In May 2008, the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America celebrated Margot Gayle's 100th birthday, honoring not only one of the founders of our national organization but one of New York’s eminent preservationists. We were fortunate to have Margot there in person to see the celebration, and were saddened in September when Margot passed away. Margot’s accomplishments are well known in the preservation community - a timeline of her life illustrates her varied interests and career. However, her spirit, dedication and influence are perhaps best summed up by the following personal reminiscences:

This is the story of how Margot Gayle and two distinguished art historians brought the Victorian Society to America—and how with her guidance the organization has grown and developed. The story begins in a pub in Glasgow in the summer of 1965 with Margot, J. Stewart Johnson and Caroline Karpinski – students at the Attingham Trust – having drinks with the renowned British architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner. As Margot recalls, Sir Nikolaus said, “If you Americans don’t protect your magnificent 19th-century structures, they will be lost. Save what you have and do it now.”

Let’s move to New York to Margot’s kitchen on West 9 th Street where an expanded group, including Evelyn Ortner, Bob Kaufman and Bill Dane worked to establish the Victorian Society in America. With Sir Nikolaus and Henry Russell Hitchcock as Honorary Co-Chairs, and Ada Louise Huxtable, Brendan Gill and James Marston Fitch on the advisory committee, the Society launched a series of lectures and tours on topics of 19 th art, architecture and culture. In 1967 the Victorian Society in America officially became a non-profit educational organization.

The story picks up in 1969 when having outgrown Margot’s kitchen, an offer came from the Athenaeum in Philadelphia for a larger space at a reasonable rent. The move out of New York to establish a National headquarters for the Society left the original group as our Metropolitan Chapter. The National has since coordinated an additional 15 chapters nationwide. Our Chapter continues to offer free lectures, bus trips, neighborhood walks, private tours of special exhibitions and other events. We publish a top-notch newsletter and maintain a website that has elicited comments and questions from around the world.

Fast forward to the year 2003 when the Chapter formed the Margot Gayle Fund for Preservation of Victorian Heritage. The first project of the Fund was to commission architectural historian Andrew S. Dolkart to carry out a survey iron-fronted buildings in the city that are not protected by landmark status. As out second project, we intend to create an interactive website, based on the study, to disseminate information and spotlight the need to preserve these endangered structures. Currently, we are seeking funding to move ahead with this plan.

The Metropolitan Chapter continues to be especially active in the area of historic preservation – testifying at the Landmarks Commission in favor of designation for numerous landmark-worthy 19th- and early 20th-century buildings and historic districts. In response to an appeal from Margot, in 2005 the Metropolitan Chapter submitted a proposal—with accompanying documentation and photographs—to the Commission for an expansion of the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. The proposal has gathered endorsements from elected officials, community organizations and individuals citywide.

Although my remarks are concluding, our story does not end here. As we celebrate the life and accomplishments of Margot Gayle, we ask for your help in advancing her work well into the 21 st century by becoming a member of the Chapter, if you have not already done so, and by supporting our initiatives.

Joyce Mendelsohn
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In the 1980s, when Margot found out our architectural firm was restoring the Manhattan Municipal Building, she inquired as to what was to be done about the statue on top. We said it was not in the $65 million project. She promptly wrote Ed Koch [NYC mayor 1978 - 1989] to ask that it be included. Margot has a special fondness for the statue because it is by Adolph Weinman - McKim, Mead and White’s favorite sculptor. Weinman had studied with Augustus St. Gaudens. He was the sculptor of the Lincoln penny and the medal of the Fine Arts Federation of New York. Margot has been on the Federation’sBoard for many years. At Margot’s prodding, Mayor Koch wrote a one sentence letter to Hadley Gold, commissioner of the Department of General Services: “Add the statue to the Municipal Building project”. “So let it be written, so let it be done.” as Yul Bryner said as Pharaoh in the Ten Commandments. And so it was added. Several years later, at dawn on a Summer morning, a Vietnam veteran brought his helicopter to a hover at the south end of City Hall Park. He lowered a cable and lifted the golden statue above our heads. As Margot and I watched, the statue left the dark world below and flashed in the sun. The pilot perched the restored statue [refurbished by the makers of the new torch for the Statue of Liberty - Les Metalliers Champenois] on top of the Municipal Building. Such is the influence of Margot Gayle, preservationist.

Stephen Gottlieb, AIA

Please consider donating to the Chapter's Margot Gayle Fund for Preservation of Victorian Heritage to help the Chapter continue Margot's work.