Charles Franklin Sparrell was born in
Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 and died in
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking rivers in Campbell County, Kentucky, Campbell County, Kentucky. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 United ...
in 1934.
His father was John Turner Sparrell, Jr., a marble worker, and farmer. His mother was Elizabeth Ann (Provoost) Sparrell. He was the most influential architect in the city of
Columbus, Indiana
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Bartholomew County, Indiana, United States. The population was 50,474 at the 2020 census. The relatively small city has provided a unique place for noted Modern architecture and public art, commissio ...
in the late 19th century. When he arrived in the city in the early 1880s he was credited as having attended an "institute of technology" in Massachusetts, but Massachusetts Institute of Technology does not list him as an alumnus.
More than 10 of his buildings remain in the city, many of which are on the
.
Architectural career
Before starting his own practice, he worked for Hege and Company Contracting as a shop foreman. His own offices were located on 330, 332, and 334 Fifth Street and his employees included Georgia Wills, a woman who worked for him as an assistant draftsman.
Among his most notable buildings are the
Columbus City Hall and the
Maple Grove School.
Columbus City Hall was completed in 1895 and remains at 445 Fifth Street.
Today it is operated as an apartment complex. This brick
romanesque revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
building features a tall, square bell tower and limestone detailing. When first opened it contained the police station and the jail. It also had a banquet hall, a dance hall, a basketball court, and an exhibit area. A farmers market operated out of the basement that opened to the public on the west side of the street.
While the Maple Grove School has been home to a variety of organizations and was quickly renamed the Garfield Elementary School, it was built in 1896 as a four classroom school house. In the late 1980s
Arvin Industries
Meritor, Inc. is an American corporation headquartered in Troy, Michigan, which manufactures automobile components for military suppliers, trucks, and trailers. Meritor is a Fortune 500 company.
In 1997, Rockwell International spun off its aut ...
renovated and expanded the building to serve as the company's headquarters.
[ Today it serves as the administrative building for the ]Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC) is a public school district located in Columbus, Indiana. Its boundaries include all but two townships in Bartholomew County, Indiana. BCSC serves 11,000+ students (PreK-12, and Adult Education ...
.
List of buildings designed by Sparrell
It is not clear if the former A. J. Banker's Hospital or Reeves Pulley Company were designed by Sparrell; only one published source indicates he designed these buildings.
References
External links
Historical Columbus IndianaCharles Sparrell's architectural legacy in Columbus, IndianaTimeline of Columbus History by Ricky Berkey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparrell, Charles Franklin
1852 births
1934 deaths
Architects from Indiana
Architects from Boston
People from Columbus, Indiana
People from Newport, Kentucky