WE BUILT THIS: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina

Preservation North Carolina’s groundbreaking exhibit entitled WE BUILT THIS will come to Greensboro this fall! It will be displayed in the University Galleries located on the campus of NC A&T State University from October 21 to December 9, 2022.

Many of the historic buildings we revere in North Carolina are credited to their owners. Rarely are the people responsible for the labor and craftsmanship recognized. This exhibit seeks to acknowledge the countless African Americans who built the historic buildings we collectively treasure. These individuals were skilled in principles of engineering, construction, and business. Many became political and social leaders in their communities.

These profiles and stories included in this exhibit are just a few that begin to tell a more complete history of Black artisans who built North Carolina. Acknowledging the significance of this history is a start to preserving a tangible link to the past through our built environment.

“Hiding in plain sight is the physical manifestation of our labor, because most of the historic structures in this country were constructed by Black people… and yet those stories have never been told. — Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation (2020)”

This exhibit comes to Greensboro and NC A&T State University through the generosity of Jane and Richard Levy in memory of Edward Loewenstein, Greensboro’s pioneering architect and civil rights ally.

Educational programming related to themes of equity in community, preservation, and architecture is facilitated by a grant from the NC A&T Real Estate Foundation.

The NCA&T University Galleries, H. C. Taylor Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 10-5 and Saturday by appointment only.

Visitor parking is available in front of the historic Dudley Memorial Building, in which the Galleries are located. There is no charge for admission.