William Burroughs (Burrows) Smith was one of the wealthiest men in Charleston. He built his fortune as a cotton trader. When he died, he stayed in the receiving vault for two years while the pyramid designed by Edward Jones was built.

The Georgia School of Technology built the doors. During this time, Georgia Tech ran a contract shop where they would build items to specifications. These doors cost $300 to build. This shop only lasted until 1896.

The entryway illustrates several different symbols. The upside-down torches represent a “life extinguished. The hourglass at the top of the door represents time is ending. The wings combined with an hourglass means that our time is fleeting.

The Historic American Building Survey was commissioned to create the architectural drawings of the Mausoleum.