NCModernist Architecture You Love

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Charles Madison
SappenfieldFAIA

(1930–2013)

Sappenfield grew up in Columbia SC and Charlotte and attended Central High School. He interned in high school at Biberstein and Bowles in Charlotte and later attended NC State. During college, he worked as a draftsman for Ornamental Stone Company in Charleston SC. He left NCSU to serve in the Korean War, coming back to graduate from the NCSU School of Design in 1956, having done internships with Pace Associates in Chicago and Bert King in Asheville.

He was in Denmark from 1960-1961 on a Fulbright Scholarship then returned to Raleigh to teach at the NCSU School of Design. He moved to Asheville in 1963 to start his practice while commuting to Clemson SC to teach. Sappenfield moved in 1965 to Indiana and was the founding Dean of the Ball State College of Architecture. He continued a private practice as Sappenfield Wiegman Hall until 1968 then was solo for the rest of his career. After retiring, he moved to Fort Myers FL. His archive is at Ball State.

2011 interview with Charlie Kahn

Charles Madison Sappenfield Charles Madison Sappenfield
1958

The Paul Putnam House

611 Ashworth Road, Charlotte NC

Sold in 1995 to Thomas F. and Susan B. Carson. Destroyed in 2016.

The Paul Putnam House
1958

The B. Paul and Ellen S. Goodman House

11 Sareva Place, Asheville NC

Deeded in 1977 to Ellen S. and Walter St. G. Gladding. Sold in 2003 to Amar and Pratibha Nath. Sold in 2019 to Stephanie Brae Caldwell Cochran

The B. Paul and Ellen S. Goodman House
1959

The Earnest A. and Dorothy B. Hamill Guest House

424 Vanderbilt Road, Biltmore Forest NC

Featured in the Asheville Citizen Times, 8/25/1962. Sold in 1976 to Luanne C. and Ralph J. Gossett, Jr. Sold in 1979 to Charles T. and Ramona Rowe.

The Earnest A. and Dorothy B. Hamill Guest House
1961

The Evan Shelby and Marian D. Miller House

18 Greenwood Place, Biltmore Forest NC

Originally 18 Westwood Road. Sold in 1970 to Robert A. Totty, Jr. Sold in 1995 to Matthew C. and Maria C. Burril. Sold in 1997 to Joseph Patrick Sleater. Sold in 2003 to Clary Lawson McCall and Robert Granieri. Destroyed in 2004 and a new house built with changed address.

The Evan Shelby and Marian D. Miller House
1962

The Burnham S. Colburn Jr. House

Woodfield Road, Arden NC

Status unkown.

The Burnham S. Colburn Jr. House
1962

The Ira and Rae Lipton Addition

154 Wembley Road, Asheville NC

Original house built in 1952. Sold in 1967 to Peter V. and Jacqueline S. Elting. Sold in 1973 to Steven and Engeline Sophia Molkenboer. Sold in 1976 to Ken and Margaret M. Wagener. Sold in 1984 to David M. and Suzanne L. Carter. Some renovations in 2015.

The Ira and Rae Lipton Addition The Ira and Rae Lipton Addition
1963

The Roger W. and Arline F. Morrison Addition

65 Sunset Parkway, Asheville NC

Originally built in 1919. Sold in 1974 to Karl F. and Mary Gladys Bitter. Sold in 1985 to Diane Kay McDonald and Anthony Sciara. Sold in 2000 to Stephen R. and Robin Seal.

The Roger W. and Arline F. Morrison Addition
1963

The Cyril and Edna Tate Smith House Remodel

334 Vanderbilt Road, Biltmore Forest NC

Originally built in 1925. Sold in 1963 to Charlotte J. and Lewis Lunsford, Jr. Sold in 1986 to Jean Meyers. Sold in 1989 to Charles G. and Janet Kersten Vasey. Deeded in 2000 to Charles Gibbs and Paula Card Vasey.

The Cyril and Edna Tate Smith House Remodel
1963

The H. L. Newbold House

Black Mountain NC

The H. L. Newbold House
1964

The Robert B. (Bob) and Elizabeth N. Armstrong House

23 Amherst Road, Biltmore Forest NC

Deeded in 2002 to Revonda Armstrong Ward. Sold in 2007 to Celeste Sartino and David Allen Sandridge, Jr. Still owner as of 2025.

