CHARLES (CHARLEY) LYMAN BATES SR. (1929-2020)

Bates was born in Elkin NC and went to high school in Spartanburg SC. He served in the Navy for two years then graduated from Clemson in Architecture in 1953. He served as Chief Designer for Wyatt C. Hedrick Company in Texas. Bates moved back to Charlotte in 1956 to work for Odell Associates on projects such as Ovens Auditorium, Goodyear Building, Garringer HS, Charlotte Coliseum, and most notably, the award-winning 1959 Holy Comforter Lutheran Church in Belmont NC, an astonishing small church, shown below.

Bates left Odell around 1966 and started his own office. In addition to architecture, he started doing hand renderings for other architects, a career direction he continued for 40 years in Hilton Head SC. He worked for a time at Sirrine. He was instrumental in the development of Hilton Head Island SC, including the Hyatt Hotel, Fire Station, Tom Fazio Golf Villas, and airport.

Year unknown - Lakeside Acres development, 3 or 4 houses, 1930s style. Status unknown.

1956 - The Clyde (Cloudy) McLean House, Lakeside Drive off Providence Road, Charlotte NC. McLean was the local weatherman on WBTV. Featured in the Charlotte News, 7/4/1959. Status unknown.

1958 - The Rebecca (Becky) and Harry C. Wolf Jr. House, 3821 Arborway, Charlotte NC. Designed while working for Odell. Harry Wolf III became one of North Carolina's most successful architects. Sold around 1977 to architect Tebee Hawkins and his wife Dorothy. Sold in 2001 to architect Matthew Benson and interior designer Barrie Benson, who designed an addition and renovation built by Advanced Renovations.

About 1958 - The Toni and Wyatt Lawson House, Charlotte NC. Across the lake from Bates' Glass House. Possibly sold to Ty Boyd, a TV announcer. Address unknown, do you know where it is?

About 1958 - The O'Hare House, Charlotte NC. Across the lake from his Glass house. Address unknown, do you know where it is?

About 1958 - Two more houses. Across the lake from his Glass house. Address unknown, do you know where they are?

1959 - The Walter and Elizabeth Klein House, possibly 4930 Deer Walk Avenue, Charlotte NC.  Formerly 201 Lancelot Drive, in rural Matthews NC.  Featured large floor to ceiling windows.  Featured in House Beautiful at some point.  Burned down in 1968, then rebuilt from the foundation. Interior design for the rebuilt, Ruth Leventhal. Sold in 1994 to Judy Y. Wu and Kao Te Wu.  Destroyed around 2013 and a new house built.

1960 - The Charles L. and Jean Weber Bates Residence, aka Glass House, 9331 Providence Road, Charlotte NC. Inspired by the Glass House by Philip Johnson. The house was accidentally built on the property line with a neighbor. Sold in 1968 to Stacy E. Simmons, also an architect. Sold in 2023 to Genia and Robert C. Rogers and Hunter Rogers. Bottom photo by Susan Meyer.

1960 - The Arthur and Louise Weber House, 9407 Providence Road, Charlotte NC. Designed for Bates' in-laws next door to his own house. He lobbied for the house, against a resistant spouse, and he died about a month after moving in. Sold in 1994 to Sara G. and Douglas A. Brackett. Photo by Susan Meyer.

1960 - The Craig Elrod House, 2626 Sharon Road, Charlotte NC. Built by Rex Wheatley. Featured in the Charlotte News, 10/8/1960. Sold in 2020 to Queen Charlotte Properties LLC who have a demolition permit as of August 2021.

1961 - The Sharon Arms Apartments, 4313-4325 Colwick Road, Charlotte NC. A 32-unit, 2- and 3-bedroom luxury apartment house. Built by Craven B. Helms Construction. Supervising architect, Conrad Taylor. Destroyed in 2013.

The Curtis Residence.

The Lowden Residence.

The C. J. Jones Renovation.

The Boggs Residence.

The Whitton Residence.

The Barton Residence.

The Moore Residence.

The Larry Rogers Apartments.

The Holderness Residence.

The Kenan Residence.

The Gen. Charles Rich Residence.

The E. N. Gray Residence.

The General J. W. Dobson Residence.

The Cay Residence.

The Goodrich Residence.

The Kooman Residence.

The Grimwade Residence.

The McIntosh Remodeling.

The Adler Residence.

The C. J. Jones / Lipscomb House.

The Wheaton Residence.

The Doud Residence.

The Cole Residence.

The Ruhloff Residence.

The Bennett Residence.

The Gregory Residence.

The Gregory Residence 2.

The Judge Smith Residence.

The Alexander Turner Residence.

The P. C. Hyzer House.

The H. E. W. House.

The Wallace Residence.

The Bates Residence.

The Hall Residence.

The Chambers Residence.

The Welpott Residence.

Tyner-Miller Residence

The Ulmer Residence.

The Scott Residence.

The Stanley Residence.

The Boltz Residence.

The J. C. Cuppia Residence.

The Cay Residence.

The Lowgren Residence.

The Myerly Residence.

The Key Residence.

The Donovan Residence.

The Fries Residence.

The Swain Residence.

The White Residence.

The Haines Residence.

The Peterson Residence.

The Sebring Residence.

The Irby Residence.

The Gladys Gregory Remodel.

The Allen Palmer Residence.

The Keller Residence.

The Gregory Residence.

The Smith Residence.

The Strange Residence.

The A. H. Englehardt Garden Wall.

The Jones Residence.

The Robert C. Omorato Residence.

The Soowal Residence.

The Bates Ranch House.

Year unknown - The A. A. Friedman Residence. Do you know where it is?

1966 - The Winston (Win) and Mel Sharples Residence, Port Royal Plantation, Hilton Head Island SC.

1967 - The Thomas Wamsley Residence. Do you know where it is?

1968 - The Orion D. and Elisha Hack House, Hilton Head Island SC. Port Roya area. Built by C. J. Jones.

1969 - The Peter LaMotte House, 9 Wing Shell Lane, Hilton Head Island SC. Built by John Tilton.

1972 - The Charles and Jean Bates House, 9 Armada Street, Hilton Head Island SC.

1986 - The George Spaulding House, 33 Surfsong Road, Kiawah Island SC. Sold in 1991 to G. Frank Judisch. Sold in 2010 to William J. Duggan. Sold in 2015 to 33 Surfsong K&L LLC.

Sources include: Harry Wolf; Charles Bates; daughter Jamie Adair; Stacy Simmons.