Margot Gayle
Encyclopedia
Margot McCoy Gayle was an American
historic preservation
ist and author
who helped save the Victorian
cast-iron architecture
in New York City
's SoHo
district.
she earned an undergraduate degree from University of Michigan
and a master's degree in bacteriology
from Emory University
. She met her husband, William T. Gayle, in Atlanta. They moved to New York, where she wrote for CBS Radio
, then worked as a freelance writer and public relations
executive. Gayle wrote an architecture column for The Daily News for 16 years. In 1957, she made an unsuccessful New York City Council
bid and got divorced.
Gayle helped preserve the Jefferson Market Courthouse in the 1960s. In the wake of the destruction of Pennsylvania Station
, she helped lobby for passage of a preservation law. She founded Friends of Cast Iron Architecture in 1970, which led to the establishment of the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. She received the General Tools Award, the highest award of the Society for Industrial Archeology
, in 1997.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
ist and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who helped save the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
cast-iron architecture
Cast-iron architecture
Cast-iron architecture is a form of architecture where cast iron plays a central role. It was a prominent style in the Industrial Revolution era when cast iron was relatively cheap and modern steel had not yet been developed.-Structural use:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
district.
Life and career
Born in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
she earned an undergraduate degree from University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and a master's degree in bacteriology
Bacteriology
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...
from Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
. She met her husband, William T. Gayle, in Atlanta. They moved to New York, where she wrote for CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
, then worked as a freelance writer and public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
executive. Gayle wrote an architecture column for The Daily News for 16 years. In 1957, she made an unsuccessful New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
bid and got divorced.
Gayle helped preserve the Jefferson Market Courthouse in the 1960s. In the wake of the destruction of Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station is a label first applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad to several of its grand passenger terminals.-New York City:...
, she helped lobby for passage of a preservation law. She founded Friends of Cast Iron Architecture in 1970, which led to the establishment of the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. She received the General Tools Award, the highest award of the Society for Industrial Archeology
Society for Industrial Archeology
The Society for Industrial Archeology is a North American non-profit organization dedicated to studying and preserving historic industrial sites, structures and equipment. It was founded in 1971 in Washington, D.C., and its members are primarily from the United States and Canada, although there is...
, in 1997.
Selected publications
- Cast Iron Architecture in New York: A Photographic Survey with Edmund V. Gillon (1974)
- Guide to Manhattan’s Outdoor Sculpture with Michele Cohen (1988)
- Cast Iron Architecture in America: The Significance of James Bogardus with Carol Gayle (1998), W W Norton page