David Smart (1824 – 13 October 1914) was a Scottish architect, prominent in the second half of the 19th century.David Smart
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Dictionary of Scottish Architects The Dictionary of Scottish Architects is a publicly available online database that provides biographical information about all architects known to have worked in Scotland between 1660 and 1980, and lists their works. Launched in 2006, it was comp ...

His design genre varied between municipal buildings, schools and churches, but he worked almost exclusively in

Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...

Early life

Smart was born in

Alyth Alyth () () is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, northeast of Blairgowrie and Rattray, Blairgowrie and about northwest of Dundee. In 2022 the town had an estimated population of 3,046. First mentioned by name in a 12th-century royal char ...

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. It is bordered by Highland (council area), Highland and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus, Scotland, Angus, Dundee, and F ...

, in 1824.

Career

Although it is not known with whom he first apprenticed, he worked for many years in the office of

David Bryce David Bryce Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE FRIBA Royal Scottish Academy, RSA (3 April 1803 – 7 May 1876) was a Scotland, Scottish architect. Life Bryce was born at 5 South College Street in Edinburgh, the son of David B ...

. It is rumoured that a disagreement in that office resulted in Smart leaving to take over the practice of William Macdonald Mackenzie from his widow in 1858. The quarrel was settled amicably. By the late 1870s, Smart was worked with a relative, James Smart, who was his partner from around 1887. Their firm was D & J Smart. The partnership was dissolved shortly before the turn of the century, possibly due to the readmission of James Smart's son,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(born 1872), to the practice. David retained the office at 42 Tay Street (part of the Victoria Buildings) in Perth, while James opened his at 28 York Place as James Smart & Son. In 1907, David Smart began a partnership with his senior assistant Donald Alexander Stewart (born 1876), who had been articled to Smart since 1892. The firm became known as Smart & Stewart. Smart retired around 1911 at the age of 86.

Selected notable works

* Battleby, near Luncarty (1862) * Balhousie Castle (1862) – restoration and enlargement * 54 Tay Street (1866) * Perth Sheriff Court and County Buildings, Perth (1866) – rebuilding of courtroom section of Sir Robert Smirke's building on square plan; internal remodelling and new buildings on South Street *Station Hotel, Perth (1866) – not the same building as today's Station Hotel, but was on the same street * Perth Royal Infirmary (original location; 1867) – relocated and reconstructed William Mackenzie's lodge in a different form * Brand's Building, South Street, Perth (1899)

Personal life

Smart was married to Margaret Morrison, with whom he had three daughters. One of his daughters was Jane Greig Smart, who died in 1952. Smart's nephew, James, also became a noted architect.

Death

Smart died on 13 October 1914, aged 90, while living at Rockbank in

Kinnoull Kinnoull is a parish in Perth, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, approximately half a mile northeast of Perth city centre. Beginning at the level of the River Tay, which separates the parish from Perth, Kinnoull's terrain continues to rise as it cont ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smart, David 1824 births 1914 deaths Architects from Perth, Scotland 19th-century Scottish architects 20th-century Scottish architects