Detroit Architects: Rogers & MacFarlane

Founded in 1885 by architects James S. Rogers Jr. and Walter MacFarlane, Rogers & MacFarlane was one of Detroit’s most prominent architectural practices during the city’s late-19th and early-20th-century rise as an industrial powerhouse.

Best known for their rigorous technical training and high appeal with both commercial clients and Detroit’s early elite, Rogers & MacFarlane designed an impressive portfolio of over 200 buildings over the course of their career, ranging from sprawling industrial compounds to stately private residences. 

As for their early years prior to starting a practice together, Rogers received his training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while MacFarlane was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, who later relocated to Detroit to apprentice under noted architect Gordon W. Lloyd.

Once joining forces, Rogers and MacFarlane went on to commission several notable buildings, including:

• The Michigan Central Railroad Depot in Battle Creek
• The Samuel L. Smith House on Woodward Avenue
• The L. B. King & Co. Building
• Trumbull’s Crescent Brass and Pin Co. Building
• The James S. Rogers House on Seminole 
• The Iroquois Hotel in Sault Ste. Marie
• The Morgan & Wright Bicycle Tire Co. plant (later part of Uniroyal) 
• The Cadillac Automobile Co. at Second and Burroughs (the firm’s first automobile factory)

Although only a fraction of these are still standing, the few that are have since become embedded in Detroit’s architectural canon.

You can also find their work in historic residential districts like Indian Village, where they commissioned several homes, including: 

• The Andrew P. Biddle House located at 791 Seminole
• The Edward Jewett House located at 1053 Burns
• The James C. Buckley House located at 1053 Iroquois
• The J. Chandler McLauchlin House located at 1027 Seminole
• The Martin S. Smith II House located at 863 Iroquois
• The Mrs. Mary Holland House located at 1111 Seminole

All of the above homes showcase Rogers & MacFarlane’s mastery of classical and colonial revival styles: balanced geometry, eye-catching façades, intricate detailing, quality masonry work, and enduring craftsmanship that conveys abundance with architectural restraint. 

They were a firm heralded by Detroit’s upper-class – residents who wanted homes that gave off longevity, dignity, and polish — not theatrical excess.

Though the partnership ended abruptly in 1910 after MacFarlane suffered a nervous breakdown, their legacy has remained a foundational part of Detroit’s golden age architectural identity, a reality observable in its most distinguished residential districts.