Charles L. Thompson and associates is an architectural group that has worked in Arkansas since the late 1800s and continues to this day, now as Cromwell Architects Engineers, Inc.. This article is about Thompson and associates' work as part of one architectural group, and its predecessor and descendant firms, including under names Charles L. Thompson, Thompson & Harding, Sanders & Ginocchio, and Thompson, Sanders and Ginocchio.
The firm was the "most prolific architectural firm" practicing in Arkansas in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and produced more than 2,000 buildings. The architectural group used standard and custom designs that both led and evolved with changing architectural taste in Arkansas. The group built a wide range of types of works, including large public buildings, commercial buildings, mansions, and small houses. Many works by Thompson and the associated firms survive and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Charles Louis Thompson (16 November 1868 – December 30, 1959) was the original head of the firm. Thompson was born in 1868 in Danville, Illinois. Orphaned at age fourteen, he and siblings moved to Indiana, where Charles began work at a mill, and in off hours began to learn drafting. Thompson's son-in-law, Edwin Boykin Cromwell (1909–2001) later headed the firm.
Ginocchio and Sanders
Frank Ginocchio and Theodore M. Sanders, partners since 1919, joined Thompson in partnership in 1927. Both had studied at the University of Illinois and Sanders had studied further at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. They brought design ideas of Prairie Style, influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, and Art Deco architecture to the firm.
Theo Sanders designed several houses in Little Rock's Hillcrest neighborhood.
Architect John Parks Almand worked for the firm during 1912 to 1914 before forming his own practice.
Works (with variations in attribution indicated) include:
Al-Amin Temple, Little Rock, Arkansas, Prairie style, added to the NRHP in 1982 and removed from NRHP in 1986,Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church, 3323 W. 12th St., Little Rock, Arkansas (Thompson, Charles L.), built 1925, Classical Revival, NRHP-listedBaer House, 1010 Rock St., Little Rock, Arkansas (Thompson, Charles L.), built 1915, Bungalow/Craftsman, NRHP-listedBank of Carthage, (1907), AR 229, Carthage, Arkansas (Thompson, Charles L.), built 1907, Classical Revival, NRHP-listedBethel House, Erwin and 2nd Sts., Des Arc, Arkansas (Thompson, Charles L.), built 1918, Bungalow/Craftsman, NRHP-listedBeyerlein House, 412 W. 14th St., Little Rock, Arkansas (Thompson, Charles L.), built 1917, Bungalow/Craftsman, NRHP-listedBishop Hiram A. Boaz House, 22 Armistead Rd., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.), built 1926, Tudor Revival, NRHP-listedBoone County Courthouse, Courthouse Sq., Harrison, AR, (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedBoone County Jail, Central Ave. and Willow St., Harrison, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedBoone House (Little Rock, Arkansas), 4014 Lookout, Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedBPOE Elks Club (Little Rock, Arkansas), 4th and Scott Sts., Little Rock, AR (Saunders, Theo), Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, 2nd Renaissance Revival, Theo Saunders was an architect in the firm, and this work was specifically included in the Thematic Resources listing,Brown House, 1604 Caldwell St., Conway, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedBush House, 1516 Ringo St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedCaldwell Hall, University Drive, Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Sanford, & Ginnochio) NRHP-listedCampbell-Chrisp House, 102 Elm St., Bald Knob, Arkansas (Thompson, Charles)Ella Carnall Hall, Arkansas Ave. and Maple St., Fayetteville, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedCentral Presbyterian Church, 1921 Arch St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedChrist the King Church, Greenwood Ave. at S. S St., Ft. Smith, AR (Thompson, Sanders & Ginocchio), built 1930, Mission/Spanish Revival, NRHP-listedClark County Courthouse, 4th and Crittenden Sts., Arkadelphia, AR (Thompson, Charles), built 1899 in Romanesque style, NRHP-listedClark County Library, 609 Caddo St., Arkadelphia, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedClark House, 1324 S. Main St., Malvern, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedCoca-Cola Building, (1929), 211 N. Moose, Morrilton, AR (Thompson, Sanders & Ginocchio) built 1929, Colonial Revival and Modern Movement, NRHP-listedColumbia County Jail, Calhoun & Jefferson Sts., Magnolia, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedCroxson House, 1901 Gaines St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedDarragh House, 2412 Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedDavis House, 212 Fulton St., Clarksville, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedDean House, (c.1910), off US 165, Portland, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedDeener House, 310 E. Center Ave., Searcy, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedDomestic Science Building, 11th and Haddock, Arkadelphia, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedDortch Plantation, NE of Scott off AR 130 