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Menu Home Upfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon COOK and SPINDLER Established: 1879 Ended: 1883? Architect Schoeman (1982:79) gives the firm's name as Cooke & Spengler but subsequent research (Heroldt 1988) has identified the firm as Cook & Spindler. The partnership between J Thornhill COOK and one SPINDLER existed in Port Elizabeth from 1879 to about 1883. The work ascribed to Cook (executed between 1880 and 1883) was perhaps the work of the partnership. The only plan to which the names of the partners so far has been linked was the competition design for the proposed town hall in Bloemfontein circa 1880. According to Schoeman (1982:70), the committee considered the plan to be a 'really beautiful design' (a T-shaped building with an arcaded porch) but 'unfit for a plain up-country town such as Bloemfontein.' It was discarded in favour of one by R Wocke. (Heroldt 1988:334; Schoeman 1982:68 ill 70) All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.