Pittman, William Sidney
1875-1958 · Contribution: 1907
First African American to receive a federal architectural design contract
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Impact on the world
Became the first African American to receive a federal contract for architectural design, commissioned to design the Negro Building at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition, before establishing a prominent independent practice in Washington, D.C.
Life & background
After studying at Tuskegee Institute and returning to design campus buildings including Rockefeller Hall, Pittman moved to Washington, D.C. to establish his own architecture practice. He became the first African American to receive a federal contract for architectural work, commissioned to design the Negro Building for the 1907 Jamestown Exposition's tercentennial celebration, and went on to design the Fairmount Heights housing development and the Colored Carnegie Library of Houston, Texas.
Sources
- ICC Building Safety Journal (17 Black Architects); Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas Online; BlackPast.org; Drexel University Archives
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