Romulus C. Archer
Romulus C. Archer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Romulus Cornelius Archer Jr. March 11, 1890 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1968 (aged 78) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Burial place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse | Louise Archer |
Romulus Cornelius Archer Jr. (March 11, 1890 – November 29, 1968) was an American architect.[1][2] An African American,[3] he is credited with designing Virginia University of Lynchburg (originally Lynchburg Baptist Seminary) in Lynchburg, Virginia and Saint Paul African Union Methodist Church in Washington D.C. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
He was born in Norfolk, Virginia.[4] His father was Romulus Cornelius Archer and his mother Mary Poindexter Archer.[4] He married teacher and civil rights leader Louise Archer in 1915.[5]
Architect James Alonzo Plater began his career working for Archer[3] from 1934 until 1936 before moving to Philadelphia.[6] Architect John B. Holloway Jr. (1913-1983) worked for him briefly circa 1938.[7] Holloway and Archer both designed residences in Eastland Gardens.[8][9] Archer was featured in Jet with a photograph after he won a merit award from the Washington Board of Trade.[10]
Archer's work included residences, commercial buildings, apartment buildings and churches in the northeast Brookland neighborhood of Washington D.C.[4]
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[11]
Works
[edit]
Selected works include:
- Mount Zion Baptist Church (Arlington, Virginia) (1944).[12]
- Saint Paul African Union Methodist Church (1924), Washington, D.C., which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Virginia University of Lynchburg
References
[edit]- ^ Romulus C. Archer Jr., 77, Architect Here for 40 Years." Washington Post, 1 December 1968, p. B6.
- ^ "Romulus Archer, obituary". The Washington Daily News. December 2, 1968. p. 53. OCLC 9186073 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Wilson, Dreck Spurlock, ed. (2004). African-American Architects : A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. New York: Routledge. pp. 18–20. ISBN 978-0-203-49312-0. OCLC 60712152.
- ^ a b c Archer, Romulus Cornelius, Jr. (1890-1968) data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
- ^ "Louise A. Reeves Archer · Virginia Changemakers". edu.lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ Plater, James Alonzo (1908-1965) data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
- ^ Holloway, John Bunyan, Jr. (1913-1993) data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
- ^ The African American Architects & Builders of Eastland Gardens pdf
- ^ Eastland Gardens brochure
- ^ "D.C. Architect Cited". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. June 16, 1955. ISSN 0021-5996. OCLC 1781708.
- ^ "Burial detail: Archer, Romulus C". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ Liebertz, John (2016). "A Guide to the African-American Heritage of Arlington County Virginia" (PDF). Arlington County. Historic Preservation Program. p. 30. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
External links
[edit]- "Romulus Cornelius Archer Jr". Black Architects Archive. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- Wiggins, J. (May 3, 2020). "Romulus Cornelius Archer Jr. (1890-1968)". World War I in Norfolk, VA. Retrieved July 11, 2025.