Frederick Law Olmsted

Olm at e d' • moat c e l e bra ted d ealgn l a C entral Park In New York, shown here In 1875vle w . Museum of the City o f New York Perhaps more than any other person, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) affected the way America looks. He is best known as the creator of major urban parks, but across the nation, from the green spaces that help define our towns and cities, to suburban life, to protected wilderness areas, he left the imprint of his fertile mind and boundless energy. Out of his deep love for the land and his social commitment he fathered the profession of landscape architecture in America. Olmsted's unique contributions stemmed in part from the conjunction of strongly felt personal values and the needs of a young nation. America was experiencing unprecedented growth in the mid-19th century, making the transition from a rural B efore Central Park (a bove) and Brook lyn's Prosp ec t Park (below), no large pub li c space desig ned sole ly fo r recreation exis ted in any Ameri ca n ci ty. Olmsted and his partner. th e arc hitec t Ca lve rt Vau x, had to virtually invent the American park . A pa storal-minded vi sio nary co mfortabl wo rkin g wi th ha rd urban rea lit ies . Olmsted was ideall y suited to th e task. H is mas tery o f th e tec hno logical, eco nom ic, esth tic, socia l. and po litica l implicat ions of ac h pa rk gave it an e nduring plac in th e lit of New York 's Mulberry Street in mid-19th century. pleasure" wi th " rati onal nj oyment." Beyo nd its physica lly r torative powers. b autiful sc n ry had for Olmsted a moral influ n on human behavio r, pr m ting "communica ti v n ss" and a h alt hy partic ipation in civic li f . For him th e co mmo n good was an artic l of faith . made visibl 1n hi s parks ENGINEER Th e size and beau ty of O lm st d 's work make us so metimes fo rget th at his pa rks are artifac ts. Th ey REFORMER w r mass ive pub lic works co nLike many reform ers. Olmsted structed o n a scale ca ll ing for th e be li eved he knew wha t was b st direction of a confident man : fo r peop le. His principl es were em- Swamps were drai ned, th ousands bod ied in hi s park s, where he trans- of tons of rock blasted and earth lated "democracy into trees and excavated , hill s and val leys credirt." Every park Ol msted designed ated, water systems installed , road was part of a larger soc ial v ision; networks with bridges and overhis opposition to th e expansion of slavery and hi s advocacy of parks sprang from th e same commitment to democratic ideals . Whil e he loved citi es, he also kn ew them as places where peop le " look c lose ly upon on e anoth er without sympathy" and as quarters of crime and mi se ry. Taking Birkinhead Park in Engl and as his inspirati on , Olmsted believed parks would replace " debasing pursu its and brutalizing \he c ity . people to a complex urban society. City life became more unabashed materialism with a natural sensibility and the old stressful as the crowds grew, the pace quickened, and the Jeffersonian virtues of restraint and rural simplicity, values still countryside was pushed into the distance. Olmsted and others represented in his parks. saw the need for preserving green and open spaces where people could escape city pressures, places that nourished body and Olmsted was a true Renaissance Man whose many interests spirit. His intuitive understanding of the historical changes he and ceaseless flow of ideas led him into experimental farming, was living through and his rare combination of idealism, artistry, writing and publishing, public health administration, preservaintelligence, and practical knowledge enabled him to help soften tion, and urban and regional planning. With other reformers, he the shocks of industrialization. Unable to separate his love and pushed for protection of the Yosemite Valley. His 1864 report on respect for the land from his belief in democracy, Olmsted saw the park was the first systematic justification for public protecparks as bastions of the democratic ideals of community and tion of natural areas, emphasizing the duty of a democratic equality. He confronted a period of rapid mechanization and society to ensure that the "body of the people" have access to natural beauty. passes bui lt, and thousands of shrubs and trees planted . Olmsted was also a shrewd and respected ad mi nistrator. He freq uently encounte red hostil e politicians and at Central Park won the