Charles Lewis Bowman

His firm's output was confined to the Northeastern section of the United States. During its lifespan an ever greater concentration of works were within the affluent community of Bronxville, New York. Within Bronxville works were even more pronounced in an elite section known as Lawrence Park. Bowman enjoyed a career of successful output until his last work in 1962. His first solo works were completed in Mount Vernon, New York. Bowman went on to construct nine homes in Pelham, New York. Bowman's firm expanded to design homes in Westchester County, including Bronxville, Eastchester, New Rochelle and Scarsdale, and in more distant communities including Long Island, Reading, Pennsylvania, Englewood, New Jersey, Short Hills, New Jersey, Greenwich, Connecticut, and The Plains, Virginia. Many of Bowman's homes, including the Ohrstrom home, were constructed by the firm of Cuzzi Brothers & Singer, also of Mount Vernon, NY. For client George Lewis Ohrstrom he designed "Old Mill Farm"" and following the divorce, remarriage and relocation of Mr. Ohrstrom to The Plains, Virginia he would design part of his "Whitewood" estate there. "Old Mill Farm" would be acquired by actor / director Mel Gibson in 1994 for a reported $9.25 million. The 77 acre farm would be listed for sale in July 2007 at $39,500,000 through Sotheby's Realty. It eventually sold in April 2010 for just under $24 million. Bowman's preferred style of home has been compared to the Stockbroker's Tudor, which became increasing popular due to the growth of suburbs. Many of these homes are still in use today, and have been noted for their materials, design, positioning, and size. Rarely were homes built over 5000 sqft. Bowman left his most concentrated mark as an architect upon the community of Bronxville, designing 53 homes, all but one of which survive today. Their styles vary from Georgian, Cotswold, and Tudor, to Normandy and Mediterranean. He was perhaps in his prime when he worked from English architectural roots with Jacobean designs displaying steep slate roofs, rich with stone or brickwork, timbering, leaded glass windows and clustered chimneys. He designed for Robert and Dorothy (who went by the nickname of "Dickie") Roebling a three-story 10000 sqft stone Norman style manor house on 18 acre just outside Princeton, New Jersey in Lawrence Township. The home begun shortly after Bob and Dickie were married in 1925 would be completed in 1928. Robert was heir of the famed construction family, John A. Roebling's Sons Co, best known for building the Brooklyn Bridge. Known as Landfall the highly attractive manor house with its steep roofs, tall turrets and walled cobblestone court is extant today on 5 acre.

The Greenwich Board of Trade awarded him a medal in 1931 for his outstanding design of "Old Mill Farm" in Greenwich, Connecticut. Commissioned by equestrian sportsman and financier George Lewis Ohrstrom the 137 acre estate with the Elizabethan stone manor house and stable complex plus numerous outbuildings was all designed by Bowman. The "Old Mill Farm" was exhibited at the Architectural League of New York in 1932 and was featured in several architectural publications - including the Architectural Record - of the day.