Clarence Wesley "Cap" Wigington (1883-1967) was an American

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

who grew up in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. After winning three first prizes in charcoal, pencil, and pen and ink at an art competition during the

Trans-Mississippi Exposition The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coa ...

in 1899, Wigington went on to become a renowned architect across the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

, at a time when African-American architects were few. Wigington was the nation's first black municipal architect, serving 34 years as senior designer for the City of

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

's architectural office when the city had an ambitious building program. Sixty of his buildings still stand in St. Paul, with several recognized on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Wigington's architectural legacy is one of the most significant bodies of work by an African-American architect.Taylor, D.V. (2002) p 4.

Biography

Clarence Wesley Wigington was born in

Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...

, in 1883, but his family soon moved to Omaha, where he was raised in North Omaha's Walnut Hill neighborhood. After graduating from Omaha High School at the age of 15, Wigington left an Omaha art school in 1902 to work for

Thomas R. Kimball Thomas Rogers Kimball (April 19, 1862 – September 7, 1934) was an American architect in Omaha, Nebraska. An architect-in-chief of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha in 1898, he served as national President of the American Institute o ...

, then president of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

. After six years he started his own office. In 1910 Wigington was listed by the U.S. Census as one of only 59 African-American architects, artists and draftsmen in the country. While in Omaha, Wigington designed the

Broomfield Rowhouse The Broomfield Rowhouse is located at 2502-2504 Lake Street in the Near North Side neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. It was designed by African American architect Clarence W. Wigington, who was later regarded as a master in his field. His desi ...

, Zion Baptist Church, and the second St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church building, along with several other single and multiple family dwellings. After marrying Viola Williams, Wigington received his first public commission, to design a small brick

potato chip A potato chip (North American English; often just chip) or crisp (British and Irish English) is a thin slice of potato that has been either deep fried, baked, or air fried until crunchy. They are commonly served as a snack, side dish, or appe ...

factory in

Sheridan, Wyoming Sheridan is a town in the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Sheridan County. The town is located halfway between Yellowstone Park and Mount Rushmore by U.S. Route 14 and 16. It is the principal town of the Sheridan, Wyoming, Micropol ...

. He ran the establishment for several years. It was in

where Wigington created a national reputation. He moved there in 1914 and by 1917 was promoted to the position of senior architectural designer for the City of St. Paul. During the 1920s and '30s, Wigington designed most of the

Saint Paul Public Schools Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is a school district (ISD #625) that operates in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Saint Paul Public Schools is the state's largest school district and serves approximately 38,380 students. The district runs 67 different sc ...

buildings, as well as golf clubhouses, fire stations, park buildings, airports for the city. Other Wigington structures include the

Highland Park Tower The Highland Park Water Tower is a water tower in the Highland Park area of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It was designed by Clarence W. Wigington, the nation's first African-American municipal architect. The tower was listed on the Nat ...

, the Holman Field Administration Building and the Harriet Island Pavilion, all now listed on the

, as well as the

Roy Wilkins Auditorium Roy Wilkins Auditorium (nicknamed The Roy) is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed by the renowned municipal architect Clarence W. Wigington, it was built in 1932 as an arena extension to the existing ''St. Paul Audi ...

. Wigington also designed monumental ice palaces for the St. Paul Winter Carnival in the 1930s and '40s. Wigington was among the 13 founders of the Sterling Club, a social club for railroad

porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., ...

bellboy A bellhop (North America), or hotel porter (international), is a hotel employee who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform (see bell-boy hat), like certain other page boys or doormen. This occupa ...

s, waiters, drivers and other black men. He founded the Home Guards of Minnesota, an all-black militia established in 1918 when

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...

prohibited his entry into the Minnesota National Guard during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. As the leader of that group, he was given the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, from which the nickname "Cap" was derived. After retiring from the City of St. Paul in 1949, Wigington began a private architectural practice in California. Soon after moving to

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

in 1967, he died on July 7.

Notable designs

As senior architect for the city, Wigington designed schools, fire stations, park structures and municipal buildings. Aside from his work in Omaha, Wigington also designed the building which originally hosted the

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county *Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...

. Nearly 60 Wigington-designed buildings still stand in St. Paul. They include the notable Highland Park Clubhouse, Cleveland High School, Randolph Heights Elementary School, and the downtown St. Paul Police Station, in addition to the Palm House and the Zoological Building at the

Como Park Zoo The Como Park Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory (or just Como Zoo and Conservatory) are located in Como Park at 1225 Estabrook Drive, Saint Paul, Minnesota. The park, zoo and conservatory are owned by the City of Saint Paul and are a divisio ...

Legacy

Sixty of his buildings still stand in Saint Paul, with four recognized by listing on the

. His architectural legacy constitutes one of the most significant bodies of work by an African-American architect. Renamed to honor Wigington in 1998, the Harriet Island Pavilion is now called the Clarence W. Wigington Pavilion."National Register of Historic Places - Clarence W. Wigington (Harriet Island) Pavilion"
. Minnesota State Historical Society. Retrieved 10/10/07.

References

*Olson, Bob, ''A Water Tower, A Pavilion And Three National Historic Sites - Clarence Wigington And The Historical Legacy He Left To The People Of St Paul'', Ramsey County History Quarterly V34 #4, Ramsey County Historical Society,St Paul, MN, 2000.

External links

*
Clarence Wigington in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia
*
Wigington Pemberton Family papers, N194
Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis, MN.
Cap Wigington, St. Paul's architect
interview of Dr. Annette Atkins on Minnesota Public Radio
A Biography of "Cap" Clarence Wigington
by Linda Williams for NorthOmahaHistory.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Wigington, Clarence W. 1883 births 1967 deaths African-American architects 20th-century American architects African-American history of Minnesota African-American life in Omaha, Nebraska Architects from Nebraska People from Lawrence, Kansas Artists from Omaha, Nebraska People from Omaha, Nebraska Architects from Saint Paul, Minnesota African-American history of Nebraska Omaha Central High School alumni 20th-century African-American artists

Biography

Notable designs

Legacy

See also

References

External links