On this day in Arlington history, November 25, 1884 James Elwood Donaldson was born. This Donaldson was a fifth generation descendant of ensign John Ball who fought in the Revolutionary War and whose father was Moses Ball (a very early settler of Arlington’s Glencarlyn neighborhood).
James was born in Washington, D.C. and died there but spent all of his working life in Arlington working at the A.F. Jorss Iron Works at 300 10th Street in what is now Crystal City.
James began work there at 15. After serving in the Navy during World War I, he returned and worked there until he received his 50-year gold watch in 1949. He continued working at Jorss supervising the equipment stockroom until his death in 1964. James Donaldson was truly the iron man of the iron works, having worked there for 64 years.
He likely had a hand in making the crosses that are on the windows of the Red Cross Building in DC, and the entrance to the GWU Government Building to name but a few. This man is a testament to a hardworking founding family of Arlington and to A.F. Jorss Iron Works, one of the many successful companies that called Arlington home.
He and his wife Virginia had two daughters Beulah and Marion. James died in 1964 and is buried at Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Brentwood, Maryland.
