Samuel Plato

Samuel M. Plato (1882–1957) was an American architect and building contractor who is noted for his work on federal housing projects and U.S. post offices, as well as designing and building other structures in the United States such as private homes, banks, churches, and schools. During World War II, the Alabama native was one of the few African-American contractors in the country to be awarded wartime building contracts, which included Wake and Midway Halls (dormitories for more than 800 African-American defense workers in Washington, D.C.). He also received contracts to build at least thirty-eight U.S. post offices across the country.

Plato began his career as an architect and building contractor in 1902 in Marion, Indiana, at a time when segregation and racism made it challenging for African-American professionals such as architects. In 1921 he relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, where he spent the remainder of his life. Some of Plato's major buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include Louisville's Broadway Temple A.M.E. Zion Church and the Virginia Avenue Colored School, two examples of his contributions to the city's African-American community. Other projects include the J. Woodrow Wilson House in Marion, Indiana, and the Second Baptist Church in Bloomington, Indiana.