[1] The family lived in a Queen Anne-style house at 870 Franklin Ave, graduating from East High School.

[2][3] In 1901, Rector enrolled in Ohio State University's School of Architecture, shortly leaving in 1903.

[1][3][5] As an architect, Rector did not think good architecture was expensive, rather it was marked by "sincerity and truth, character frankness and decisiveness, simplicity and thoughtfulness" in its craftsmanship.

It was built in the English Renaissance style with a Spanish tile roof, brick exterior and limestone trim.

[10] The building served as a dormitory until 1967, when it was decided that it was unsuitable as a residence hall and was leased to the University Research Foundation.

Early in her career, Rector assisted her uncle, L. Howard Hayden, in designing the seating plan for Madison Square Garden in New York City.

[3]Another design of Rector's is an arts and crafts style house that was built at 1277 East Broad Street in Columbus, where writer, editor, and revolutionary Ellis O. Jones later lived.

[3][13] She was the architect for Robert Wolfe's Journal Island Cottage; a doctor's office building at State & Sixth Street (since demolished) in Columbus and residential homes.

[3] Rector was on the board of visitors for the Franklin County Children's Home where she advocated for improving conditions through night supervision, to-code fire protection, and no ventilation or sanitation in the nursery.

[5] Her sister, Dr. Gillette Hayden, was a pioneering dentist and periodontist in the early 20th century and a founder of the American Academy of Periodontology.

[3] The Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, Ohio, houses Florence Kenyon Hayden Rector's papers dating from 1893-1934[3] while The International Archive of Women in Architecture at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, houses some of her papers dating between 1905 and 1907.