Margaret Henderson Floyd
Encyclopedia
Dr. Margaret Henderson Floyd (1932-18 October 1997) was Professor of Architectural History
at Tufts University
. She was an expert on Boston
architecture
. Her writing includes several titles on the work of late 19th century American architects including Henry Hobson Richardson
, and Longfellow, Alden and Harlow
.
Margaret Henderson Floyd was a graduate of Wellesley College, the University of New Mexico
, and Boston University
, where she received her Ph.D. in 1975. She taught for many years at Tufts where she was Professor of American Art and Architectural History.
Over the years, she developed detailed knowledge of the architecture of the Boston
area and she became deeply involved in historic preservation and often provided expert testimony in an effort to save older buildings from demolition. She played a key role in the preservation of the Robert Treat Paine Estate
in Waltham
; she was one of four founding members of Friends of Longfellow House.
Floyd was a contributor to the on-going reassessment of the "standard narrative" of nineteenth century American architectural history. Her work on Longfellow, Alden and Harlow argued for a broader appreciation of the wide influence of the architect Henry Hobson Richardson
. Her final book, a biographical monograph on Richardson was published after her death from cancer
.
In her memory, the Department of Art and Architectural History at Tufts established the Floyd Lecture Series in 1999 and the Architectural Studies Prize in 2005.
Architectural History
Architectural History is the main journal of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain .The journal is published each autumn. The architecture of the British Isles is a major theme of the journal, although it includes more general papers on the history of architecture. Member of...
at Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
. She was an expert on Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. Her writing includes several titles on the work of late 19th century American architects including Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
, and Longfellow, Alden and Harlow
Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr.
Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr. was an American architect and nephew of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.-Biography:...
.
Margaret Henderson Floyd was a graduate of Wellesley College, the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
, and 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...
, where she received her Ph.D. in 1975. She taught for many years at Tufts where she was Professor of American Art and Architectural History.
Over the years, she developed detailed knowledge of the architecture of the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area and she became deeply involved in historic preservation and often provided expert testimony in an effort to save older buildings from demolition. She played a key role in the preservation of the Robert Treat Paine Estate
Robert Treat Paine Estate
The Robert Treat Paine Estate, known as Stonehurst, is a country house set on 109 acres , designed in collaboration between architect Henry Hobson Richardson and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. It is located at 100 Robert Treat Paine Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts...
in Waltham
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
; she was one of four founding members of Friends of Longfellow House.
Floyd was a contributor to the on-going reassessment of the "standard narrative" of nineteenth century American architectural history. Her work on Longfellow, Alden and Harlow argued for a broader appreciation of the wide influence of the architect Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
. Her final book, a biographical monograph on Richardson was published after her death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
In her memory, the Department of Art and Architectural History at Tufts established the Floyd Lecture Series in 1999 and the Architectural Studies Prize in 2005.
Books
Writings by Margaret Henderson Floyd include the following books (in chronological order):- Bunting, Bainbridge, completed and edited by Margaret Henderson Floyd, Harvard: An Architectural History, Belknap Press of Harvard University PressHarvard University PressHarvard University Press is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. Its current director is William P...
, Cambridge MA 1985. ISBN 0674372905
- Floyd, Margaret Henderson, editor, Architectural Education and Boston: Centennial Publication of the Boston Architectural Center, 1889-1989, Boston Architectural Center, Boston 1989. ISBN 0962409804 0962409812
- Floyd, Margaret Henderson, Architecture after Richardson: Regionalism before Modernism--Longfellow, Alden, and Harlow in Boston and Pittsburgh, University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
with Pittsburgh History and Landmarks FoundationPittsburgh History and Landmarks FoundationThe Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
Chicago and Pittsburgh 1994. ISBN 0226254100
- Floyd, Margaret Henderson, Henry Hobson Richardson: A Genius for Architecture, Monacelli, New York 1997. ISBN 1885254709