Richard Sharp Smith

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.

Early life Richard Sharp Smith was born in Yorkshire, England, the son of Saleta (née Watterson) and Jones Smith. He is thought to have studied architecture at the Kensington School of Art in London. He received additional architectural training in the office of George Smith, his cousin. He worked with various firms in Manchester before immigrating to the United States in 1882. Biltmore was planned to be more than the largest home in America; it was also to be a working estate with expansive grounds designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

Smith was more than just a supervising architect; he designed many secondary buildings, cottages, and other structures for the estate while on site. One is the former Mule Stable which is now used as the Deerpark restaurant. During his first five years in practice, 1896 to 1901, Smith received sixty commissions. With Biltmore Village, Smith developed an attractive look for the neighborhood surrounding the entrance to the estate, while also fulfilling his client's ambition to model ideal village life.

Other Projects

Vanderbilt also commissioned the Young Man's Institute (YMI) the first building Smith designed in Asheville proper.

In another project for Vanderbilt, Smith designed five large rental cottages, actually mansions, across the Swannanoa River on Vernon Hill overlooking Biltmore.

Smith's other early commissions were for houses and cottages in the Montford and Chestnut Hill neighborhoods of Asheville. In 1897, he sued builder James M. Westall for using his designs without permission, especially exterior features. The tall Vance Monument was part of the Downtown Asheville Historic District but was demolished in 2021. After Smith's death, Carrier completed some open commissions but not much more. He was also a member of the British American Club and the Asheville Masonic Temple; he designed a building for the latter in 1913. Biltmore Village Commercial Buildings 1889–1910 Brook Street and Biltmore Plaza Asheville NRHP Biltmore Village Cottages 1889–1900 18 Angle Street and 75 Hendersonville Road Asheville NRHP All Souls Episcopal Church 1895–1896 9 Swan Street Asheville Richard Morris Hunt NRHP Sunnicrest 394 Victoria Road Asheville Dr. H. S. Lambert House 1896 166 East Chestnut Street Asheville NRHD Dr. Jules Ernest David Cottage Lot 1 138 East Chestnut Street Asheville NRHD Charles Jordan House 296 Montford Avenue Asheville NRHD Dorland Memorial Presbyterian Church 1900 Bridge Street Hot Springs NRHP Dr. Charles S. Jordan House 296 Montford Avenue Asheville NRHD Dr. Jules Ernest David Cottage Lot 3 1900 130 East Chestnut Street Asheville NRHD George Tayloe Winston House 1900 2 Howland Road Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Biltmore Dairy 1902 Biltmore Estate Asheville Richard Howland Hunt NHL Dairy Barn 1902 Biltmore Estate Asheville Richard Howland Hunt NHL Embrook 1902–1903 93 Embrook Lake Drive Flat Rock b Foster Sondley House 1902, 1905 Haw Creek Road Asheville William E. Breese Jr. House 1902 315 East Main Street Brevard NRHP, NRHD James H. White House 1903 5 Hill Street Marshall NRHP Stoneybrook 1903 655 Chunns Cove Road Asheville NRHP Henderson County Courthouse 1905 1st and Main Street Hendersonville NRHP, NRHD O. E. Hamilton Apartment Building 1905 134–136 1/2 Biltmore Avenue Asheville NRHP Thomas C. Smith Jr. House c. 1905 156 East Chestnut Street Asheville NRHD Fraternity Building 1907 36–38–42 South Broad Street Brevard NRHD Madison County Courthouse 1907 1 Main Street Marshall Albert Carrier NRHP Bryson City Bank 1908 16 Everett Street Bryson City Pleasant Hill 1908 1168 Pleasant Hill Drive Flat Rock NRHD W. M. and Mary Harrison House 1908 1 Latrobe Street Asheville NRHD James M. Chiles House 1909 70 Gertrude Place Asheville NRHD Argyle 1910 3110 Greenville Highway Flat Rock NRHD Misses Hawthorne Cottage 1910 208 Pearson Drive Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD People's National Bank 225 North Main Street Hendersonville Albert Carrier NRHD Technical Building College Street Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD J. R. Oates House 1913 90 Gertrude Place Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Smith-McDowell House 1913 283 Victoria Road Asheville NRHP William Johnson Jr. House 1913 2 Edwin Place Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Brevard Presbyterian Church Manse 1916 116 W. Probart Street Brevard Albert Carrier LL J. R. Bush House 1916 6 Edwin Place Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Lt. Lawrence Laughran Memorial Riverside Cemetery Asheville NRHD Burnham S. Colburn Residence 1920 7 Stuyvesant Road Biltmore Forest Albert Carrier E. W. Grove Apartment Building 1920–1929 Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Lewis Funeral Home 1921 189 College Street Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Chestnut Hill Cottage 1922 16 The Circle Asheville NRHD Overland-Knight Building 205 College Street Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Twin Oaks Cottage 1922 7 Banbury Cross Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Foreman's Cottage 1923 Biltmore Estate Asheville Albert Carrier NHL Loughran Building 1923 Haywood Street Asheville Albert Carrier NRHD Sylvan Theater 1927 Mill and Main Street Sylva Albert Carrier NRHD Busbee Road Gate House Biltmore Estate Asheville Albert Carrier NHL DeVane House 229 South Caldwell Street Brevard