Sherwood, Mills & Smith

Sherwood, Mills & Smith, known after 1968 as the SMS Partnership and as SMS Architects, was an American architecture firm active in Stamford and New Canaan, Connecticut from 1946 to 2000. Initially the partnership of architects Thorne Sherwood , Willis N. Mills and Lester W. Smith , the firm grew into one of the most influential in the region.

History Sherwood, Mills & Smith was founded in 1946 in Stamford as the partnership of three architects, Thorne Sherwood (1910–1994), Willis N. Mills (1907–1995) and Lester W. Smith (1909–1993).

Thorne Sherwood was born December 3, 1910, in Montclair, New Jersey. He was educated at Williams College and Columbia University, graduating from the latter in 1936 with a BArch. He worked for Schultze & Weaver, van der Gracht & Kilham, Harrison & Fouilhoux and Raymond Loewy before 1942. During World War II he served in the naval reserve and was discharged in 1946."Sherwood, Thorne" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 503.

Willis Nathaniel Mills was born January 5, 1907, in Menominee, Michigan. His father, also Willis Nathaniel, was a lawyer who was a Michigan State Senator from 1905 to 1907."Necrology" in Hamilton Literary Magazine (February, 1919): 34. He was educated at the Kent School, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, graduating from the latter in 1934. He worked for Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and William Lescaze before opening his own office in 1937. He served in the marine corps reserve during World War II and was discharged in 1946."Mills, Willis Nathaniel" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 383.

Lester Wickham Smith was born May 21, 1909, in Brooklyn. He was educated at Princeton University, earning an AB in 1930 and an MFA in 1933. He worked for van der Gracht & Kilham, Wallace K. Harrison and Voorhees, Walker, Foley & Smith before 1940. During World War II he served in the army air force and was discharged in 1946."Smith, Lester Wickham" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 518.

The partners chose to locate in Stamford, forty miles from New York City, because it offered many of the advantages and resources of the city without its drawbacks, including competition from other architects. This choice proved advantageous, and the firm expanded quickly over the next ten years."The Architect and His Community: Sherwood, Mills & Smith: Stamford, Connecticut" in Progressive Architecture 38, no. 3 (March, 1957): 107–123.

In 1959, to manage this expansion, Sherwood, Mills & Smith added four new partners, Thomas A. Norton (1922–2016), Carrell S. McNulty Jr. (born 1924), Gray Taylor (1916–1985) and A. Raymond von Brock (1922–2006)."new partners, associates" in Progressive Architecture 40, no. 3 (March, 1959): 54.

Thomas Akin Norton was born August 4, 1922, in Great Neck, New York. He served in the air force during World War II and was educated at Columbia University, earning a BA in 1946 and a BArch in 1949. He worked for O'Connor & Kilham and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill before joining Sherwood, Mills & Smith in 1953."Norton, Thomas Akin" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 518.

Carrell Stewart McNulty Jr. was born December 4, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey. He was educated at Emory University, the University of North Carolina and Columbia University, graduating from the latter in 1950 with a BArch. He joined Sherwood, Mills & Smith immediately after leaving school."McNulty, Carrell Stewart Jr." in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 454.

Gray Taylor was born April 15, 1916, in New York City. He attended Harvard College and Columbia University, graduating from the latter in 1947 with a BArch. His education was interrupted by World War II, and he served in the corps of engineers from 1941 to 1945. He worked for Ketchum, Giná & Sharp and William F. Schorn before joining Sherwood, Mills & Smith in 1954."Taylor, Gray" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 694–695."Taylor, Gray" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 905.

A. Raymond von Brock was born March 18, 1922, in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was educated at the Pratt Institute, graduating in 1946 with a BArch. He worked for Ryder, Struppmann & Neumann before joining Sherwood, Mills & Smith in 1952."von Brock, A. Raymond" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 729.

The firm's leadership was again changed in 1963 when Norton left to enter private practice,"Norton, Thomas Akin" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 672. and in 1967 Mills' son, Willis N. Mills Jr. (1933–2020), joined as partner.

Willis Nathaniel Mills Jr. was born September 25, 1933, in New York City. He was educated at Princeton University, earning an AB in 1955 and an MFA in 1958. He worked for Pedersen & Tilney and Earl P. Carlin in New Haven before joining his father's firm in 1963."Mills, Willis Nathaniel Jr." in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 627. In 1962 he was also the architect of a house in Van Hornesville, New York for James H. Case, a relative of his wife, and his then wife, Laura Rockefeller Chasin. This house, completed in 1963, is now NRHP-listed.

In 1968 the firm was renamed the SMS Partnership."Real Estate Notes" in New York Times, August 1, 1968, 50. The economic decline of the late 1960s led the firm to downsize. Thorne Sherwood retired in 1969,"Sherwood, Thorne" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 832. and in 1970 the firm was incorporated as SMS Architects. Mills and Smith retired in 1970 and 1971, respectively, and in 1972 the firm moved from downtown Stamford to suburban New Canaan.Bess Balchen, "A Firm That Gained Strength Through Transition" in AIA Journal 58, no. 5 (November, 1972): 27–34 McNulty and von Brock retired in 1973 and 1982, followed shortly thereafter by Taylor."McNulty, Carrell Stewart Jr." in Who's Who in America 2010 (New Providence: Marquis Who's Who): 3143."Von Brock, A. Raymond" in Who Was Who in America (New Providence: Marquis Who's Who, 2007): 249. Willis N. Mills Jr. led the firm in the 1980s and 1990s in association with several new principals, including Ellen Glenn Golden, Andrew J. Santella, Robert C. Steinmetz, Leonard M. Sussman and Lee A. Wright."SMS Architects PC" in ProFile: The Sourcebook of U. S. Architectural Design Firms (Atlanta: Construction Market Data, 1996): 365. In 1998 the firm was acquired by Perkins Eastman of New York City and moved its offices back to Stamford."Perkins Eastman extends its reach" in Contemporary Long Term Care 21, no. 4 (April, 1998): 107. In 2000 SMS Architects was fully merged with Perkins Eastman, which still maintains a Stamford office.

