William Morris, His Attitude toward the Gothic Revival, and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

Although the SPAB has campaigned to save buildings of a wide variety of styles, it was the threat of Gothic Revival restoration in the mid-Victorian period that initiated its organization and shaped its mission. The connection between William Morris, the Gothic Revival, and the SPAB was evident immediately when Morris was angered at an example of, what he considered, “shoddy” Gothic restoration. He founded the SPAB in 1877 and fought tirelessly for this cause for the rest of his life.