Plaque honouring ‘father of civil engineering’ restored to Smeaton’s Tower
16 October 2024
To mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of the renown civil engineer, John Smeaton, who created Plymouth’s most iconic landmark, a plaque recognising his achievements as a civil engineer has been restored to Smeaton’s Tower.
The 72-foot-high lighthouse, originally constructed on the Eddystone Reef, 14 miles off the coast of Plymouth, was built by Smeaton in 1759. Smeaton’s groundbreaking design, using interlocking stones, was highly innovative for the time and became the archetype for offshore lighthouses due to its extreme resilience.
The upper part of the lighthouse was rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe and opened in 1884 as a lasting memorial to Smeaton’s genius and in dedication to generations of lighthouse keepers.
Smeaton was the first person to describe himself as a civil engineer and remains one of the profession’s most important historic figures worldwide.
The 24 candles of Smeaton’s Tower, the third Eddystone Lighthouse, were first lit on 16 October 1759. As a fitting tribute to Smeaton, the restored plaque is being officially unveiled on the same date.
Smeaton was the stand out engineer of his age. The enduring design of his most famous structure shows what a trailblazer he was. To this day Smeaton’s Tower appears on the ICE’s coat of arms and we like to think of him as the father of civil engineering. We hope his pioneering spirit will help inspire a new generation of creative problem solvers to become civil engineers.
Miranda Housden, Regional Director, ICE South West
Back in 1992, a plaster bust of Smeaton and an International Historic Landmark plaque, commemorating the global significance of Smeaton and his tower, was unveiled by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the then Lord Mayor of Plymouth. It was displayed in the tower until renovation work began in the early 2000s. The original bust was replaced with a more durable granite interpretation by Cornish sculptor, Philip Chatfield in 2020, funded by Corporation of Trinity House and the Friends of Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery.
As part of its tricentennial commemorations, ICE South West worked with Plymouth's award-winning museum, art gallery and archive, The Box to restore the International Historic Landmark plaque to the plinth at the top of Smeaton’s Tower.
We’re really pleased to be working with ICE South West on this project and to be honouring John Smeaton and his achievements during this anniversary year. Smeaton’s Tower revolutionised lighthouse design with its innovative use of interlocking granite blocks that ensured greater durability in the harsh Atlantic storms off Plymouth’s coast. Smeaton’s engineering genius left a significant legacy which advanced maritime safety and set new standards in civil engineering.
Steve Conway, Collections Manager, The Box
Smeaton’s innovative design and use of materials has withstood the test of time and helped advance civil engineering and public safety. His legacy lives on in the work of today’s civil engineers who design and build projects that address the challenges communities around the world face today to ensure public health, safety and welfare.
Ian Parke, President, ASCE United Kingdom Chapter
The Box hopes to put the original plaster bust of John Smeaton on display the next time it refreshes the lighthouse section of its Port of Plymouth gallery. The gallery explores the city’s enduring relationship with the sea and already includes paintings and drawings from its permanent art collection showing Smeaton’s Tower.
You can find out more about John Smeaton and Plymouth’s amazing civil engineering history in ICE’s Engineering Plymouth film.