Photo Record
Images
Additional Images [62]
Metadata
Title |
Samuel Plato Photograph Collection |
Collection |
Samuel Plato Photograph Collection |
Catalog Number |
999PC35 |
Date |
ca. 1880s-1958 |
Description |
*Click Media button above for full item list (in-house only)* Collection of photographs from Samuel Plato (1882-1957), a prominent African-American architect and builder. Plato designed and built a wide variety of buildings including Greek Revival and Craftsman style houses, elaborate mansions, post offices, banks, churches, theaters, office buildings and government housing projects. Plato was the first African-American architect to receive a government contract to build a U.S. post office in Decatur, AL and one of the few who received government defense housing projects during World War II. He has eight buildings on the National Register of Historic Places including his Phillipsburg, NJ Post Office and Louisville's Broadway Temple A.M.E. Zion Church. The collection contains photographs of Samuel Plato, his first wife, Nettie Lusby Plato (1879-1924), his second wife, Elnora Davis Plato (1891-1975) and other family members and friends, most of whom are not identified. It also has construction photos of post offices in Coatesville, PA, East Rochester, NY, New Philadelphia, OH, Homer, NY, Horseheads, NY, Angola, NY, Phillipsburg, NJ, Medina, NY, Morgantown, WVA, Cooperstown, NY, Greensburg, PA and Decatur, AL. Defense housing projects represented in the collection include Langston Stadium in Washington, DC, Fincastle Heights in Louisville, KY, and Sparrows Point in Dundalk, MD. Residences designed or built by Plato in the collection are the J.M. Hammon house in Louisville, the J.Woodrow Wilson house which is now known as the "Hathaway House" and the Platonian Apartments, both in Marion, Indiana. Other projects in Louisville include Simmons University Boys Dormitory, Broadway Temple A.M.E. Church, Virginia Avenue Colored School, the Chestnut St. Y.M.C.A., St. Augustine Catholic Church, the Westover subdivision and the Grand Theater. Indiana projects represented include Odd Fellows Hall - Mississinewa Lodge, 1st Friends Church, 1st U.B. Church and the Pure Milk Company. Images scanned: Langston Stadium House Project, Washington DC - Samuel & Elnora Plato, (999PC35.1, .2, .33, .146, .158, .172) Elnora Plato, (999PC35.20, .21, .52, .56, .62, .546, .583) Coatesvillle, PA Post Office, 1933 construction, (999PC35.28, .547) East Rochester, NY, June 1, 1937, (999PC35.31) Grand Theater, Domestic Life Bldg., (999PC35.34, .599) Alfred Corning Clark Gymnasium, Cooperstown, NY, (999PC35.35) New Philadelphia, OH Post Office, construction, (999PC35.38, .603) Simmons University boys Dorm, 1923, later stages of construction, (999PC35.39) First Friends Church, Marion IN, interior, (999PC35.40) Homer, NY Post Office, 1938, (999PC35.41) Ridley Building, 812 West Walnut Street, Louisville, Ky., (999PC35.42) Pure Mile Co. in Marion, In, Samuel Plato was the contractor, (999PC35.43) Horseheads, HY Post Office, 1939, rear view of building, (999PC35.44) Angola, NY Post Office, Samuel Plalto, contractor, 1939, rear view of building, (999PC35.45) J. Woodrow Wilson House in Marion In, Now known as the Hathaway House, (999PC35.46) YMCA Chestnut St. Branch, Louisville, KY, proposed architect's drawing, (999PC35.47) St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, 1303 West Broadway, Louisville, interior, (999PC35.48) Samuel Plato with three men at the Walihaia Aapt. Hotel in Atlanta, GA, (999PC35.57) Phillipsburg, NJ Post Office excavation, (999PC35.63, .71, .151, .152, .592) Medina, NY, Post Office, construction, (999PC35.83, .85) Fincastle Heights Defense Housing Project, off of Poplar Level Road, (999PC35.86, .587) Sparrows Point Defense Housing Project, Dundalk, MD, completed building, (999PC35.95) Morgantown, WV Post Office, construction, (999PC35.118) Wayne, Post Office (?), scaffolding of building under construction, (999PC35.121) Ft. Thomas KY Post Office (?) front view, (999PC35.125) Atlanta University Administration Building, drawing, (999PC35.133) Cooperstown, NY Post Office, Sept, 1, 1936, lobby, (999PC35.144A) Lowville, NY Post Office, lobby interior, (999PC35.145) Samuel & Elnora Plato with group of men and women at a project, (999PC35.154) Plato Home, 2509 West Walnut, (999PC35.283) Samuel Plato at celebration honoring the Westover Subdivision in Louisville, (999PC35.443) Platonian Apartments in Marion IN, 1935, (999PC35.465) Samuel & Elnora Plato, (999PC35.484) State Normal School Class of 1902, Samuel Plato is on the back row, 2nd from left, (999PC35.544) New Philadelphia, OH Post Office, Samuel Plato at construction site, (999PC35.548, .603) Virginia Avenue Colored School, 3628 Virginia Ave., Louisville, (999PC35.563) Simmons University Boys Dorm, 1923 Convention, (999PC35.564) Nettie M. Plato, (999PC35.575) National Guard Armory, Xenia, OH (999PC35.576) Greensburg, PA Post Office, 1934 Construction , (999PC35.582) Homer, NY Post Office, 1937, Excavation photo with Samuel Plato (999PC35.585) Fincastle Heights Defense Housing Project, off of Poplar Level Road, Louisville, (999PC35.587) J. M. Hammon's house at 2418 West Madison St., Loouisville, front view, (999PC35.589) Morgantown, WVA Post Office, fron view of completed building, (999PC35.590) Westover Subdivision Southwestern Parkway, (999PC.592, .593, .596) Broadway Temple A.M.E. Zion Church, 662 13th Street, Louisville, (999PC35.597) Decatur, AL Post Office, 1920, (999PC35.598) Domestic Life Bldg, 601 West Walnut St., Louisville, KY (999PC35.600) Evelyn B. Smith (1896-1937) in Red Cross nurse uniform, (999PC35.601) First U.B. Church, Wabash, IN, First Floor drawing, (999PC35.602) Odd Fellows Hall, Mississinewa Lodge, Marion, IN, (999PC35.604) Postcard of 1st Baptist Church, IN, (999PC35.678) Postcard of Homer, NY Post Office, (999PC35.679) Postcard of Greensburg, PA Post Office, (999PC35.80) Samuel Plato, (999PC35.681) |
Search Terms |
African Americans Architecture Banks and banking Black history Buildings Business enterprises Church buildings Dwellings Housing Indiana Kentucky - Jefferson County Kentucky - Louisville Neighborhoods Portraits Postal service Stores, Retail Theaters Universities and colleges World War (1939-1945) Young Men's Christian associations |