Coolidge (Charles) is born in Boston.

The son of David H. and Isabella (Shurtleff) Coolidge, Charles Coolidge graduates from Harvard College, studies architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and joins the office of H.H. Richardson. With others, he founds the firm of Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge in 1886. The firm designs the Ames Building and maintains its offices are on the top floor of the building at 1 Court Street. Coolidge marries Julia Shepley in 1899, moves to Chicago in 1892, returns to Boston in 1914, and is one of the founders of Coolidge and Shattuck (later Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch and Abbot). He dies on Long Island on April 1, 1936.