tru st of thousands of sometimes unru ly workers . One of Olmsted 's most re markable talen ts was his abi lity to com bine th e prac ti cal and the beautiful. Wh en he res haped a piece of land to con trol flooding , he also transfo rmed it into a pastora l landscape . ARTIST Olmsted saw a well-made park as a " work of art ... framed upon a sing le. noble motive." Like a scu lptor freeing th e fo rm wi th in a rough piece or ma rble. Olm sted worked with ea rth , water, gree nery, ligh t, and ston e to set in motion a transfo rm ation tha t would not be fully rea lized fo r decades. He insisted 18th-ce ntu ry Eng lish landscape ga rde ning, which had broke n w ith the high ly formal Eu ropean styl e. The Pastoral (finished and " beautiful") and Picturesque (irregu lar and "wild ") schoo ls were subtly marw ried in Olmsted 's own work. He E> respec ted th e " genius of the place" ~ rooted in th e imm ense ti me take n to create its forms, and he strove The Meadowport Arch, Prospect Workers install Central Park water to make hi s compos itions as system. Park. spontaneous and inevitable as th e natural landscape. His most o rigi nal contributio n was th e " kin eti c" hi s parks were not works of se lf"What artist so nobll' . .. as hl' nature of his designs. Th e park express ion ; th ey were des igned to e licit a specific response in oth ers. experience is seque ntial and cu mu- "ho," ith far-rl'arhing t'Olll'l'll" lat ive , th e visitor e ncountering Olmsted 's design was rooted in " passages of scene ry " e nhanced tion of lll'at1t) and dl·signing by memo ry and anti cipation . In what he created and what he preserved for the future, Olmsted's legacy is incalculable. The informal natural setting he made popular characterizes the American landscape. Beyond the dozens of city and state parks enjoyed by millions of people, Olmsted and his firm set the standard for hospital and institutional grounds, campuses, zoos, railway stations, parkways, private estates, and residential subdivisions across the country. Olmsted's principles of democratic expansion and public access still guide and inspire urban planners. From the broadest concepts to the smallest details of his profession, the sign of Olmsted's hand is everywhere in our lives. C a lvert Vaux was Olmsted 's p artn e r a nd principal architect for C entral and Prospect Parks. 840 ac r s of swamps, rocky land, hog fa rm s, and slaughterh ous s into a mu lti-face ted pleasur ground . C ntr I ark focused int rn ationa l poncr, .,kddu.•s the outlim•.,, "riks thf..' colors, and dirt'l'ls the shadow., of a llicf u rl· .,o great that ~aturc sha\l be employed on it for gl'llerations, before the work he ha., arranged for her shall rcali.te hi., intentions." 1874 plan for U.S. Capitol grounds. picturesque type ... rcuchin 1 from the h<:art of the dty into the rural s1·enery of the suburbs.' In 1883, Olmsted moved his home and office from New York to a farmhouse in the Bost on subu rb of Brookline. Here he established the world's first ful l-scale professional practice of landscape arch itecture . Olmsted's personal office became the nucleus of a rambling complex constructed be tween 1889 and 1925. All the processes of landscape design, from drafti ng to printing, were carried out here. Often preoccupied and overworked, Olmsted was nevertheless responsive to the needs of his staff and eager to provide opportunities for training . Following the lead of his friend and collaborator, architect Henry Hobson Richardson , Olmsted instituted an apprentice system that combined instruction , assigned reading, and practical experience. Two of his most important pupils were his sons , John Charles ( 1852-1920) and Frederick, Jr. (1870-1957). Both were trained from an early age to be landscape ~ Rolled pla n s from historic offic e a r e b eing prese r ved and fla ttened for s torage in ren ovated vaul t. Among the more impressive documents in the Olmsted archives is the plan for the Boston Park System . It illustrates one of the boldest and most complex undertakings of Olmsted 's career and is perhaps hi s most influential design . His increasing involvement in the project from its inception in the mid 187 0s was a major factor in Olmsted 's dec ision to move from New York to Boston . Completed nea r the end of the century, the 5-mile "emerald necklace" of linked parks, ponds, and parkways was a brilliant combination of comprehensive planning , technical engineering, and