Charles E. Bell
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Charles Emlen Bell (1858–1932), often known as C.E. Bell, was an American architect of
Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 62,799 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, te ...
and
Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. He worked alone and in partnership with John H. Kent and Menno S. Detweiler. He also worked as part of Bell, Tyrie and Chapman. A number of his works are listed on the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


Biography and career

Bell was born in
McLean County, Illinois McLean County is a U.S. county in the east central region of Illinois, and is the largest county by land area in the state. According to the 2020 Census, it had a population of 170,954. Its county seat is Bloomington. McLean County is includ ...
, on March 31, 1858, and was educated at West Town Boarding School,
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Pennsylvania, U.S. In 1880, he married Helen Louise "Nellie" Wickham (1858–1913), and they moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1884. Bell began his career as a carpenter and worked on the construction of the post office in Council Bluffs. He and John Kent established a partnership, and won the competition to design the
Montana State Capitol The Montana State Capitol is the state capitol of the U.S. state of Montana that houses the Montana State Legislature which is located in the state capital of Helena at 1301 East Sixth Avenue. The building was constructed between 1896 and 1902 ...
. They opened an office in
Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat, seat of Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold ...
, for the project. Bell moved to
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
, Minnesota and set up a partnership with Menno Detweiler. From 1904 until Detweiler's death in 1907, Bell & Detweiler built courthouses throughout the midwest including
Brown County Courthouse (Wisconsin) The Brown County Courthouse located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its artistic and architectural significance in 1976. The courthouse is a waypoint on the Packers Heritage Trail The Packe ...
,
Delaware County Courthouse (Iowa) The Delaware County Courthouse, located in Manchester, Iowa, United States, was built in 1894. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The current structure i ...
, and
Martin County Courthouse (Minnesota) The Martin County Courthouse is the county courthouse for Martin County, Minnesota. The building is located at 201 Lake Avenue on the western side of the city of Fairmont, on a hill overlooking Lake Sisseton. It is a Beaux Arts building featur ...
. In 1908, Bell joined architects George Augustus Chapman and William W. Tyrie in the firm Bell, Tyrie and Chapman, where he remained until 1913. Bell worked alone, with only brief partnerships, for the rest of his career and died on May 10, 1932, in Minneapolis.


Selected works

Bells works include (with attribution): * Brown County Courthouse, Beaux Arts, built 1910 (Bell), 100 S. Jefferson Street,
Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...
, NRHP-listed. * Cass County Courthouse, Beaux Arts, built 1904-1906 (Bell), South Ninth Street between Second and Third Avenues,
Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...
, NRHP-listed. * Delaware County Courthouse, Romanesque Revival, built 1894 (Bell), Main Street,
Manchester, Iowa Manchester is a city in Delaware Township and the county seat of Delaware County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,065 at the time of the 2020 census. Manchester is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 20 and State Highway 13 ...
, NRHP-listed. * Deer Lodge County Courthouse, built 1898 (Bell & Kent), Anaconda, Montana, NRHP-listed * Gov. S. H. Elrod House, Colonial Revival, built 1908 (Bell), 301 North Commercial Street,
Clark, South Dakota Clark is a city in and county seat of Clark County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,148 at the 2020 census. History A post office was established at Clark in 1880. Clark was platted in 1882. The city took its name from Clark ...
, NRHP-listed. * Grant County Courthouse, Classical Revival, built in 1915 (Bell; Bell & Detweiler), junction of Park Avenue and Main Street
Milbank, South Dakota Milbank is a city in Grant County, South Dakota, United States, located along the South Fork of the Whetstone River. The population was 3,544 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. Milbank is the birthplace of American Legion ...
, NRHP-listed. *One or more works in Harlan Courthouse Square Commercial District (Bell), Market, 6th, 7th, and Court Streets, around Courthouse Square
Harlan, Iowa Harlan is a city and the county seat of Shelby County, Iowa, along the Nishnabotna River, West Nishnabotna River. The population was 4,893 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Harlan was platted in 1858. It was nam ...
, NRHP-listed. * Koochiching County Courthouse, Classical Revival, completed in 1909 (Bell), 4th Street and 7th Avenue,
International Falls, Minnesota International Falls (sometimes referred to as I-Falls) is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,802 at the time of the 2020 census. International Falls is located on the Rainy R ...
, NRHP-listed. * Marshall County Courthouse, Renaissance, built in 1908 (Bell and Detweiler), 911 Vander Horck Avenue,
Britton, South Dakota Britton is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,215 at the 2020 census. A weekly newspaper, the ''Britton Journal,'' is published in Britton. History Britton was founded in 1884 as ...
, NRHP-listed. * Martin County Courthouse, Beaux Arts, built 1906-1907 (Bell), 201 Lake Avenue,
Fairmont, Minnesota Fairmont is a city in and the county seat of Martin County, Minnesota, Martin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 10,487 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Fairmont was platted in 1857. The city was so name ...
. * Shelby County Courthouse, Romanesque, built 1893 (Bell), 7th and Court Streets,
Harlan, Iowa Harlan is a city and the county seat of Shelby County, Iowa, along the Nishnabotna River, West Nishnabotna River. The population was 4,893 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Harlan was platted in 1858. It was nam ...
, NRHP-listed. *
South Dakota State Capitol The South Dakota State Capitol is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of South Dakota. Housing the South Dakota State Legislature, it is located in the state capital of Pierre at 500 East Capitol Avenue. The building houses the offic ...
, built 1905–1910 (Bell), bounded by Broadway, Washington, and Capitol Avenues,
Pierre, South Dakota Pierre ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,091. Pierre is the eleventh-most populous city of South Dakota, and the second-least populo ...
, NRHP-listed. *Woodford County Courthouse (Illinois), built 1897 (Bell), 115 North Main Street,
Eureka, Illinois Eureka is a city and the county seat of Woodford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,295 at the 2010 census. Eureka is part of the Peoria metropolitan area. Eureka is a small community centered on the intersection of what is ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Charles E. 1858 births 1932 deaths 19th-century American architects 20th-century American architects Architects from Iowa Architects from Minneapolis People from Council Bluffs, Iowa People from McLean County, Illinois