Charles Sumner Bowman

Charles Sumner Bowman (c. 1873–unknown), was an American architect and educator. He had his own architecture firm in Kansas City, Kansas, and served as the director of the industrial department of Western University in Quindaro, Kansas from 1898 until 1902.

Charles Sumner Bowman
Born	1873 Mississippi, U.S.
Died	unknown, after 1925
Other names	Charles S. Bowman
Alma mater	Tuskegee Institute
Occupation(s)	Architect, professor
Spouse	Etta B. Buford

Biography

Charles Sumner Bowman was born in c. 1873 in Mississippi.^[1][2] He and his three siblings were raised by his single mother Mattie (or Marta) Bowman, who was widowed, and worked as a maid in Vicksburg.^[1]

He attended night school at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) starting in 1892.^[2] By 1895, Bowman had enrolled in the day school at Tuskegee Institute, where he earned a normal school diploma and carpentry diploma in 1898.^[2]

After graduation he became a director of the newly created industrial department known as Quindaro Industrial School at the Western University a historically black college (HBCU) in Quindaro, Kansas.^[3][4] He taught courses in carpentry, woodworking, machinery, architectural drawing, mechanical drawing, and cabinetmaking.^[1] Bowman worked for Western University from 1898 until 1902, followed by opening his own architecture firm in Kansas City.^[1]

Bowman was married to Etta B. Buford for less than one year, she had been a student at Western University.^[1]

Many of the biographical details of Bowman's life are unknown, including his circumstances in death, which was sometime during or after 1925.^[1] Bowman's profile was included in the biographical dictionary African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865–1945 (2004).

Works

• Stanley Industrial Hall (1900), Western University, Quindaro, Kansas (now demolished)^[3]
• Dr. Isham H. Anthony apartment building (1904), 1512 North 5th Street, Kansas City, Kansas (now demolished)^[1]

See also

• African-American architects

References

1. Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (March 2004). "Charles Sumner Bowman". African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. Routledge. pp. 68–70. ISBN 978-1-135-95629-5.
2. Weiss, Ellen (2012-01-01). Robert R. Taylor and Tuskegee: An African American Architect Designs for Booker T. Washington. NewSouth Books. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-58838-248-1.
3. "We Present to Our Readers This Week a Write-Up of Quindaro Industrial School as a Christmas Gift". The Topeka Plaindealer. 1899-12-22. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
4. "Rev. Mr. Vernon Returns". The Press (Kansas City, Kansas). 1899-06-23. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-04.