imaginative design. Fred erick L a w Olms t ed , Jr. J o h n Ch arles Olmst ed architects and given a more thorough grounding than th eir father's own haphazard education . With his managerial abilities, John Charl es gave continuity to the firm after Olmsted retired in 1895 and Frederick, Jr. became a partner. The Olmsteds and the ir staff prepared design plans for an estimated 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. In 1980, the National Park Service acquired th e site and began to inventory and conserve the historic design records . Th e Olmsted archives represent a rare continuity of work by a singl e professional office. Thousands of plans and photographs dating from 1860 to 1980 are inc luded , as well as planting lists, lithograph s, co rrespondence, design model s, and study collections. Today, research ers from across the nation use the col lection in planning the restoration and preservation of Olmsted landscapes. Olmsted spent much of his career working out the interdependent re lationship he felt should exist betwee n city and country. Many of his finest principles of urban planning were realized in the Boston Park System . A variety of landscapes were woven into the fabric of the city, from the salt water marshes of the Back Bay Fens to the sheep meadows of Franklin Park. Olmsted anticipated many different uses for parkland, including in this greenbelt both large and small spaces, intimate glades along riverbanks, dense wilderness, open water, and a convenient system of trails and drives. The R iverway, a classic l a n dscap e pro menad e, w as Olm sted 's so l uti o n to problems caused by severe flood ing and polluted waters. Its linear na t u re is ideally suited to the overall design of the Boston Pa rk System . His vision for the landscape is best expressed in an 1881 report to the Boston Park Comm ission. The Back Bay Fens (1) was a sewage-fouled tidal creek and swamp that periodically flooded . Olmsted's plan simultaneously solved the drainage and health problems and turned the surrounding area into "scenery of a winding, brackish creek , within wooded banks; gaining interest from the meandering course of the water." Muddy River (2) would be "a fresh-water course bordered by passages of rushy meadow ... trees in groups, d iversified by thickets and open glades." The largest body of water in th e system, Jamaica Pond (3 ) , formed a "natural sheet of water . .. shaded by a fine natural forest growth ... darkening the water's edge and favoring great beauty in reflections and flickering ha lf-lights ." The Arboretum (4) offered " Eminences commanding distant prospects, in one direction seaward over the city, in the other across . .. to blue distant hills." Visitors could seek a "Complete escape from town" in Franklin Park (5). Olmsted envisioned a " lovely dale gently winding between low wooded slopes , giving a broad expanse of unbroken turf, lost in the distance." It all formed " a grand Bo ston roads ha v e e ncr oached on Olm s t ed's c o m p osition s, as shown at the entrance to Back Bay Fens. CAMBRIDGE By lin king elements of the park system, O l mst ed hel ped to define the Bost on metropolitan area. Common parkway of picturesque type .. reaching from the heart of the city into the rural scenery of the suburbs ." The practical and popular success of Olmsted's work in Boston has inspired similar c ity and regional planning efforts across the country. survives despite all odds, a fundamental component of the city 's character and testament to the strength of Olmsted 's enduring vision . Visitors to the National Historic Site are only minutes away from the Boston Park System . While the essence of his plans remain intact, some of Olmsted's finest parks have suffered a variety of insults and injuries over the years. Highways and parking lots interrupt scenic compositions and unique green passages. Recreational interests stress fragile landscapes, altering historic features and the personality of Olmsted 's parks. High costs often discourage necessary maintenance and restoration. Yet in Boston and elsewhere, the Olmsted landscape F rede r ick L a w Olmsted In his later years. . , The Suburban Dream Olm sted was a prophet of suburbia , believing that " no great city can long exist without great suburbs.'' During the course of his career, he designed more than a dozen suburban communities outside cities like Baltimore and Chicago. They were intended to be places