Cromwell Architects Engineers

A strong commitment to design and sustainable building practices steers Cromwell through a second century of continuous practice. Discover the origins of our firm, including where we’ve been and where we’re heading. Benjamin J. Bartlett moved to Little Rock in 1885 and began what is known today as Cromwell. He designed the first building for the Arkansas School for the Blind. The school got a lot of attention for its mixture of Italianate and Queen Anne styles. Soon after, Charles L. Thompson moved to Little Rock and began working for Bartlett as a draftsman. Thompson considered Little Rock the “farthest in the wilderness” at the time. In 1886 Bartlett and Thompson formed a partnership and the firm became known as Bartlett & Thompson.