George Washington Smith Architect of the Spanish-colonial Revival

George Washington Smith unquestionably stands out among the eclectic architects of the 1920s, particularly with his work in Mediterranean or Spanish imagery. He was certainly an innovator, but his buildings have survived as lasting testimonies of his artistry. Smith was one of the first architects to derive inspiration in scale, proportion, massing, colors, and texture from the farmhouses of Andalusia in southern Spain. He continued to produce some of the finest examples of Spanish Revival architecture throughout the 1920s. In a letter to the editor of Town and Country magazine in 1926, Smith revealed his awareness of the effect of his taste on the Spanish Revival movement. He spoke of his own house of 1918 when he wrote, "This little house was practically the start of the Spanish Revival in Southern California [which] is now reaching up to San Francisco."1 Yet his historical significance does not account for the continuing appreciation of his work. Even though David Gebhard identified George Washington Smith as the founding father of the Spanish Revival and believed his name was synonymous with that architecture in Santa Barbara, he believed that Smith's acclaim had nothing to do with stylistic labels or his place in history. Describing one of Smith's houses, Gebhard said, "As even a casual glance reveals, we are confronted with the design of a highly refined artifact."2 Viewers immediately grasp and respond to an essential artistic quality when they see and experience Smith's buildings. By following his career as an architect and highlighting his most admirable work, this discussion hopes to identify the qualities of his work that set it apart and contribute to its aesthetic excellence.Gebhard, Patricia is the author of 'George Washington Smith Architect of the Spanish-colonial Revival' with ISBN 9781586855109 and ISBN 1586855107.