Romulus C. Archer

Romulus Cornelius Archer Jr. (March 11, 1890 – November 29, 1968) was an American architect.[1] An African American,[2] 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.

Romulus C. Archer
Born
Romulus Cornelius Archer Jr.

March 11, 1890
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
DiedNovember 29, 1968
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Burial placeArlington National Cemetery
OccupationArchitect
SpouseNettie Archer

He was born in Norfolk, Virginia.[3] His father was Romulus Cornelius Archer and his mother Mary Poindexter Archer.[3] He married teacher and civil rights leader Louise Archer in 1915.[4]

Architect James Alonzo Plater began his career working for Archer[5] 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.[3]

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[11]

Works
Mount Zion Baptist Church, Arlington VA, in 2022

Selected works include:

References
  1. Romulus C. Archer Jr., 77, Architect Here for 40 Years." Washington Post, 1 December 1968, p. B6.
  2. Dreck Spurlock Wilson, African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. London: Routledge-Taylor & Francis Books, 2004., p. 12-14
  3. Archer, Romulus Cornelius, Jr. (1890-1968) data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
  4. "Louise A. Reeves Archer · Virginia Changemakers". edu.lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  5. Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (March 2004). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. ISBN 9781135956295.
  6. Plater, James Alonzo (1908-1965) data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
  7. Holloway, John Bunyan, Jr. (1913-1993) data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
  8. The African American Architects & Builders of Eastland Gardens pdf
  9. Eastland Gardens brochure
  10. "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. 16 June 1955.
  11. "Burial detail: Archer, Romulus C". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  12. Liebertz, John (2016). "A Guide to the African-American Heritage of Arlington County Virginia" (PDF). Arlington County. Historic Preservation Program. p. 30. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
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