Nordan's

Nordan's. Established 1902. William Irvin Nordan and Lewis Washington Nordan were brothers and partners in a mercantile business in Abbeville, Alabama prior to 1901. In 1901, William Irvine and Lewis Washington deeded a "brick store house" in the present location to Charlie Jackson Nordan who was Lewis Washington's son. This store building burned and was rebuilt twice prior to 1947 when Charlie Jackson deeded the store building to his son, William Wayne Nordan, with the stipulation that Charlie Jackson (C.J.), who served 56 years as the Justice of the Peace in Henry County, "reserves the right to keep his JP office in said building with all the privileges necessary to operate same, so long as he lives, and I reserve the right to say where said office shall be kept in said building." Many marriages were solemnized and many traffic fines were paid in the JP office in the back of the store. Nordan's Department Store was owned and operated from 1947 until 1978 by Wayne William Nordan and his wife, Emma Jean Vick (Vicki) Nordan. The building remained in the Nordan family until 2004 when it was purchased by James W. Rane.