Charles W. Bates

Charles Winning Bates
Office of Charles W. Bates, 1909.
Born	December 27, 1879 Wheeling, West Virginia
Died	1929 Wheeling, West Virginia
Nationality	United States
Occupation	Architect
Buildings	Edemar, Capitol Theatre, National Bank of West Virginia

Charles W. Bates (1879–1929) was an American architect who practiced primarily in Wheeling, West Virginia, and was one of the region's most successful architects. He mostly specialized in commercial and school buildings in the north Ohio River valley.

Born December 27, 1879, in Wheeling, Bates first attended the local public schools, then completed his education at the Linsly Military Institute.^[1] He studied architecture and engineering at the Armour Institute of Technology, in Chicago. In Chicago, he worked for D. H. Burnham & Company and Horatio R. Wilson. He then went to Pittsburgh, where he worked for several more architects before taking a job in the architectural department of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Bates then went abroad, returning in 1907. Upon his return, he established the firm of Rudolph & Bates with A. W. Rudolph in Altoona, central Pennsylvania.^[2] This firm was dissolved a year later and Bates returned to Wheeling, where he remained for the rest of his life and career.^[1]

Bates was one of the region's leading architects, with his chief local competitor being the older Frederick F. Faris. He designed many of the area's largest buildings, including four 10-story structures and the public library in Wheeling, and the high schools in a number of towns. Overviews of his work were published in 1909 and 1912.^[3]

Selected works

Two views of Bates' National Bank of West Virginia in Wheeling, later home to the W.M. Marsh Drug Company, built 1914-15. At left is the original structure as depicted in a postcard ca. 1915, and at right is the building in 2016, shorn of its elaborate entablature.

Capitol Theatre, Wheeling, 1928.

Edemar, Wheeling, 1910.

1909

• Rose Hill School, Monroe St, Bellaire, Ohio^[4]

1910

• First United Presbyterian Church, 3358 Guernsey St, Bellaire, Ohio^[5]
• Edward F. Stifel House (Edemar), 1330 National Rd, Wheeling, West Virginia^[6]
• Wheeling Public Library (Old), 2100 Market St, Wheeling, West Virginia^[7]

1911

• First Ward School, Belmont St, Bellaire, Ohio^[8]
• Westover School, East St, Westover, West Virginia^[9]

1912

• Cairo School, School St, Cairo, West Virginia^[10]
• Hawley Building, 1025 Main St, Wheeling, West Virginia^[11]

1913

• Neuralgyline Building, 88 19th St, Wheeling, West Virginia^[12]
• Rodewig Building, 3127 Belmont St, Bellaire, Ohio^[13]

1914

• National Bank of West Virginia Building, 1201 Main St, Wheeling, West Virginia^[14]
• Morgantown High School, 300 Spruce St, Morgantown, West Virginia (demolished)^[15]
• Peoples Savings Bank Building, 30 S 4th St, Martins Ferry, Ohio^[16]

1915

• Farmers and Merchants National Bank Building, 3195 Union St, Bellaire, Ohio^[17]
• Fenray Theatre, 21 S 4th St, Martins Ferry, Ohio (demolished) ^[18]

1916

• Claysville High School, Main St, Claysville, Pennsylvania (demolished)^[19]
• First National Bank Building, 1388 Main St, Smithfield, Ohio^[20]
• German Savings Bank Building, 103 S 4th St, Martins Ferry, Ohio^[21]

1917

• Elm Junior High School, 808 Elm St, Martins Ferry, Ohio (demolished)^[22]
• Hoeveler Storage Warehouse, 750 S Millvale Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania^[23]
• Point Pleasant High School, 1200 Main St, Point Pleasant, West Virginia^[24]
• Yorkville School, Market St, Yorkville, Ohio^[25]

1918

• Miller Avenue School, 734 Miller Ave, Clairton, Pennsylvania (demolished)^[26]
• Moundsville High School, Tomlinson Ave, Moundsville, West Virginia (demolished)^[27]

1919

• Bank of Morgantown (Citizens) Building, 265 High St, Morgantown, West Virginia^[28]
• Wellsville High School, Center St, Wellsville, Ohio^[29]

1920

• Harding High School, Vine St, Fairport Harbor, Ohio.^[30]

1921

• 12th Street Garage, 79-81 12th St, Wheeling, West Virginia^[31]
• Metropolitan Theatre, 371 High St, Morgantown, West Virginia^[32]

1922

• Colson Hall, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia^[33]
• Riley Law Building, 45 14th St, Wheeling, West Virginia^[34]
• Charles R. Shreve High School, Hanover St, Martins Ferry, Ohio^[35]

1923

• [Clairton High School]], Waddell Ave, Clairton, Pennsylvania (highly altered)^[36]

1924

• Central Union Trust Building, 40 14th St, Wheeling, West Virginia^[37]

1925

• Bellaire High School, 35th St, Bellaire, Ohio^[38]

1927

• Pythian Theatre, 1025 Chapline St, Wheeling, West Virginia^[39]

1928

• Cadiz High School, 440 E Market St, Cadiz, Ohio^[40]
• Capitol Theatre, 1015 Main St, Wheeling, West Virginia

1929

• Bridgeport High School, W Bennett St, Bridgeport, Ohio^[41]

References

1. Quinn, Kate. "The Men Who Built Wheeling". 2009.
2. "The Work of Charles W. Bates". Ohio Architect, Engineer, and Builder Sept. 1909: 19.
3. "Mr. Charles W. Bates". Ohio Architect, Engineer, and Builder Nov. 1912: 19.
4. Engineering Record 20 Feb. 1909: 50c.
5. American Contractor 2 July 1910: 68.
6. Edemar NRHP Nomination, BI. 1992.
7. Municipal Journal and Engineer 16 March 1910: 420.
8. Industrial World 23 Oct. 1911: 1301.
9. American Architect 28 June 1911: 14.
10. School Board Journal March 1912: 50.
11. Industrial World 1 April 1912: 419.
12. Tradesman 26 June 1913: 52.
13. American Contractor 12 July 1913: 61.
14. Engineering and Contracting 10 June 1914: 56.
15. Electrical World 22 Aug. 1914: 401.
16. Steel and Iron 26 Oct. 1914: 1334.
17. American Contractor 26 June 1915: 72.
18. Construction Record 31 July 1915: 10.
19. Construction Record 8 Jan. 1916: 10.
20. American Contractor 8 April 1916: 17.
21. American Contractor 10 June 1916: 18.
22. American Stone Trade 1 Sept. 1917: 43.
23. American Contractor 5 May 1917: 73.
24. American Contractor 19 May 1917: 65.
25. Engineering News 25 Jan. 1917: 47.
26. American Contractor 13 July 1918: 55.
27. American Contractor 5 Jan. 1918: 46.
28. American Contractor 3 May 1919: 83.
29. Lumber 8 Sept. 1919: 55.
30. Lumber 24 Nov. 1919: 54.
31. American Machinist 24 Feb. 1921: 352h.
32. Metropolitan Theatre NRHP Nomination. 1984.
33. Manufacturers Record 23 Feb. 1922: 83.
34. Engineering News-Record 16 March 1922: 121.
35. American Contractor 18 Feb. 1922: 61.
36. Engineering News-Record 1923: 168.
37. Duffy, Sean Patrick and Paul Rinkes. Then & Now: Wheeling. 2010.
38. Pokas, Betty. "Historical marker to be dedicated". http://www.timesleaderonline.com/. 14 May 2011.
39. Engineering News-Record 1927: 57.
40. Iron Age 1928.
41. Iron Age 1929: 464.