where people could express their individuality and practice the art of gardening while retaining convenient access to the commerce and amenities of the city. As in his public parks, Olmsted's ideals were reflected in his vision of the private landscape, which " fosters delicacy of perception and of sentiment, strengthens fam il y ties and feeds the roots of patrioti sm." North Fairmount St Frederick Law £ Olmsted NHS ~ ~ \!! The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is adm inistered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The site is open Friday, Satu rday, and Sunday from 10:00 to 4:30. Groups are welcome at other times by advance reservation. A variety of publications concerning landscape design history can be purchased at the site bookstore. For more information, write: Superintendent, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, 99 Warren St., Brookline, MA 02146. For Your Saf ety Use caution while touring the multi-level rooms and stairways of the house and <D 0.1 0.2 Km 0.1 0.2Mi office complex. Comfortable dress is recommended for v iewing the outside grounds. Only a small number of vehicles can be accommodated in the visitor parking area, and street parking may be necessary. Watch for traffic on neighborhood roadways . Have a safe and enjoyable visit. Accessibility Entrance to the site is by way of a short walking trail. Limited parking is available to disabled visitors. No restrooms are currently accessible to the disabled, and mu lti -level rooms may be difficult for some to maneuver. In mo ving to the garden suburb of Brookline, Olmsted showed confidence in what he believed to be the city form of the future. His own home grounds were carefully landscaped to illustrate how the "ideal suburban lifestyle" might be achieved. Many of the same design principles for which Olmsted was famous at a larger scale were applied with equal success on the small estate he named "Fai rsted ." Elements of the picturesq ue and pastoral styles of landscaping so popular in Olmsted-designed parks are likewise featured on the Fairsted grounds. Barriers of earth and plantings used by Olmsted along park borders to isolate visitors from the city are found at his home in the form of massed trees and shrubs. The viewe r's attention is directed to a stately American elm on the center lawn. Though spectacular, this tree does not interfere with appreciation of the landscape as a whol e, in kee ping with Olmsted 's preference for simple rather than " stra ng e or striking " landscape elements. Praising Olmsted's landscape !or the 1893 Chicago Worl d's Fair, a newspaper ol the period recognized the common principles that informed all of his work from the grand public statement to the pri vate dwelling space : " [ Olmsted's] home is as beautiful, as thoroughly in accord with all of nature's happiest little dreams . . . as the great park in the center of the Nation's metropolis, to which Mr. Olmsted gave the first great result of his keen susceptibility to the power of nature's best possibi li ties. Any one who rambles through the leaf-strewn wa lks and cli mbs along some rock[y], wooded path of Central Park today can safely imagine just such charming bits of scenery about the home of the man whose guiding genius made Central Park as it is, possible ... .'' To ease his access to "natu re's best possibil ities," Olmsted added to his 1810 farm house a conservatory-what he referred to as his " out-of-door apartment." This glassed-in space allows intimate viewing of the small landscape scenes that Olmsted created with such care. Uppermost in his mind was the idea that body and spirit could be healed through close association with nature, a benef it he wanted every subu rban dweller to enjoy. The most celebrated Olmsted suburb was Riverside ( 1869), near Chicago. Connected by rail to t he city, the 1600 acres of rolli n g hills bordering the Des Plains River was ideal for Olmsted and Vaux's first expe riment in community planning. The result was a h ar- monious int egr ation of man and landscape. Rejecting the grid, he used sunken roads, accommodating them to natural contours and obstacles. Irregular clusters of trees created a spontaneous rural atmosphere. Olmsted prot ected the river and made it the focus of the community by devoting 700 acres to common park· land along the banks. Riverside remains today a model suburb and an example of what can be achieved with imagination and careful planning.