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With its unique concrete sunshade structure, the Civic Pool House in Wichita, Kansas, makes a distinctive modernist statement among the older Victorian Renaissance and Art Deco buildings that dot the McAdams neighborhood northeast of downtown.
The building was built in 1969 and designed by Charles McAfee, one of the most important African-American architects in the United States. Known for its modernist design aesthetic, McPhee also works to address social inequality, with a focus on affordable housing. He served as president of the National Organization of Minority Architects in the 1970s and was elected a fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1981.
So when the water complex faced closure due to budget shortfalls in 2017, local supporters launched a successful campaign to save the architect’s creation. The city eventually renamed it after McAfee.
Today, the Charles McAfee Pool and Pool House is one of eight grantees of the Preserving Black Modernism program, part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Heritage Action Fund.The initiative, funded by a $3.1 million grant from the Getty Foundation, is an ambitious attempt to promote and preserve the work of African American modernist designers and architects
“We are committed to rebuilding a new national identity and advancing the work of Black architects and designers on historic modern sites across the United States,” said Brent Leggs, executive director and senior officer at the African American Heritage Action Fund. Conservation planning, training and storytelling at sporting sites.” Vice President, National Trust.
Loeb Fellow and author at Harvard University Preserving African American Historic SitesLegges said the fund’s primary goal is to promote the role of cultural preservation in telling the nation’s complete history while empowering activists, entrepreneurs, artists and civic leaders to represent African American historic places.
“Black architects and designers played an important role in helping shape the modern architectural movement in America, yet their contributions have been largely ignored,” Leges added. “Our efforts at the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund aim to change that.”
Since its founding in 2017, the African American Cultural Action Fund has raised more than $91 million and provided financial support to 242 preservation projects across the country, including homes, museums and landscapes that represent African American cultural heritage. Since 2018, Action Fund state grants have invested a total of $20 million.
While the Getty Foundation has long supported programs that support the preservation of modern architecture in the United States and around the world, Preserving Black Modernism is the first time the foundation has provided financial support for the preservation of modernist buildings designed by black architects.
Joan Weinstein, director of the Getty Foundation, said in announcing the partnership that the program aims to highlight the achievements of African-American architects and designers, which she believes are undervalued.
“Until we recognize the extraordinary contributions of black architects and designers, our understanding of American modernism will remain incomplete,” Weinstein said in announcing the partnership with Action Fund and the Black Heritage Network. “These grants will protect important sites, provide training for those who care for them, and reveal new stories for all of us about the talent and resilience of Black architects in twentieth-century America.”
Preserving Black Modernism recently called for grant applications for the 2024 program. The group expects to announce new grantees later this year.
Below are eight modernist buildings designed by African-American architects that have received funding through the Black Modernist Architecture Program.
Charles McAfee Pools and Pool Houses – Wichita, KS
The Charles McAfee Pool House, built in 1969 with a unique modular sunshade structure, was designed by black architect Charles McAfee, a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects ( One of the founding members of NOMA. Funds will be used to develop a conservation plan to guide the future maintenance and long-term care of the site.
Watts Happening Cultural Center – Los Angeles, California
Designed by African-American architects Robert Kennard and Arthur Silvers, the Watts Occurrence Cultural Center is a center for black arts and culture in the Watts neighborhood of South Los Angeles. Funding will be used to develop a historic building report and conservation plan to guide future restoration and planning for the cultural centre, which is home to the historic Mafundi Institute and other community organisations.
Carson City Hall Building – Carson, California
With its organic, nautical-style form and influences from Spanish Rancho and Japan, Carson City Hall was designed by Black architect Robert Kennard, whose firm was the oldest Black American architecture firm in Los Angeles. The Historic Structures Report will provide information to address architectural and landscape conservation needs and enhance public education programming to increase awareness of the significance of the site.
First Baptist Church West – Charlotte, NC
First Baptist West Church is considered the oldest black Baptist church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was founded by Charlotte’s first black mayor and the first African American student admitted to Clemson University. Designed by Harvey Gantt. A comprehensive plan will preserve the history of the temple through necessary restoration of the roof and baptistery area.
Education Wing of Fourth Baptist Church – Richmond, VA
Founded in 1859, Fourth Baptist Church is one of the oldest black churches in Virginia. The church’s modernist educational wing was designed by Ethel Bailey Furman, Virginia’s first black female architect. Furman was self-taught and designed approximately 200 homes and churches in Virginia and two churches in Liberia. A report on the historic structure with limited capital restoration will provide the congregation with the information needed to preserve the Education Wing and educate future generations about the pioneering legacy of Ethel Bailey Furman.
Jenkins Hall, Morgan State University – Baltimore, MD
Jenkins Hall, named for the university’s former president, was designed by Louis Edwin Fry, the first African American to earn a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University. Morgan State University will complete a conservation management plan and reuse study to determine the best future use for the building while preserving its enduring history.
Second Baptist Education Building of Detroit – Detroit, MI
Second Baptist Church of Detroit is home to the oldest black church in Michigan. Founded in 1836, the church played an important role in the social and political life of generations of Detroit’s black residents. The church further expanded its educational influence with the 1968 modernist education building designed by renowned black architect Nathan Johnson. A comprehensive building assessment and limited capital repairs will provide the congregation with the necessary framework to preserve the educational building for future generations.
Zion Baptist Church-Philadelphia, PA
Famous black architect Walter Livingston, Jr. designed Zion Baptist Church in the early 1970s. Featuring a striking skylight wall of colorful staggered glass panels that rise above a brick first floor, the church reflects its rich civil rights history and was led by civil rights leader Rev. Leon Sullivan. A comprehensive architectural assessment and conservation plan will provide a roadmap to protect and preserve this important historic church and community treasure.
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