Charles Franklin Sparrell

Charles Franklin Sparrell was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 and died in Newport, Kentucky in 1934.[1] 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 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.[2] More than 10 of his buildings remain in the city, many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bartholomew County, Indiana.

Charles Franklin Sparrell
Born(1852-02-26)February 26, 1852
Boston, Massachusetts
DiedFebruary 24, 1934(1934-02-24) (aged 81)
Newport, Kentucky
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect
BuildingsColumbus City Hall

The Crump Theatre

McKinley School

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.[2]

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.[3] Today it is operated as an apartment complex.[4] This brick romanesque revival 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.[5]

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 renovated and expanded the building to serve as the company's headquarters.[3] Today it serves as the administrative building for the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation.[6]

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.[2]

Image Name Address GPS Coordinates Year Completed
Ruddick-Nugent House1210 16th Street39°12′54.02″N 85°54′41.31″W1884
Fehring Block520 Washington Street39°12′14.24″N 85°55′16.74″W1885
Central Christian Church628 7th Street39°12′20.95″N 85°55′4.07″W1886
Washington School718 Pearl Street39°12′22.68″N 85°55′3″W1887
First United Methodist Church618 8th Street39°12′24.92″N 85°55′6.2″W1887
The Crump Theatre425 Third Street39°12′4.7″N 85°55′12.67″W1889
J. Will Prall House605 Fifth Street39°12′12.34″N 85°55′5.58″W1891
Odd Fellows Hall601 Washington39°12′16.38″N 85°55′15.7″W1891
McKinley School1198 17th Street39°12′57.32″N 85°54′44.78″W1892
Columbus City Hall445 Fifth Street39°12′12.19″N 85°55′11.89″W1895
Overstreet House1034 Washington Street39°12′32.9″N 85°55′18.36″W1895
Maple Grove SchoolOne Norbitt Plaza39°12′39.78″N 85°54′17.95″W1896
U.S. Post Office548 Washington Street39°12′16.41″N 85°55′16.9″W1897
Crump House1008 Washington Street39°12′30.5″N 85°55′17.9″W(?)

References
  1. The Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives. "The Legacy of Charles Franklin Sparrell". Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  2. Bartholomew County Historical Society, ed. (2003). History of Bartholomew County Indiana, 20th century. Columbus, Indiana: Bartholomew County Historical Society. pp. 322–323.
  3. Rand, Paul (1998). A Look at Architecture (7th ed.). Columbus, Indiana: Visitors Center, Columbus, Indiana. pp. 20–23.
  4. "Historic City Hall Loft Living Apartments". Historic City Hall Loft Living Apartments. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  5. Mote, Patricia M. (2005). Columbus. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. pp. 80–81. ISBN 978-0-7385-3363-6.
  6. "Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation". Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
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