The Robert B. (Bob) and Elizabeth N. Armstrong House
1964

The Arnold James and Dorothy Roberts Hyde House

130 Queen Road, Candler NC

Sold in 2006 to Leon T. and Sandra D. Clark. Sold in 2017 to Steven Lucas Slater.

The Arnold James and Dorothy Roberts Hyde House The Arnold James and Dorothy Roberts Hyde House The Arnold James and Dorothy Roberts Hyde House The Arnold James and Dorothy Roberts Hyde House
1964

The Frank Coxe House, High Hampton

Jackson County NC

Unbuilt.

The Frank Coxe House, High Hampton
1964

The Hyman Dave Residence

140 Lynn Cove Road, Asheville NC

3552 square feet. All steel construction. Won a 1964 AIANC Honor Award. Sold in 1996 to Thelma Rotham. Sold in 2006 to Carol R. and Margie Lane. Sold in 2007 to Thel-Mar Farms LLC.

The Hyman Dave Residence The Hyman Dave Residence The Hyman Dave Residence
1964

The Rudolf and Helen L. Gumpert Residence

100 Dry Ridge Road, Asheville NC

Built by H. Southworth Company of Asheville. Won a 1965 AIANC Merit Award; featured in the March 1965 issue of NC Architect. B/W photos by Edward Dupuy. Sold in 1970 to Thomasina Caporella, still owner as of 2014.

The Rudolf and Helen L. Gumpert Residence The Rudolf and Helen L. Gumpert Residence The Rudolf and Helen L. Gumpert Residence
1964

The Voit and Kathryn Gilmore House

107 Purchase Road, Purchase Knob, Maggie Valley NC

aka. The Gilmores donated the house and 535 acres in 2000 to the Appalachian Highland Science Learning Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Used for housing for researchers and environmental education programs.

The Voit and Kathryn Gilmore House
1964

The Frank C. and Jean B. Farnam Remodel

124 North Griffing Boulevard, Asheville NC

Originally built in 1954. Sold in 1968 to F. H. and Betty H. Williams. Sold in 1973 to T. J. and Norma L. Driscoll. Sold in 1978 to Charles D. and Patricia C. Woody. Sold in 2020 to Richard D. and Beatrice W. Hansen Trust.

The Frank C. and Jean B. Farnam Remodel
1964

The Willard and Cleo Ford Hogan House

3 Amherst Road, Asheville NC

Sold in 2004 to Robert K. Weiler.

The Willard and Cleo Ford Hogan House
1964

The Paul M. and Geraldine G. Lerner Remodel

111 Griffing Circle, Asheville NC

Originally built in 1952. Sold in 1969 to Cameron W. and Janet Laura Anderson Cantwell.

The Paul M. and Geraldine G. Lerner Remodel
1964

The Leo Leslie House, location unknown

North Carolina

Probably unbuilt.

The Leo Leslie House, location unknown
1964

The Norris House

Waynesville NC

The Norris House
1964

The Cogburn Ranch Additionaka Pisgah View Ranch, Max Cogburn

Davis Creek Road, Candler NC

Owned by the same family since 1790. Opened to the public in 1941.

The Cogburn Ranch Addition
1964

The John Shirley House

Leicester NC

The John Shirley House
1964

The James N. and Robbie K. Tilbrook House

164 Rolling Drive, Waynesville NC

Deeded in 1970 to James K. Tilbrook. Sold in 2007 to Mauney Cove, LLC.

The James N. and Robbie K. Tilbrook House
1964

The James H. Worley House

74 Aurora Drive, Asheville NC

Originally built in 1948. Sold in 1965 to Mary Beth and Zebulon Weaver, III. Sold in 1969 to Raymond T. and Mary Elizabeth Williams. Sold in 1978 to Thomas M. and Patricia M. Gantt. Sold in 1988 to Robert B. and Maryann Hansen. Sold in 1991 to Johnny R. and Patricia A. Calhoun. Sold in 2004 to Clay Erik Jensen.

