toting kids for apartment dwellers. It’s still a home today-though probably to fewer algebra tests and cafeteria mysteries!
As you stand here, think of all the generations who learned, played, and maybe even plotted their next big prank inside these walls. The Jordan School’s story is truly a brick-and-mortar reminder of learning, community, and just a little bit of local flair.
