File:39 John L. Jordan was Brunswick's first mayor.jpg

Summary

John L. Jordan was Brunswick's first mayor. His first term was 1890-92 and second was 1898-1900. Known as Judge Jordan, he also served as county clerk from 1891-1897 and as justice of the peace.

The Jordan House (1855) remains on half of Lot 47 behind the building which is now headquarters of The Brunswick Citizen. Retailer H.N. Werntz replaced John L. Jordan as "king of the hill" on the west side of North Maryland Avenue when he acquired lots 48,49, and 50 in 1919. The two attractive and well-kept houses on Lot 48 remain. The rest of the land to "B" Street was eventually consumed by the bridge approaches and grass median in 1955. Lutman's plat shows a "Still House" in 1791 on this land near the present "B" Street.

Before the 1955 bridge, this area extended across Maryland Avenue and provided a huge space for carnivals. The band shell from City Park was moved there for community gatherings.

(Photo credit - Brunswick History Commission)

Mr. Werntz, the 2nd "king of the hill", was an interesting character. From my understanding, he lived in Baltimore, but spent the week with the Rolnick family in Brunswick. When in Brunswick, he ran his store across from the Roma Inn on Potomac St. (later "the Met"), butchered the Kosher meat in the old synagogue, and owned most of the land from Maryland up to Virginia Avenue before it was hollowed out for the bridge in the early to mid '50s....Peter Wenner