Wallace Rayfield

Wallace A. Rayfield (born Macon, Georgia around May 10, 1874—1941) was the second formally educated practicing African American architect in the United States.

Biography

Rayfield graduated from Pratt Institute, Columbia University in 1899 with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. Upon graduation, he was recruited by Booker T. Washington to the Directorship of the Architectural and Mechanical Drawing Department at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In 1907, Rayfield opened a professional office in Tuskegee from which he sold mail-order plans nationwide. He also advertised "branch offices" in Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and Talladega, Alabama and Atlanta, Savannah, Macon and Augusta, Georgia.

He left Tuskegee Institute and moved to Birmingham in 1908 to focus on his young practice. He was elected as Superintending Architect for the Freedman's Aid Society and Connectional Architect of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.

Notable works

• 16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, 1911
• T.C. Windham Construction Company Office Building, Birmingham, Alabama, 1912
• 32nd Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, 1924
• 6th Avenue Baptist Church, Birmingham
• Trinity Baptist Church, Birmingham
• Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church, Birmingham
• Ebenezer Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois
• St Paul's Episcopal Church, Batesville, Arkansas
• Trinity Building, South Africa
• Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Pensacola, Florida
• Morning Star Baptist Church, Demopolis, Alabama
• Marlinton Methodist Church, Marlinton, West Virginia
• Marlinton Presbyterian Church, Marlinton, West Virginia
• Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, Milton, Florida
• Madame Clisby Residence, Birmingham
• Dr A. M. Brown Residence, Birmingham
• R. A. Blount Residence, Birmingham
• Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church, Laurens, SC
• First Missionary Baptist Church, Decatur, AL

See also

• Robert R. Taylor, the first professionally trained African American architect in the United States
• William Sidney Pittman and Vetner Tandy, students of Rayfield's

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) "A Pioneering African-American Architect in Alabama: Wallace A. Rayfield, 1874–1941." 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 ISBN 978-0-8173-1683-9
• Ward, Logan (January/February 2011) "Rediscovering Mr. Rayfield: The legacy of a pioneering African American architect is being restored by an indefatigable Southern Baptist preacher" Preservation

External links

• Wallace A. Rayfield site by Allen R. Durough
• Wallace Rayfield at BhamWiki.com