These blueprints represent the history and growth of the Architecture Department here at Tuskegee University. Tuskegee University is the first Historically Black College & University (HBCU) to offer a degree in architecture starting back in 1893. Students built the buildings under the watchful eyes of their instructors, such as Robert R. Taylor, Wallace A. Rayfield, and Bernard A. Nesbitt. For decades, the Architecture Department has produced qualified architecture students who work in the field. For example, John A. Welch and Louis Fry, former Tuskegee University students, were responsible for the creation of the new Chapel building, completed in 1969. Continuing this tradition of excellence, the Architecture Department added a minor in historic preservation. Students gain hands-on training in preserving historic buildings, continuing the pedagogy of Booker T. Washington by learning through practice while maintaining historic buildings on campus and in the surrounding community in the 21st century.