It is a tribute to Smith that his colleagues in the Company charged him with the design. Unfortunately Carpenters' Hall was among his last achievements. In the winter of 1777, he died while helping construct fortifications, which prevented the British fleet from capturing the city. The result is a gem of Georgian-style architecture, which is both a fitting memorial to Smith and a tribute to the builders. The square-ness and accuracy of its construction is equal to that of contemporary structures.
Interior steel supports modern structures.
Not so in the 18th century. The weight of Carpenters' Hall is principally borne by the exterior brick walls, which are 13 inches thick. Robert Smith's Floorplan Power tools were non-existent. Picks and shovels plus workmen's back-breaking labor built the basement. Supporting the first floor are two girders, each 45 feet long and roughly squared off with an adze.