Samuel Plato Collection
Title
Samuel Plato Collection
Description
Samuel Plato (1882-1957) was a prominent African-American architect and builder. He 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.
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.
Source
PC16.0102, Samuel Plato Collection, The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, Kentucky
Date
circa 1880s-1958
Type
Collection
Identifier
PC16.0102
Coverage
20th century
1920s
