Gertrude Smith House

Gilmer-Smith Foundation
Gertrude Smith House
The Gertrude Smith House was built in 1903 by the Jefferson Davis Smith Family. A native of Greensboro, Mr. Smith was a merchant and owned a vast amount of real estate in this area. He married Mount Airy native, Gertrude Gilmer, and they had seven children, five sons and two daughters. Their daughter Gertrude Smith attended Parson's School of Interior Design and was an interior designer in New York City in the 1930s. She returned to Mount Airy and lived in the homeplace until her death in 1981. The Victorian-style home contains unique period furnishings that illustrate Gertrude's design tastes. The house remains, as it was when she lived there and serves as a living museum reflective of the early 1900s lifestyle. The house is operated by the Gilmer-Smith Foundation, which was established by the will of Gertrude Smith. Art exhibits, musical concerts, and Christmas events, and open houses are held throughout the year at the Gertrude Smith House.