William Sidney Pittman
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Pioneer African American Architect William Sidney Pittman was born in Montgomery, Alabama on April 21, 1875. Pittman attended segregated public schools in Montgomery and Birmingham before enrolling at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1892 at the age of 17. In 1897, Pittman entered the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry and graduated in 1900 with a focus on architecture and mechanical drawing. For a short time, Pittman worked at the Tuskegee Institute and then moved to Washington, D.C. To open a private architectural practice. During this time, he designed numerous public buildings and gained recognition as one of the most accomplished black architects in America. In 1907, he married Portia Washington, daughter of Booker T. Washington, founder of the Tuskegee Institute, and in 1913, they moved to Dallas where Pittman operated an office from their home. While in Dallas, Pittman designed many buildings, including the 1916 Pythian Temple, built to serve as the state headquarters for the black fraternal organization, the Knights of Pythias. The building was financed by the black citizens of Dallas and served as the social gathering place for the community. Pittman also designed St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Dallas, Joshua Chapel A.M.E. Church in Waxahachie and Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church in Fort Worth, along with other buildings. Pittman designed dozens of buildings in the U.S., including 14 known works in Texas. He also published the newspaper Brotherhood Eyes. He died in 1958 and was buried at Glen Oaks (later Pinkston) Cemetery. Pittman is remembered as the first practicing African American architect in Texas and still serves as an inspiration to future generations. (2008)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Reconstruction-era Alabama in 1875, William Sidney Pittman rose from segregated schools to study at Tuskegee and the Drexel Institute, becoming one of the most accomplished Black architects in America. After a Washington practice and marriage to Booker T. Washington's daughter Portia, he settled in Dallas in 1913, where he designed churches, the Pythian Temple, and other buildings financed and used by the city's Black citizens. Remembered as the first practicing African American architect in Texas, he also published the newspaper Brotherhood Eyes before his death in 1958.
Why it matters
Pittman's career shows how Black professionals carved out achievement and dignity within the constraints of the Jim Crow South, leaving landmarks built by and for African American communities across Texas.
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Related people
- · William Sidney Pittman
- · Portia Washington
- · Booker T. Washington
Themes & tags
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