Samuel Hunter Donnell (aka Donnel, 1820 - Dec 11, 1860) was born in Pennsylvania. He
was raised and educated at Williamsport, Ohio where he became an architect. In 1849,
he went to California where he spent three years as a merchant. He returned to Ohio
ca. 1852, to supervise construction of a railroad and its stations. At that time, he
married Rose M. Smith who had come to Ohio from Massachusetts as a young lady. Shortly
before March 3, 1855, Donnell and his bride came to Madison (on that date he advertised
his services' in local newspaper).
In 1855, Donnell advertised that he executed plans and specifications of buildings and
machinery, superintended the erection of buildings, prepared maps and carved in wood and
stone. There are no known works directly attributable to Donnell alone, however. Only C.
Currier's 1855 view of Madison as seen from Madison Water cure building is known to have
been drawn by him.
The partnership of Donnell and Kutzbock probably began in 1855, since the Gov. LJ. Farwell
residence of that date was attributed to both men in reliable contemporary sources. The
last known citation for the partnership was a newspaper advertisement from 1859.
Donnell died in 1861, at the age of 37. His two children died the same year. His wife
continued to live in the house Donnell built at 29 E. Wilson Street (non-extant) and later
married local businessman John A. Bowman.
Interred at Forest Hill Cemetery
Donnell & Kutzboch
