Smith Square is a square in the Westminster district of London, just south of the Palace of Westminster. The centre of the square is occupied by St John's, Smith Square, a Baroque church now used as a concert hall. Most of the square is now taken up by offices and the location means that they are mostly occupied by organisations associated with government, or that need to be near it for lobbying purposes. In the mid 20th century the square hosted the headquarters of both the main parties of British politics, and it is now home to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Local Government Association and the London base of the European Parliament and European Commission.
Famous quotes containing the words smith and/or square:
“I call her old. She has one family
Whose claim is good to being settled here
Before the era of colonization,
And before that of exploration even.
John Smith remarked them as he coasted by....”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“In old times people used to try and square the circle; now they try and devise schemes for satisfying the Irish nation.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)