Charles Wallace Heard (1806-1876) arrived in Painesville as a youngster from Onondaga, New York. Apprenticed at age sixteen to architect Jonathan Goldsmith, he resided with the Goldsmith family in the 'Old Homestead' on Mentor Avenue. The Goldsmith residence was an old Greek Revival style dwelling and stood on the current Lake County Fair site until it burned down in 1875. Charles wed in 1830 to Goldsmith's daughter Caroline. A brick home in the Federal style was built by Goldsmith for the couple and still stands at 9647 Mentor Avenue.
Opportunity presented itself in 1833 in Cleveland. Heard became a journeymen for Sherlock J. Anderson and in time a father of eight. Heard was commissioned to build the Giddings House on Public Square at Ontario Street. The home was in the Greek Revival style. 1849 saw Heard build a Gothic style home for Henry B. Payne on Euclid Avenue. Heard partnered with Simeon C. Porter and their firm built the three downtown churches that once stood on Public Square. Two were Gothic in design, the other Romanesque. St. Paul's, Second Presbyterian and the Old Stone Church were their names. One remains today- the Old Stone Church. The Hinman Barrett Hurlbut estate was another Euclid Avenue mansion designed by Heard.
Heard assisted in the construction of the Lake Erie Female Seminary in Painesville (Lake Erie College) and laid the cornerstone in 1857. Heard and new partner Walter Blythe completed Lake County's St. James Episcopal Church in 1866. The St. Clair Street School followed. Next came the Eagle Street School and the Jennings Place on Casement Avenue in Painesville.
Now at the age of 66, Heard concluded his storied career with three final efforts. They were the Euclid Avenue Opera House (1875), Ohio Building (1875), and Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, completed just before his passing in 1876.
Source- Elizabeth G. Hitchcock 1967 article for the Historical Society Quarterly
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