Smith, Herman H.
Herman H. Smith (March 2, 1876 - March 3, 1957) was an American engineer. Nothing is known of his early education. He graduated from MIT in 1899, however, and began his career as a construction engineer with the Long Island Railroad. In 1903 he became a surveyor for the Brooklyn Bureau of Highways, later appointed Chief Engineer of Highways. He became Acting Chief Engineer of the New York City Board of Estimate and Apportionment in 1921, and became Chief Engineer in 1928, a post he retained until his retirement in 1934. As Chief Engineer, he was responsible for preparing city maps used to determine zoning and street layout. He also produced master maps for assigning housing projects, parkways, highways, bridges and tunnels. The mapping of Staten Island was a personal focus: he was also a vocal proponent for the development of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (funding issues would prevent work on the tunnel from beginning until 1940.)
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