| Sanford Augustus Brookins | |
| Other Names: | Sanford Augustus Brookings, Sanford Brookins, S. A. Brookins |
| Birth Date: | 9 May 1877 |
| Birth Place: | Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Compton, Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Architect, builder, construction firm owner, businessperson |
| Years Active: | 1916–1965 |
| Spouse: | Leola Calloway |
| Education: | Dorchester Academy |
Sanford Augustus Brookins (1877–1968), also known as Sanford Augustus Brookings, was an American architect, builder, and businessperson.[1] In the early 20th-century, he was one of two African-American architect-builders in Jacksonville, Florida. He was instrumental in the formation of a few key neighborhoods including Sugar Hill, Durkee Gardens, and Riverside within Jacksonville; and the seaside community of American Beach.
Sanford Augustus Brookins was born on May 9, 1877, in Macon, Georgia. He attended the Dorchester Academy in Liberty County, Georgia.
In 1904, Brookins moved to Jacksonville, Florida eventually settling in the Sugar Hill neighborhood.[2] He worked as a construction foreman for twelve years, before starting his own residential construction business in 1916.[3] Brookins primarily designed and built houses in the Sugar Hill neighborhood; the newer neighborhood of Durkee Gardens; and Riverside, a historically white neighborhood. He is also credited with designing two beach cottages at American Beach, an early oceanfront resort developed specifically for African Americans in Florida. By 1925, he had designed and built more than 150 residential buildings.
He retired in 1965, and had moved to Compton, California. Brookins died June 22, 1968, in Compton.[4]