John Anderson Lankford | |
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| Born | December 4, 1874 Potosi, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | July 2, 1946 (1946-07-03) (aged 71) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Lincoln Memorial Cemetery,Suitland, Maryland |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Shaw University Morris Brown College Wilberforce University |
| Occupation | Architect |
John A. Lankford (December 4, 1874 – July 2, 1946), American architect.[1] He was the first professionally licensedAfrican American architect in Virginia in 1922 and in the District of Columbia in 1924. He has been regarded as the "dean of black architecture".[2]
John Lankford was born on a farm nearPotosi, Missouri, on December 4, 1874. He attendedLincoln Institute andTuskegee Institute,historically black colleges. He studied architectural and mechanical drawing from the International Correspondence School. He earned aBachelor of Science fromShaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1898. He earnedMaster of Science degrees fromMorris Brown College andWilberforce University.
He married Charlotte Josephine Upshaw in 1901. She was a granddaughter ofHenry McNeal Turner, a bishop of theAfrican Methodist Episcopal church, the first independent black denomination founded in the United States.
In 1902, Lankford moved toWashington, D.C., to finish the design of theTrue Reformer Building. He was appointed supervising architect for theAfrican Methodist Episcopal denomination. He organized theNational Negro Business League chapter in Washington, D.C., in 1905, and served as president of theNational Technical Association from 1941 to 1942.[3] HisSouthern Aid Society building inRichmond, Virginia is considered the "first exclusively African American office building in the country, being the result of a collaboration between a black patron, architect, and contractor."[4] ArchitectFrancis Eugene Griffin worked under Lankford in his early career.[5]
He lived and worked at 1448 Q Street, NW, in Washington, D.C.
Lankford died on July 2, 1946, in Washington, D.C., and is buried at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery inSuitland, Maryland.[3]
Buildings he designed include:
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