at Bearskin Lake, Scott, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedDunaway House, 2022 Battery, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedDunlap House, 101 Grandview, Clarksville, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedEagle House, 217 Ash St., Lonoke, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedJoe P. Eagle and D. R. Boone Building, 105–107 W. Front St., Lonoke, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedEngland House, 2121 Arch St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedExchange Bank Building, 423 Main St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedFarmers State Bank, 1001 Front St., Conway, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedFarrell House (2109 Louisiana), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFarrell House (2111 Louisiana), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFarrell House (2115 Louisiana), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listed, Bungalow/Craftsman style, built 1914Farrell House (2121 Louisiana), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFederal Reserve Bank Building, 123 W. Third St., Little Rock, AR, NRHP-listedFirst National Bank of Morrilton, (c. 1925), Main at Moose St., Morrilton, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFirst Presbyterian Church (Hot Springs), 213 Whittington, Hot Springs, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFirst Presbyterian Church (Little Rock), 123 E. Eighth St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedFirst Presbyterian Church (Newport, Arkansas), 4th and Main Sts. Newport, AR, (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedFirst United Methodist Church, Jct. of Jefferson and Cross Sts., DeWitt, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedFletcher House, 909 Cumberland St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFlorence Crittenton Home, 3600 W. 11th St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedFordyce Home Accident Ins. Co., (1908), 300 Main, Fordyce, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFordyce House (Hot Springs), 746 Park Ave., Hot Springs, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFordyce House (Little Rock), 2115 S. Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFoster House, 303 N. Hervey St., Hope, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFrauenthal House (Little Rock), 2008 Arch St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedFraunthal House, 631 Western, Conway, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedFrauenthal & Schwarz Building, 824 Front St. Conway, AR (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedFrench-England House, 1700 Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedGalloway Hall, Hendrix College campus, Conway, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedGazzola and Vaccaro Building, 131-133 W. Cypress Brinkley, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedGracie House, Off AR 88, New Gascony, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedGregg House, 412 Pine St. Newport, AR (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedHall House, 32 Edgehill, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Sanders, & Ginocchio) NRHP-listedHardy House, 2400 Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedHemingway House (Little Rock), 1720 Arch St., Little Rock, AR (Rickon & Thompson) NRHP-listedHemingway House and Barn (Fayetteville), 3310 Old Missouri Rd., Fayetteville, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedIda Hicks House, 410 W. Arch St., Searcy, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedHealey and Roth Mortuary Building, 815 Main, Little Rock, AR (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedHospital and Benevolent Ass'n, 11th and Cherry, Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedHot Spring County Courthouse, 210 Locust St., Malvern, AR (Thompson, Sanders,& Ginnochio) NRHP-listedHotze House, 1619 Louisiana St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedHowson House, 1700 S. Olive St., Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedHudson House, 304 W. 5th St., Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedImmaculate Heart of Mary Church, N of North Little Rock off AR 365, North Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Sanders & Ginocchio) NRHP-listedInterstate Orphanage, (1928), 339 Combs, Hot Springs, AR (Thompson, Sanders, and Ginocchio) NRHP-listedJohnson House (514 E. 8th St.), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedJohnson House (516 E. 8th St.), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedJohnson House (518 E. 8th St.), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedJohnson House (Pine Bluff), 315 Martin St., Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedKatzenstein House, 902 W. 5th St., Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedKeith House, 2200 Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listed, built 1912 in Prairie School, Bungalow/Craftsman styleKittrell House, 1103 Hickory St., Texarkana, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedLightle House, 605 Race Ave., Searcy, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedLittle Rock Boys Club, 8th & Scott Sts., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Sanders, and