Richard Sharp Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 7, 1853 Yorkshire, England |
| Died | February 8, 1924 |
| Alma mater | Kensington School of Art |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Partner | Albert Heath Carrier |
| Practice | Smith & Carrier Richard S. Smith, Architect Richard Morris Hunt Bradford Gilbert Reed Brothers |
| Buildings | Asheville Masonic Temple Basilica of St. Lawrence Henderson County Courthouse Jackson County Courthouse Madison County Courthouse Swain County Courthouse Young Men's Institute |
| Projects | Biltmore Estate Biltmore Village |
Richard Sharp Smith (July 7, 1853 – February 8, 1924) was an English-born American architect, noted for his association with George W. Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate and Asheville, North Carolina.[1][2] Smith worked for some of America's important architectural firms of the late 19th century—Richard Morris Hunt, Bradford Lee Gilbert, and Reid & Reid—before establishing his practice in Asheville. His most significant body of work is in Asheville and Western North Carolina, including dozens of buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or are contributing structures to National Register Historic Districts.
While working for Richard Morris Hunt, Smith was the supervising architect for Biltmore. After Smith established his solo practice, Vanderbilt continued working with Smith to create additional buildings for the estate and the surrounding area. Smith designed more than 24 buildings for Biltmore Village for Vanderbilt between 1900 and 1920. During these projects, Smith developed a vernacular style that combined elements of Craftsman, Colonial Revival, English cottage, Shingle, and Tudor Revival architectural styles.[3] This style was reflected in Smith's other house and church designs throughout Asheville in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In contrast, Smith used reinforced concrete construction for a significant number of commercial and public buildings in downtown Asheville and courthouses for Henderson, Jackson, Madison, and Swain Counties. Many of his projects were created in collaboration with his business partner, engineer Albert Heath Carrier. This allowed Smith to focus on clients and creative design, while Carrier managed the mechanical and structural engineering aspects of their projects. Their partnership was extremely prolific; between 1905 and Smith's death in 1924, Smith & Carrier designed more than 700 buildings.
Between 1900 and 1920, Smith designed almost every significant building in downtown Asheville, including hotels, medical buildings, office buildings, schools, and theaters. Clay Griffith with the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office says, "The influence of Richard Sharp Smith’s architecture in Asheville and western North Carolina during the first quarter of the twentieth century cannot be overstated."[4]: 8.9
- ^ "Richard Sharp Smith (1852–1924)". North Carolina Architects & Builders. NC State University Libraries. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:7was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:3was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Griffith, Clay (January 22, 2009). "Richard Sharp Smith House: National Register of Historic Places Application" (PDF). North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved February 19, 2022.