Editing Frank Furness (section)

== Legacy ==

Furness's reputation collapsed completely by the 1930s, when his buildings were considered ugly embarrassments. Many were demolished; others received unsympathetic alterations that removed original character. The Academy of the Fine Arts and Fisher Fine Arts Library survived through continued use, but even these landmarks received little appreciation. Furness seemed destined for the obscurity that claimed lesser Victorian architects.

Rediscovery began in the 1960s, led by historians who recognized Furness's significance. Robert Venturi championed Furness's work, finding in its complexity and contradiction values relevant to postmodern architectural theory. Scholarly attention documented surviving buildings and established Furness's place in American architectural history. Preservation efforts saved threatened buildings and restored others to original character. Today Furness is recognized as one of America's most important nineteenth-century architects, his buildings preserved as irreplaceable cultural resources.<ref name="thomas"/>