Gen. Samuel Smith (1752-1839)
of "Montibello" Mayor of Baltimore & President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate
He was born in Pennsylvania and moved with his family to Baltimore in 1759, entering his father's successful merchant business. During the Revolutionary War, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Continental Army, fighting at Long Island, White Plains, Brandywine, etc. After the war, he entered politics and served in the Maryland House of Delegates before winning election to Congress. He held a congressional seat for 40 continuous years, alternating between the House and Senate. His finest hour came in 1814 when, as a Major-General, he successfully commanded Baltimore's defenses against British attack during the War of 1812, a victory that inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner." He later served as Mayor of Baltimore (1835-38) and in 1817 commissioned architect William Birch to build "Montibello" (see images) on an estate of 500-acres off Harford Road (two-and-a-half miles north of Baltimore) with grounds laid out in the English style.