Ginocchio) NRHP-listedLittle Rock Central Fire Station, 520 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedLittle Rock City Hall, 500 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedLloyd England Hall, Jct. of Missouri Ave. and 6th St., NW corner, North Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Sanders, and Ginocchio) NRHP-listedLo Beele House, 312 New York Ave., Brinkley, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedMann House, 422 Forest St., Forrest City, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedMarshall House, 2009 Arch St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedMartin Hall, Hendrix College campus, Conway, AR (Thompson & Housing) NRHP-listedMcClintock House (43 Magnolia), Marianna, AR, NRHP-listedMcClintock House (82 W. Main St.), Marianna, AR, NRHP-listedMcKennon House, 115 Grandview, Clarksville, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedHenry Crawford McKinney House, 510 E. Faulkner, El Dorado, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedMcLean House, 470 Ridgeway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedMcRae House, 1113 E. 3rd St., Hope, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedD. L. McRae House, 424 E. Main St., Prescott, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedT. C. McRae House, 506 E. Elm St., Prescott, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedMehaffey House, 2101 Louisiana, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedMerchants & Farmers Bank, (1913), Waterman and Main Sts., Dumas, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedMerchants and Planters Bank, 214 Madison, Clarendon, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedMitchell House (Batesville), 1138 Main St., Batesville, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedMitchell House (Little Rock), 1415 Spring St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedMonroe County Courthouse, Courthouse Sq., Clarendon, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedMoore Building, 519-523 Center St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Sanders & Ginocchio) NRHP-listedMoore House, 20 Armistead, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Sanders, & Ginocchio) NRHP-listedMount Holly Mausoleum, 12th and Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedCharles H. Murphy, Sr., House, 900 N. Madison Ave., El Dorado, AR NRHP-listedNash House (409 E. 6th St.), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedNash House (601 Rock St.), Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedNewport Junior & Senior High School, Remmel Park, Newport, AR (Thompson, Sanders and Ginocchio) NRHP-listedNichol House, 205 Park Pl., Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedNorth Little Rock Post Office, 420 N. Main St., North Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Sanders, & Ginocchio) NRHP-listedPark Hotel, 210 Fountain, Hot Springs, AR (Thompson, Sanders & Ginocchio) NRHP-listedPfeifer Brothers Department Store, 522-524 S. Main St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedPresident's House, Hendrix College campus, Conway, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedPuddephatt House, 1820 S. Olive St., Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedPugh House, (1905-1907), off US 165, Portland, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedRagland House, 1617 Center St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedE. S. Ready House, 929 Beech St., Helena, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedReid House, 1425 Kavanaugh St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedRemmel Apartments, four buildings each separately listed on the NRHP (Thompson & Harding; Charles L. Thompson), three in Bungalow/Craftsman and the one in Colonial Revival style:Remmel Apartments (1704-1706 Spring St.), Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedRemmel Apartments (1708-1710 Spring St.), Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedRemmel Apartments (409-411 W. 17th St.), Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedRemmel Flats, 1700-1702 Spring St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedRetan House, 2510 Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedRiviera Hotel, 719 Central, Hot Springs, AR (Thompson, Sanders & Ginocchio) NRHP-listedRogers House, 400 W. 18th St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedU. M. Rose School, Izard and W. 13th St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedRoselawn Memorial Park Gatehouse, 2801 Asher, Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedRussell House, 1617 S. Olive St., Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedSafferstone House, 2205 Arch St. Little Rock, AR, (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedSaline County Courthouse, Courthouse Sq., Benton, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedSchaer House, 1862 Arch St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedFred and Lucy Alexander Schaer House, 13219 US70, Galloway, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedShull House, 418 Park, Lonoke, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedSkillern House, 2522 Arch St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedSmith House, Memphis Ave., Wheatley, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedS. G. Smith House, (1909), 1837 Caldwell St., Conway, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedSt. Edwards Church, 823 Sherman, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedSt. