Wallace Augustus Rayfield (1874–1941), also known as W.A. Rayfield, was an American architect and educator. He was the second formally educated practicing

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

architect in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Early life and education

Wallace Augustus Rayfield was born around May 10, 1874 in Bibb County near

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

. Rayfield attended schools in

before moving to Washington, D.C. to live with his aunt after the death of his mother. He was an apprentice at an architectural firm A. B. Mullett and Co. while attending

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

in Washington, D.C. Rayfield received a B.S. degree in 1896 in

classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

from Howard University. He then completed a graduate certificate in 1898 from

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

, before earning his bachelor of architecture (B. Arch) in architecture from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1899.

Career

Upon graduation, he was recruited by

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, and orator. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the primary leader in the African-American community and of the contemporary Black elite#United S ...

to the role Directorship of the Architectural and Mechanical Drawing Department at

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU; formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute) is a Private university, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It was f ...

(now Tuskegee University) in Tuskegee, Alabama. His students included

William Sidney Pittman William Sidney Pittman (April 21, 1875 – March 14, 1958) was an American architect who designed several notable buildings, such as the Zion Baptist Church and the nearby Deanwood Chess House in the Deanwood neighborhood of Washington, D.C. He w ...

, and

Vertner Woodson Tandy Vertner Woodson Tandy (May 17, 1885 – November 7, 1949) was an American architect. He was one of the seven founders (commonly referred to as "The Seven Jewels") of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at Cornell University in 1906. He was the first Afri ...

."W. Sidney and Portia Washington Pittman House, Prince George's County, Historic Site Summary Sheet: Section 8: Significance.
/ref> In 1907, Rayfield opened a professional office in Tuskegee, Alabama from which he sold mail-order plans nationwide. He also advertised "branch offices" in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, Montgomery, Mobile and

Talladega, Alabama Talladega (, also ) is the county seat of Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1835. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 15,861. Talladega is approximately east of one of the state's la ...

and

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

, Macon and

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

. He left Tuskegee Institute and moved to Birmingham, Alabama in 1908 to focus on his young practice. He was elected as Superintending Architect for the

Freedman's Aid Society The Freedmen's Aid Society was founded in 1859 during the American Civil War by the American Missionary Association (AMA), a group supported chiefly by the Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist churches in the North. It organized a supply of ...

, and Connectional Architect of the

African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or the AME Zion Church (AMEZ) is a historically African-American Christian denomination based in the United States. It was officially formed in 1821 in New York City, but operated for a number of y ...

. He died on February 28, 1941.

Notable work

* Birmingham Art Club (1908),

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

* Dr. Arthur M. Brown Residence (1908), 319-4th Terrace, Birmingham, Alabama; demolished * Sixth Avenue Baptist Church (1909), 1531-6th Avenue, Birmingham, Alabama *

16th Street Baptist Church The 16th Street Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. In 1963, the church was bombed by Ku Klux Klan members. The bombing killed four young girls in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. The church is stil ...

(1911),

* People's A.M.E. Zion Church (1911),

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...

* T.C. Windham Construction Company Office Building (1912), Birmingham, Alabama * Alabama Penny Savings Bank/Knights of Pythian Temple Building (1913), Birmingham, Alabama *R. A. Blount Residence (1914), 322-6th Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama * 32nd Street Baptist Church (1924), Birmingham, Alabama * Antioch Baptist Church (1926), 956 W. 9th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio * Trinity Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama * Harmony Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama * Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church, Birmingham, Alabama *

Ebenezer Baptist Church Ebenezer Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with the Progressive National Baptist Convention and American Baptist Churches USA. It was the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. was c ...

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

* St Paul's Episcopal Church,

Batesville, Arkansas Batesville is the largest city in and the county seat of Independence County, Arkansas, United States, 80 miles (128 km) northeast of Little Rock, the state capital. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city was 10,268. The c ...

* Trinity Building, South Africa * Mt. Zion Baptist Church,

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

* Morning Star Baptist Church,

Demopolis, Alabama Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, Alabama, Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and Tombigbee ...

* Marlinton Methodist Church,

Marlinton, West Virginia Marlinton is a town in and the county seat of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 998 at the 2020 census. Located along the Greenbrier River, it is known for its scenery. History Marlinton is named for Jacob Marl ...

* Marlinton Presbyterian Church,

* Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church,

Milton, Florida Milton is a city and county seat of Santa Rosa County, Florida, Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. It is located within the Pensacola metropolitan area. The city was first Incorporated in 1844, however certain areas such as East Milton, ...

* Madame Clisby Residence, Birmingham, Alabama * Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church, Laurens, South Carolina * First Missionary Baptist Church, Decatur, Alabama * Pythian Temple Building, Cotton Avenue, Macon, Georgia * St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church, Birmingham, Alabama *First Congregational Church (now part of

Talladega College Talladega College is a Private college, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black college in Talladega, Alabama. It is Alabama's oldest private historically black college and offers 17 degree programs. It is accred ...

), Talladega, Alabama *Dorms at Haven Institute and Conservatory of Music, Meridian, Mississippi

References

* Hamilton, G. P. (1911) "W. A. Rayfield, B. S., Birmingham, Ala." in
Beacon Lights of the Race
'. Memphis, E. H. Clarke & Brother, pp. 451–7 * Brown, Charles A. (1972) ''W. A. Rayfield: Pioneer Black Architect of Birmingham, Ala.'' Birmingham: Gray Printing Company * McKenzie, Vinson. (Fall 1993)

" ''Journal of the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art & Architecture.'' Vol. 13 * Durough, Allan R. (2010) ''The Architectural Legacy of Wallace A. Rayfield: Pioneer Black Architect of Birmingham, Alabama.'' Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press

External links

site by Allen R. Durough at the

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by Internet Archive, an American nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. Launched for public access in 2001, the service allows users to go "back in ...

archived (March 16, 2012) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rayfield, Wallace 1874 births 1941 deaths 20th-century American architects 20th-century African-American people African-American architects Artists from Birmingham, Alabama Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation alumni People from Macon, Georgia Pratt Institute alumni

Early life and education

Career

Notable work

See also

References

External links