He was educated in the surrounding schools and became a farmer by occupation, particularly livestock farming.
During his time in the Ohio General Assembly, he focused on agricultural educational issues for his particular districts.
A Republican, Carpenter was also on many occasions a member of the Ohio State Central Committee.
In the Senate, he sat as chairman on the Committee on Agriculture and Penitentiary, and as a member of the Finance, Labor, Common Schools, School Land, Privileges and Elections, Benevolent Institutions, Agriculture, and Rules.
His state political service was lauded by the Ohio State Board of Agriculture for his "active interest in the farmers; the agricultural societies, as bodies and as individuals, have never asked anything of him that he didn't take up with pleasure and desire to execute for their interests".
He is a practical garmer and stock raiser, a business man of ability, a good executive, and his knowledge of men gained as a member of the Ohio senate from the Tenth district will make him a valuable official of the institution.
Carpenter was a member of the Freemasons where he was a knight templar.
His son, known as simply "Frank", was a lawyer in Mount Sterling, Ohio.He died at his Athens home on September 29, 1919, of complications of atherosclerosis.
He was buried at School Lot Cemetery in what would later become Carpenter, Ohio.