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 1070 South Church Street, Mountain Home, AR (Robert Hall Millett)St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Spring and Cottage Sts., Hot Springs, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedSt. Paul's Parish Church, 5th and Main, Batesville, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedSnyder House, 4004 S. Lookout, Little Rock, AR, (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedStewart House, 1406 Summit St., Little Rock, AR, (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedStrauss House, 528 E. Page St., Malvern, AR (Thompson and Harding) NRHP-listedThane House, (1909), Levy and First Sts., Arkansas City, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedThurston House, 923 Cumberland St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedTrimble House, 518 Center St., Lonoke, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedTurner House, 1701 Center St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedVanetten House, 1012 Cumberland, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedVaughan House, 2201 Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedVinson House, 2123 Broadway, Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedWade Building, 231 Central, Hot Springs, AR (Thompson, Sanders & Ginocchio) NRHP-listedWalls House, 406 Jefferson St., Lonoke, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedDr. James Wyatt Walton House, 301 W. Sevier, Benton, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedWashington County Courthouse, College Ave. and E. Center St., Fayetteville, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedWaters House, (1907), 515 Oak St., Fordyce, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedTom Watkins House, Jct. of Oak and Race Sts., Searcy, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedWheat House, 600 Center St., Lonoke, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedWhite House, 1015 Perry St., Helena, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedHamp Williams Building, 500-504 Ouachita Ave., Hot Springs, AR (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedWinfield Methodist Church, 1601 Louisiana, Little Rock, AR (Thompson & Harding) NRHP-listedWoodruff County Courthouse, 500 N. 3rd St., Augusta, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedOne or more properties in Argenta Historic District's Boundary Increase II, Roughly bounded by N. Poplar, 9th St., N. Broadway, W. 4th, Broadway, in North Little Rock, Arkansas NRHP-listedOne or more properties in Beech Street Historic District, Roughly bounded by McDonough, Columbia, Beech, Elm, Perry and College, Helena, Arkansas Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedOne or more works in Camp Ouachita Girl Scout Camp Historic District, Area surrounding and N of Lake Sylvia, Ouachita NF, Paron, AR (Thompson, Sanders & Ginnochio) NRHP-listedOne or more works in Charlotte Street Historic District, roughly bounded by Holmes, Charlotte, Broadway, and E. College Sts., Fordyce, AR (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedOne or more works in Clifton and Greening Streets Historic District, Roughly bounded by Clifton, and Greening Sts., and Dallas, and Cleveland Aves., Camden, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedOne or more works in East Markham Street Historic District, 301-303,305-307,313 and 323 East Markham St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedOne or more works in Fordyce Commercial Historic District, Roughly bounded by Oak, 5th & Spring Sts. & AR 274, Fordyce, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedMultiple properties within Governor's Mansion Historic District, Roughly along Louisiana Ave., from W. 23rd St. and 24th St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listed Includes Remmel Apartments.One or more works in Governor's Mansion Historic District, Roughly bounded by Louisiana St., Twenty-Third St. & Roosevelt Rd., Chester and State Sts., & Thirteenth & Twelfth Sts., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedOne or more works in Harrison Courthouse Square Historic District, Roughly bounded by N. Walnut, W. Ridge, N. Willow, and W. Stephenson Sts., Harrison, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedOne or more works in Hillcrest Historic District, Bounded by Woodrow, Jackson and Markham Sts. and N. Lookout Rd., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedOne or more works in Hot Springs Central Avenue Historic District (boundary increase), 101 Park Ave. Hot Springs, AR, (Sanders & Ginocchio), NRHP-listedOne or more works in Pine Bluff Commercial Historic District, Roughly bounded by US 65B, Walnut St., 10th Ave. & S. Alabama St., Pine Bluff, AR (Thompson, Charles) NRHP-listedOne or more works in Robinson Historic District, Roughly bounded by Cross, Prince, Faulkner, and Watkins Sts., and Robinson Ave., Conway, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listedOne or more works in South Main Street Residential Historic District, South Main St. from 19th St. to 24th St., Little Rock, AR (Thompson, Charles L.) NRHP-listed