The James H. Worley House The James H. Worley House
1964

The Tom and Judy Alexander Cottageaka Cataloochee Ranch

119 Ranch Drive, Maggie Valley NC

Cataloochee Ranch was founded in 1933 and was originally located in the serene and beautiful Cataloochee Valley. In 1938 Tom Alexander purchased a large part of the present Ranch property on Fie Top Mountain from Verlin Campbell, the "Potato King" of Haywood County. He inherited a sturdy stone and log cattle barn, now the main Ranch house, and several derelict cabins and sheds. The 5,000-foot elevation bordering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park also created the ideal combination of extraordinary mountain views and wonderfully cool summer temperatures. As of 2014, the Ranch is still managed by Alexander family members.

The Tom and Judy Alexander Cottage The Tom and Judy Alexander Cottage
1965

The William and Patricia (Pat) Callison House

299 Webb Cove Road, Asheville NC

Contemporary house with a few Modernist elements. Sold in 2011 to Robert C. and Michelle Conklin. Still owners as of 2025.

The William and Patricia (Pat) Callison House
1965

The C. C. Belcher Guest House

103 Stuyvesant Road, Biltmore Forest NC

Dr. Belcher and his wife also owned 28 Hilltop Road, around the corner from 103 Stuyvesant. They purchased the lot at 103 Stuyvesant and built a cottage, using it as a guest house, but it was always a separate parcel. A Miss Cogburn rented the cottage from Dr. Belcher and several years later she and her husband purchased 28 Hilltop. Later, her husband bought 103 Stuyvesant as a present to her (it had been empty for several years). In the mid 1980s another Cogburn brother moved into the cottage and in 1988 built a new house around the cottage. Sold to Max and Fran Cogburn. Still owner as of 2025.

The C. C. Belcher Guest House
1965

The Arthur C. and Gertrude R. Brooks Residence

141 Last Resort Terrace, Black Mountain NC

Sold in 1995 to John C. Mitchell. Sold in 1998 to Mai Garesche Carter. Sold in 2020 to The BIBI Trust. Still owners as of 2025.

The Arthur C. and Gertrude R. Brooks Residence
1965

The Patricia Orr and William Mason Mebane, Jr. House

35 Westhaven Drive, Asheville NC

Sold in 2005 to Grace and Darryl E. Unruh, Sr. Sold in 2006 to Rhea Cravens. Still owner as of 2025.

The Patricia Orr and William Mason Mebane, Jr. House
1966

The Jack Girard House

14 Westwood Road, Asheville NC

Located in Biltmore Forest subdivision. A 3,944 sf contemporary. Sold in 2007 to Gregory T. Matlick. Sold in 2007 to Christen H. and Gregory T. Matlick. Still owners as of 2025.

The Jack Girard House
1966

The Herman Milton and Kate Lee Coburn Boniske Residence

3184 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville NC

Sold in 1988 to Dave Ogren. Still owner as of 2025.

The Herman Milton and Kate Lee Coburn Boniske Residence
1966

The George W. and Nancy G. McCleary Residence

7 Eastwood Road, Biltmore Forest NC

Sold in 1985 to Robert A. Totty, Jr. and Sonya E. Friedrich.

The George W. and Nancy G. McCleary Residence
1966

The Garland E. and Mary Ann Wampler House

124 Swiss Avenue, Burnsville NC

The Garland E. and Mary Ann Wampler House
1969

The Stephens Development Company Grassy Mountain Development

Littie Switzerland NC

Built by Bell Construction. Photo by Paul Brezny. Status unknown.

The Stephens Development Company Grassy Mountain Development
1972

The Charles Sappenfield House

2322 West Berwyn Road, Muncie IN

Sold in 2016 to Michael Crider. Photos by Craig Kuhner.

The Charles Sappenfield House The Charles Sappenfield House The Charles Sappenfield House
1982

The Perry Cross House

3810 West Moore Road, Muncie IN

According to his son, unbuilt.

1994

The Freeman A. and Billie Jean Berne House

9 Bufflehead Court, Bald Head Island NC

Sold in 2007 to Marcus E. Smith, Jr.

The Freeman A. and Billie Jean Berne House
1998

The Cuthbertson House

8 Skimmer Road, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC

Deeded in 2010 to William R. Cuthbertson III.

The Cuthbertson House

Sources include: AIANC; daughter Sally Sappenfield; Charles Sappenfield; Charlie Kahn.