C.C. Carpenter house

In it's original glory

Charles "C.C." Carpenter's old digs. This home was originally on 13th and Phillips. The city directory states that C.C. and his family were in residence there in 1887. Occupants have included Charles W. Hubbard, A.E. Diver, W.H. Keon, and Kate McDonald who used it as a boarding house. It was later sold to Dr. W. A. Germain as a family home and moved to the lot on at the SE corner of 9th and Duluth for J.R. Devers and family. Oddly enough, C.C. Carpenter's family at that time lived on the SW corner of 9th and Duluth and got a nice view of their old homestead. This home was built in Queen Anne style to be elegant yet comfortable. It was built at an unheard of cost of $10,000.00.

C.C. Carpenter was an eastern banker with money to invest. He came to Dakota Territory to invest in what he believed would be a profitable venture. He invested in the Sioux Falls Stockyards, was a land developer and the Director of Sioux Falls Granite Quarries Co.

His wife, Frances Carpenter was the sister of Artemus Gale and Helen McKennan. After C.C.'s death, she built the "fireproof" Carpenter Hotel for $250,000.00. This was the first masonry hotel in the city built to rival the Cataract Hotel that had a history of fire.

Charles W. Hubbard, one of the previous owners, was the entrepreneur largely responsible for the quarry town that later became what we now know as the east side of Sioux Falls.  It was 6 miles due east of what was downtown Sioux Falls.  He built a company town for the quarriers that came mainly from Europe (English, Scotch and Welch.) bringing with them their craft and strong backs.  This company town tried to establish itself as the new town of "Ives" and later with its 600 residents became incorporated into Sioux Falls.

The house in it's current state.

Joseph Schwartz, the architect, also built the Carpenter hotel, the original Washington High School, the County Jail, Central Fire Station, Augustana's Old Main, The First Congregational Church, Manchester Biscuit company, The Coliseum, Lowell, the Cataract, Masonic Temple, Carnegie Library and Cathedral School. Oddly enough, Schwartz himself lived in a very modest home in the same neighborhood.

Joseph Schwartz's house

P.S. Cudos to The Old Courthouse Museum for the old photo of the C.C. Carpenter home. Special thanks to Adam for his continued interest and assistance with this project.