The Black Americans who helped build the United States faced enormous social and economic barriers. In 1930, only about 60 Blacks were listed as registered architects, and many of their buildings have since been lost or radically changed. Although conditions have improved, many feel that Black architects today still lack the recognition they deserve. This page honors some of the most notable Black architects of the 1900s.
Image Courtesy of Ethnic Studies at USC
Paul Williams became renown for designing major buildings such the Los Angeles International Airport and over 2000 homes in Southern California. Many of the most beautiful residences in Hollywood were created by Paul Williams.
Albert I. Cassell shaped many academic communities in the United States. He designed buildings for Howard University in Washington D.C., Morgan State University in Baltimore, and Virginia Union University in Richmond. Cassell also designed and built civic structures for the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.
During a brief yet innovative career, William Sidney Pittman was commissioned to design several important buildings in Washington, DC. Often reaching for the unexpected in his work, Pittman died penniless at the age of 82.
Born in West Africa, Moses McKissack was sold into bondage to William McKissack. As a slave, Moses learned to be a master builder and joined his brother Calvin to form the Nashville, Tennessee firm of McKissack and McKissack. With family members continuing the practice, the firm has designed thousands of facilities.
Norma Merrick Sklarek was the first black woman to become licensed architect in the United States. She was also the first black woman honored by Fellowship in AIA. Her many projects include a new terminal, serving 10 million annual passengers, for Los Angeles International Airport.
Juliun Abele was one of the major American architects, but he never signed his work and it was not publicly acknowledged. Abele's original architectural drawings for Duke University have been described as works of art with exquisite in detail.
Vertner Woodson Tandy was the first registered black architect in New York State and the first Afro-American to belong to the prestigious AIA (American Institute of Architects). Tandy designed landmark homes for some of the wealthiest residents of Harlem.
Cap Wigington was the first registered African American architect in Minnesota and the first African American municipal architect in the United States. He designed schools, fire stations, park structures, municipal buildings, and other important landmarks in St. Paul, Minnesota.
For more than a quarter of a century, Louis Bellinger designed key buildings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, only a handful of his buildings have survived, and all have been altered.
The first African American to become a professional architect in Buffalo New York, John E. Brent designed Buffalo's Michigan Avenue YMCA. The building became a cultural center for the black community in Buffalo.
