William Sidney Pittman : Knights of Pythias

Justin Terveen is a photographer that has a flickr page called "about the urban fabric". One of his images highlights the work of William Sidney Pittman.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ninjatune/3060256687/

KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Location: 2551 Elm Street

The Knights of Pythias, also known as the Union Bankers Building, is Deep Ellum’s most significant historic building. Designed in 1916 by William Sidney Pittman, Dallas’ first African-American architect, the Knights of Pythias was an important social and commercial center for the African-American community in Dallas. The building is a City of Dallas historic landmark, which affords it protection from demolition as well as potential historic preservation tax incentives. Still, the Knights of Pythias sits vacant and unused. While the owners have recently taken steps to better secure the building, this cultural landmark should be put back into use. We urge the owners to either sell the building or take steps to sensitively restore this exceptionally significant landmark.