By: Karl Salkowski

Clarence Wigington is one of the most beloved and respected architects in the Twin Cities area. He worked primarily between 1920-1940. During that time he designed over 60 buildings which still stand in Saint Paul. He designed a variety of buildings including: golf clubhouses, fire stations, park buildings, airports, and a majority of Saint Paul public schools. Some instances of his work you might recognize are the Highland Water Tower and the Harriet Island Pavilion. In 2000 after a restoration, the Harriet Island Pavilion was renamed the Clarence Wigington Pavilion in his honor.

Clarence Wigington was born in Lawrence, Kansas, but his family soon moved to Omaha, Nebraska where he grew up. He was born in 1888 and lived until 1967. After Clarence graduated from high school at the age of 15, he went to art school before ultimately working for the American Institute of Architects. In 1910, 2 years after he started his own office, Wigington was listed as one of only 59 African-American architects, artists, and draftsmen in the country. Wigington became the first African-American municipal architect, and served as Saint Paul’s senior architect for 34 years.

Wigington designed many buildings as senior architect. Some of the schools and famous places he designed include: Como Park Elementary, Randolph Heights Elementary, Como Park Zoo, and the Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

His most famous architectural design is undoubtedly the Highland Park Water Tower. Along with 3 other Wigington buildings, the Highland Water Tower is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Highland Water Tower was built in 1928 for only $69,483 which equates to around $1,281,173 today. The Highland Water tower could hold nearly 200,000 gallons of water, and has been left nearly unaltered since its construction. Although the Highland Water Tower is no longer in service, the tower is still open to the public 2 times a year during Highland Fest, and the second weekend in October.

Many of Clarence Wigington’s designs are still beloved by the public over a century after they were built. Wigington made a considerable contribution to the architecture of the Twin Cities area, and certainly to that of Highland Park. His architecture has continued to be adored by many throughout the city.

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.mnopedia.org/person/wigington-clarence-1883-1967
• https://northomahahistory.com/2014/10/30/a-biography-of-cap-clarence-wigington-an-architect-in-north-omaha-nebraska/
• https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/saint-paul-regional-water-services/about-sprws/highland-tower
• https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/SearchResults/11c3cb7a-1a3b-4797-a31b-59271c43b0ef?page=2&view=list&sort=default