Born into slavery in 1807, Horace King (also known as Godwin) had to develop various skills that would help him ease his way through life – and building bridges was one of them. However, what was fascinating about him is that not only did he make the bridges, he also designed them. 

When he was 23, Horace and his mother came into the property of John Godwin, a well-known construction engineer of the times. But King’s inclination towards commercial architecture and bridge building is hinted from 1824 when he assisted the construction of a bridge over the Pee Dee River in South Carolina, and its replacement built in 1828.

Under the service of John Godwin, King continued to design and create bridges so skillfully that he formed strong bonds with Godwin himself, Robert Jemison, a contractor and bridge builder, and with John Shorter, the governor of Alabama at the time.

As years went by, King and Godwin turned towards residential architecture, as well. They started with building Godwin’s home, then King’s. There are speculations that most homes in Girard (today’s Phenix City) were created by the pair. His commitment was not overlooked, as this allowed him to buy his freedom in 1846.

Shortly after, he managed to obtain an exemption from the Alabama law stating that freed slaves can only remain in the state for a year, and bought land near John Godwin. He continued to pour his bridge-building knowledge into other projects (such as Alabama State Capitol) until the end of his days.

In the late 1800’s, all the bridges built over Chattahoochee were built by Horace King. Of all the bridges he designed, the only one left standing is in Georgia, over Red Creek River.

The Architect – the Liaison Between Self and Others

But the story of Horace King is proof that an architect is more than a designer. He is the one to connect with so you can better understand the client’s vision and desires, while considering the urbanistic laws that apply in a specific area.