At the age of fourteen, Bogardus quit school to start an apprenticeship at a watchmaker.

"[6] He demonstrated the use of cast-iron in the construction of building facades, especially in New York City for the next two decades.

He was based in New York, but also worked in Washington, DC, where three cast-iron structures erected by Bogardus in 1851 were the first such constructions in the capital.

The success of the cast-iron exteriors from 1850 to 1880 led to the adoption of steel-frame construction for entire buildings.

Margaret worked as an artist and two portrait miniatures by her are in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.