It is the only house designed by Davis in Onondaga County that has survived since the demolition of the Charles Sedgewick Cottage[6] on James Street in Syracuse.

[8] In 1979, State Commissioner of Parks and Recreation Orin Lehman said that the Reuel E. Smith House "embodies some of the major currents of mid-nineteenth century thought in literature and art as well as architecture.

"[9] In 1981, the Reuel E. Smith House received a federal Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service grant for restoration of the pink stucco exterior, the roof, and the chimneys,[10] which described the home as "an excellent example of Gothic revival style" with "considerable intrinsic merit."

Reuel's grandson Sedgwick married Elsa Watts Smith, who in 1975 sold the property to Robert & Shirley Feldmann.

The main entry is a four-centred arch flanked by sandstone labels painted off-white to match the ornamentation of the bargeboards.

[17] Named by The Metropolitan Museum of Art as one of America's most notable architects, Alexander Jackson Davis's career peaked in the 1840s and 1850s, during the design of this home.

His approach to Gothic Revival was something prominent Americans sought out and cherished, from Samuel F. B. Morse and Jay Gould to successful merchants like Reuel Smith.

His homes incorporated peaks, extensions in many directions, unique windows, and verandas, all of which can be found in the Reuel E. Smith House.