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British stone. Paul, Minnesota. — You may not know his name, but if you’ve ever been to São Paulo, you’ve probably seen his work. Behind the work is the story of a talented architect who overcame all odds.
It stands high above the beloved St. Paul neighborhood. Functional and beautiful, this is the Highland Park Water Tower.
What’s striking is its architecture – and the story behind it caught the attention of Tony Simmons.
“I love history. I’ve always been curious about the history of African Americans coming into St. Paul. I met Clarence Wigginton and I was like wow, what an incredibly transformative figure,” Simmons said .
Simmons is the principal of St. Paul’s High School for the Recording Arts, and he brings that history into the present.
“To me, he really represents everything I care about in terms of understanding our history, my history, and the history that my young people need to understand,” he said.
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Wigginton was born in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1883. As a student, he won three drawing competitions at the World’s Fair. In 1914 he became a draftsman and applied for an open job in the city of São Paulo. He outperformed all applicants on a skills test.
“As far as anyone knows, he was the first black municipal architect in the United States,” Simmons said.
Paul Nelson documented Wigginton’s life for the Museum of History.
“Generally speaking, opportunities are limited for black professionals. He succeeded on his own merit, not as a black architect, he just succeeded on his qualifications,” Nelson said.
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The Pavilion at Harriet Island is another example of Wigginton’s classic architecture. There are more than 90 projects in total. He designed five São Paulo Winter Carnival castles. He also built schools and fire stations.
Simmons plans to pass on its timeless structure and timeless lessons to his students.
“I just want all young people to know that when you get this opportunity, take it. Do whatever you can to prove that your contribution can be made. He obviously does that and we do that every day in this building. The city sees that,” Simmons said.
Wigginton’s wife, Viola, urged him to pursue a career as an architect in São Paulo. After working in the city of São Paulo and Los Angeles, he founded a private company. He died in 1967.
You can still find his work throughout São Paulo.
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