Renowned Architect Built Several Brevard Homes

Architect Richard Sharp Smith was born and educated in England.  He immigrated to the United States in 1882 and in 1886 began working for Richard Morris Hunt in New York.  Hunt sent Smith to Asheville as the supervising architect for the Biltmore House in 1889.

After completing work throughout the Biltmore Estate and nearby Biltmore Village Smith opened a private practice.  He designed a large number of governmental and commercial buildings, as well as private homes in Asheville and throughout Western North Carolina.  Smith used a variety of styles including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival and Craftsman.  His clients were prominent civic leaders and businessmen. 

Structures in Brevard and Transylvania County designed by Smith include the old First Baptist Church, the homes of H.P Clarke, F.L. DeVane and the Fraternity Building.  H.P. Clarke’s daughter, Nancy Clarke-Carrier opened Rockbrook Camp around the Colonial Revival Clarke family home in 1921.  The DeVane house on Caldwell St. is now Moody-Connelly Funeral Home.  The Fraternity Building includes Bracken Mountain Bakery, The Children’s Center Emporium, and Local Color on the west side of South Broad Street in downtown Brevard.

Former Brevard Presbyterian Manse

On Brevard’s popular West Probart Street, Smith designed the Brevard Presbyterian Church Manse and the home of Mrs. Henry.  According the Transylvania:  The Architectural History of a Mountain County, both the Brevard Presbyterian Church and the manse were designed by Richard Sharp Smith.  However, the church was built prior to 1900 and the manse after 1912.

Richard Sharp Smith’s architectural drawings for the manse, dated September 1912, are located in the North Carolina Room at Pack Library in Asheville.  The craftsman-style home has weatherboard siding on the first floor and wood-shingle on the second story.  A low, hipped roof with overhanging eaves covers the house and the single story front porch.  A stone wall runs along the front yard at the sidewalk.

In 1950 the church and manse were sold to the new Lutheran congregation in Brevard.  The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd held services there until 1961.

Henry House on West Probart Street

The one-and-one half story craftsman-style Henry House on West Probart was also designed by Richard Sharp Smith.  The first story exterior is pebbledash, while the upper level has wood shingles on the ends and dormers.  Like the Presbyterian Manse the home has a full front porch with a hip-roof.  The house also features diamond-paned window sashes and wide overhanging roof eaves.

Brevard builder, R. P. Kilpatrick is believed to have built the Henry House around 1903.  Next week’s Picturing the Past will feature other West Probart Street homes constructed by Kilpatrick.

Some of Richard Sharp Smith’s architectural drawing can be viewed online at ncroom.buncombecounty.org/Presto/home/home.aspx.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.