John Smith (architect)

John Smith (1781 – 22 July 1852) was a Scottish architect. His career started in 1805 and he was appointed as the official city architect of Aberdeen in 1807, the first person to hold this post. Together with Archibald Simpson, he contributed significantly to the architecture of Aberdeen, and many of the granite buildings that gave the city the nickname 'The Granite City' or also 'The Silver City' are attributed to them.

Smith was the son of a successful builder and architect and his own son, William, continued the family tradition by also becoming an architect. After completing his training in London, Smith quickly became established throughout the north-east of Scotland. He secured private commissions to design, renovate or alter numerous country houses, parish churches and castles; his official capacity as City Architect ensured he is also credited with several extensive public works. Towards the middle of his career around the 1830s, as his individuality developed, he gained the nickname of 'Tudor Johnny'; an indication his designs were starting to favour a Tudor Gothic styling.

Smith was born in Aberdeen in 1781. His father was William 'Sink-em' Smith (d. 1815), also a successful builder and architect. The younger Smith attended Aberdeen Grammar School before serving an apprenticeship as a stonemason in his father's building firm. He undertook further architectural design training in London, possibly under the tutelage of James Playfair, but as Playfair died in 1794, the offices of Robert Lugar seem more likely. By the end of 1804, Smith returned to Aberdeen, where construction and development was rapidly evolving.

One of Smith's first major commissions was to design a town house for the merchant Patrick Milne in 1805. Sited on Union Street, Aberdeen, Crimonmogate was a two-storey "Greek inspired country house" with a five windowed frontage. He is next credited with the design of Footdee, an area within Aberdeen. Consisting of 56 but and ben one storey thatched houses arranged in two squares, the plans quickly received Council approval and construction was completed by 1809. The new housing accommodated residents formerly living in condemned properties beside the harbour; the re-location of these tenants allowed the Council to begin initial proceedings for Thomas Telford's 1824 Aberdeen Harbour improvements, which Smith was also associated with.

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