Known for his use of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, Charles L. Carson was born in Baltimore and taught architecture at the Maryland Institute. In addition to working alone, he partnered with
Thomas Dixon in
Dixon & Carson, an alliance which continued until about 1879, and, later, with
Joseph E. Sperry, beginning around 1889. Examples of his work include Goucher Hall (1888) and the first Enoch Pratt Free Library on Mulberry Street.