Robert Mills

Robert Mills and his wife Eliza both wear dark 1800s clothing

Photograph of Robert Mills and his wife Eliza. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Richard Evans.

(1781-1855) Born in Charleston, SC, Robert Mills was one of the first Americans to become a professional architect. He designed many buildings in South Carolina including private homes, courthouses, and the University of South Carolina campus. Mills also designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.