Vertner Woodson Tandy Becomes First Licensed Black Architect in New York

Vertner Woodson Tandy became the first Black person licensed as an architect in New York State around 1909, and in the 1910s received major commissions including St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Harlem and Madam C.J. Walker's Villa Lewaro estate. Tandy co-founded Alpha Phi Alpha and used his professional platform to advocate for Black inclusion in architecture and the building trades.