SMITH, GEORGE HORATIO (July 1848-8 Apr. 1924) was a Cleveland architect best known as a collaborator in designing the ARCADE. Little is known of Smith's upbringing, training, family, and early career. He began his architecture practice in Ohio between 1879 and 1880 with LUCAS ALLEN HEARD under the name Heard & Smith. He appeared on the Cleveland scene in 1882 with the design for SAMUEL ANDREWS's great Victorian Gothic baronial mansion (see ANDREWS'S FOLLY). He immediately thereafter designed the Euclid Ave. mansion of CHAS. F. BRUSH (1884), which was nearly as pretentious. Both houses already showed a complete confidence in handling European styles.
In 1890 Smith's Hickox Bldg. and the Arcade were both completed. From the similarities in the facade composition of the two buildings, it is assumed Smith's responsibility in the Arcade was designing the Superior and Euclid Ave. office buildings, and that JOHN EISENMANN planned the structural engineering for the interior. Smith also designed the Colonial Arcade between Euclid and Prospect in 1898.
Smith was chosen as architect of Lakeside Hospital, which opened in 1898 (see UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS). Consisting of a group of separate administrative, ward, nurses' residence, and dispensary buildings, it was used until the hospital moved to UNIVERSITY CIRCLE in 1931. In 1900 Smith designed the Rose Bldg. on Prospect and E. 9th St.; in 1906-10 the new plant of White Sewing Machine Co. (see WHITE CONSOLIDATED INDUSTRIES) (later WHITE MOTOR CORP.) on St. Clair; and in 1908-11 the new PLAIN DEALER Bldg. on Superior (now the CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY Business & Science Annex) to harmonize with the Group Plan buildings. Smith retired in 1918.
Smith married Ruhamah Henkle in the early 1870s. They had 4 children: Eugene, Dudley, Ruhamah G., and Dorothy. He died in Bethlehem, Pa., and was buried there.
See also ARCHITECTURE.