Legacy Sherwood, Mills & Smith developed the largest architectural practice in the suburban regions of the New York metropolitan area and was the undisputed architectural leader in Stamford and Fairfield County. Their works were built throughout the New York area and the Mid-Atlantic states. They were known for the high quality of design of their works, and by the 1970s had won more design awards than any other architecture firm in Connecticut.Estelle F. Feinstein and Joyce S. Pendery, "SMS Architects" in Stamford: An Illustrated History (Stamford: Stamford Historical Society, 1984)

The partners of Sherwood, Mills & Smith and SMS were widely respected by their peers. Both of the Mills, McNulty, Sherwood, Smith, Taylor and von Brock were all elected Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and they and other principals served in leadership roles in the Connecticut chapter and on national AIA committees.The American Institute of Architects College of Fellows History & Directory (Washington: American Institute of Architects, 2019)

In recent years several of their works, particularly in New Canaan, have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.

Architectural works 1949 – Durisol House, 43 Marshall Ridge Rd, New Canaan, Connecticut NRHP-listed. 1950 – South School, 8 Farm Rd, New Canaan, Connecticut 1953 – Refectory, Kent School, Kent, Connecticut 1954 – Christopher H. Knoll house, Turtle Back Rd, New Canaan, Connecticut Demolished. 1954 – Newfield Elementary School, 345 Pepper Ridge Rd, Stamford, Connecticut 1954 – North Street School, 381 North St, Greenwich, Connecticut 1954 – Schools, Port Chester, New York Unlocated. 1955 – Gymnasium, Kent School, Kent, Connecticut 1955 – Ramapo High School, 331 George St, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey"Sherwood, Thorne" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 639. 1955 – Sharon Center School, 80 Hilltop Rd, Sharon, Connecticut 1955 – Veterans Park Elementary School, 8 Governor St, Ridgefield, Connecticut 1956 – Nathan Hale Elementary School, 277 Atkins St Ext, Meriden, Connecticut 1956 – Willis N. Mills house, 1380 Ponus Ridge Rd, New Canaan, Connecticut"Mills, Willis Nathaniel" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 627. NRHP-listed. 1957 – Osborn School, 10 Osborn Rd, Rye, New York"Smith, Lester Wickham" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 655. 1957 – Winsted Health Center, 115 Spencer St, Winsted, Connecticut 1958 – First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bedford St, Stamford, Connecticut NRHP-listed. 1958 – Master plan, Kent School, Kent, Connecticut"Mills, Willis Nathaniel" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 486. 1958 – Dorr-Oliver headquarters, 77 Havemeyer Ln, Stamford, Connecticut Demolished. 1958 – Anya Seton house, 43 Binney Ln, Old Greenwich, Connecticut Demolished. 1959 – Barden Corporation plant, 200 Park Ave, Danbury, Connecticut 1959 – Lee F. Jackson School, 2 Saratoga Rd, White Plains, New York 1959 – Mutual Insurance Company of Hartford building, 95 Woodland St, Hartford, Connecticut 1959 – Rehabilitation Center for the Physically Handicapped, 26 Palmers Hill Rd, Stamford, Connecticut Demolished. 1959 – Ridge Elementary School, 325 W Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, New Jersey 1959 – Staples High School, 70 North Ave, Westport, Connecticut 1959 – Stony Point Center, 17 Cricketown Rd, Stony Point, New York"McNulty, Carrell Stewart Jr." in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 583. 1959 – William B. Ward Elementary School, 311 Broadfield Rd, New Rochelle, New York 1960 – Naugatuck High School, 543 Rubber Ave, Naugatuck, Connecticut 1960 – Parkway School, 141 Lower Cross Rd, Greenwich, Connecticut 1961 – Bedwell Elementary School, 141 Seney Dr, Bernardsville, New Jersey 1961 – First College, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 1961 – Huntington High School, 188 Oakwood Rd, Huntington, New York 1961 – Kakiat Junior High School (former), 465 Viola Rd, Spring Valley, New York 1961 – Master plan and buildings, Greenwich Academy, Greenwich Academy 1961 – Master plan and Hillside House, Briarcliff College, Briarcliff Manor, New York 1961 – Mount Vernon High School, 100 California Rd, Mount Vernon, New York"Smith, Lester Wickham" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 853. 1961 – Pascack Valley High School, 200 Piermont Ave, Hillsdale, New Jersey 1961 – Prince Engineering Lab, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 1961 – St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge Rd, New Canaan, Connecticut NRHP-listed. 1964 – Burndy Library, Richards Ave, Norwalk, Connecticut"Precast Vaults Support a Pour" in Progressive Architecture 45, no. 9 (September, 1964): 163–165. Demolished. 1964 – Towers Hall, Wagner College, Staten IslandNorval White, Elliot Willensky and Fran Leadon, AIA Guide to New York City (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010): 925.