In 1937, the Pittsburgh Courier recognized Ethel Bailey Furman (1893–1976) as the first female African American architect to practice in the state of Virginia.11“Architect,” Pittsburgh Courier, January 23, 1937. During the course of her career, which spanned over four decades, Furman designed more than two hundred buildings, including single-family residences, church projects in Central Virginia, and two chapels in Liberia.
