Abbott Lowell Cummings
Encyclopedia
Abbott Lowell Cummings is a noted architectural historian and genealogist, best known for his study of New England architecture. He currently lives in South Deerfield, Massachusetts
.
Cummings was born in St. Albans, Vermont
, educated at the Hoosac School
in New York, studied American art and architectural history at Oberlin College
, and received his doctoral degree from Ohio State University
in 1950. When young, he spent winters with his parents in Bennington, Vermont, and summers with his grandmother in Southington, Connecticut
. In an interview with Laura Beech, Cummings reflected on his grandmother's influence: "At a personal level, my grandmother had as much influence as anyone on my life. She was a scientist by training, a Vassar
graduate who had studied astronomy. She drilled into me the need to be very factual. I also fell right in with all her genealogical interests."
In his teens, Cummings joined the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA, now known as Historic New England
), and spent hours at the town clerk's office in Southington, tracing the titles of his ancestors' colonial structures. Elmer Keith, a Wallingford, Connecticut
, antiquarian and collector, taught Cummings to deconstruct a building to look behind its repairs and later additions. In graduate school, Cumming's thesis was on Seventeenth Century Massachusetts
buildings, and dissertation on the Federal architect Asher Benjamin
.
Cumming's career mixed academic and museum positions. After receiving his degree in 1948, he taught at Antioch College
. In 1951, as colleges began cutting staff due to the Korean War, Cummings lost his academic post and reluctantly became an assistant curator in the American Wing at New York
's Metropolitan Museum of Art
. In 1955, Bertram K. Little, then SPNEA director, asked Cummings to join SPNEA as assistant director and editor of Old-Time New England. Cummings eventually succeeded Little as director in 1970.
Throughout his term at SPNEA, Cummings continued to lecture and teach. He served as an instructor the New York State Historical Association
's summer program in American material culture, Cooperstown, New York
. In 1971 Cummings helped to establish Boston University
's New England and American Studies Program. In 1982 Cummings taught a course at Yale University
on New England architectural history, and in 1984 he was appointed Yale's first Charles F. Montgomery professor of American decorative arts, a position he held until his retirement in 1992.
South Deerfield, Massachusetts
South Deerfield is a census-designated place in Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to the well-known Yankee Candle Company.South Deerfield is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
Cummings was born in St. Albans, Vermont
St. Albans (city), Vermont
St. Albans is a city in and the shire town of Franklin County, Vermont, in the United States. At the 2000 census, the city population was 7,650. St Albans City is completely surrounded by St. Albans town, which is incorporated separately from the city of St. Albans...
, educated at the Hoosac School
Hoosac School
Hoosac School is a private co-educational Episcopal boarding school located in Hoosick Falls, New York in the United States.-History:Hoosac school was founded in 1889 by Dr. Edward Dudley Tibbits. Facilities are located on the Tibbits Estate which rests on near the Vermont border. The school...
in New York, studied American art and architectural history at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, and received his doctoral degree from Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1950. When young, he spent winters with his parents in Bennington, Vermont, and summers with his grandmother in Southington, Connecticut
Southington, Connecticut
Southington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of Connecticut's 1st congressional district. It is situated about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, about 80 miles northeast of New York City, 105 miles southwest of Boston and 77 miles west of Providence...
. In an interview with Laura Beech, Cummings reflected on his grandmother's influence: "At a personal level, my grandmother had as much influence as anyone on my life. She was a scientist by training, a Vassar
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
graduate who had studied astronomy. She drilled into me the need to be very factual. I also fell right in with all her genealogical interests."
In his teens, Cummings joined the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA, now known as Historic New England
Historic New England
Historic New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities , is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England and is the oldest and largest regional preservation...
), and spent hours at the town clerk's office in Southington, tracing the titles of his ancestors' colonial structures. Elmer Keith, a Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
, antiquarian and collector, taught Cummings to deconstruct a building to look behind its repairs and later additions. In graduate school, Cumming's thesis was on Seventeenth Century Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
buildings, and dissertation on the Federal architect Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin was an American architect and author whose work transitioned between Federal style architecture and the later Greek Revival. His seven handbooks on design deeply influenced the look of cities and towns throughout New England until the Civil War...
.
Cumming's career mixed academic and museum positions. After receiving his degree in 1948, he taught at Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
. In 1951, as colleges began cutting staff due to the Korean War, Cummings lost his academic post and reluctantly became an assistant curator in the American Wing at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
. In 1955, Bertram K. Little, then SPNEA director, asked Cummings to join SPNEA as assistant director and editor of Old-Time New England. Cummings eventually succeeded Little as director in 1970.
Throughout his term at SPNEA, Cummings continued to lecture and teach. He served as an instructor the New York State Historical Association
New York State Historical Association
The New York State Historical Association is a private, non-governmental educational organization founded in 1899 to encourage research, educate general audiences, and start a library and museum of manuscripts, artwork, and other objects associated with the history of New York State, USThe...
's summer program in American material culture, Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
. In 1971 Cummings helped to establish Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
's New England and American Studies Program. In 1982 Cummings taught a course at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
on New England architectural history, and in 1984 he was appointed Yale's first Charles F. Montgomery professor of American decorative arts, a position he held until his retirement in 1992.
Selected works
- Bed Hangings: A Treatise on Fabrics And Styles In The Curtaining Of Beds, 1650-1850, compiled 1961
- Rural Household Inventories: Establishing The Names, Uses and Furnishings of Rooms In The Colonial New England Home, 1675-1725, published 1964
- The Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay, 1625-1715, published 1979