Robert Smirke was one of the foremost proponents of the Gothic Revival in the early 19th century. His work was some of the first to use concrete and cast iron, and often described as ‘theatrical’, a description that makes a lot of sense when you look at the grand columns of the British Museum – his most famous building. He officially retired in 1845.
Smirke’s buildings have higher percentages of reported paranormal sightings than any other architect of similar profile. His name was also connected to a number of religious sects and cults.
He built the Carlton Club, the foundation open which later the Reform Club was built.
Another was so dark that our torches didn’t seem to reach more than a few feet inside. In the centre, there was a datestone. It read: “Robert Smirke, 1835. Balance and fear”.
From the statement of Harold Silvana