Frederick Law Olmsted | |
|---|---|
 Olmsted in 1893; engraving after a photograph | |
| Born | April 26, 1822[1] Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | August 28, 1903 (aged 81) Belmont, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | Old North Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Landscape architect |
| Notable work | New York City Park |
| Spouse | Mary Cleveland Perkins |
| Children | John Charles, Charlotte, Owen, and Marion, and Frederick Law Jr. |
| Parent(s) | John and Charlotte Olmsted |
| Signature | |
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Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the United States. Olmsted was famous for co-designing many well-known urban parks with his partner Calvert Vaux. Olmsted and Vaux's first project was Central Park in New York City, which led to many other urban park designs. These included Prospect Park in Brooklyn; Cadwalader Park in Trenton, New Jersey; and Forest Park in Portland, Oregon.[2] In 1883, Olmsted established the preeminent landscape architecture and planning consultancy of the late 19th-century United States, which was carried on and expanded by his sons, Frederick Jr. and John C., under the name Olmsted Brothers.[3]
Other projects that Olmsted was involved in include the country's first and oldest coordinated system of public parks and parkways in Buffalo, New York; the country's oldest state park, the Niagara Reservation in Niagara Falls, New York; one of the first planned communities in the United States, Riverside, Illinois; Mount Royal Park in Montreal, Quebec; The Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut; Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut; Waterbury Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut; the Emerald Necklace in Boston, Massachusetts; Highland Park in Rochester, New York; the Grand Necklace of Parks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Cherokee Park and parks and parkway system in Louisville, Kentucky; Walnut Hill Park in New Britain, Connecticut; the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina; the master plans for the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Maine, Stanford University near Palo Alto, California, Mount Holyoke College, The Lawrenceville School; and Montebello Park in St. Catharines, Ontario. In Chicago his projects include Jackson Park, Washington Park, the main park ground for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the southern portion of Chicago's emerald necklace boulevard ring, and the University of Chicago campus. In Washington, D.C., he worked on the landscape surrounding the United States Capitol building.
The quality of Olmsted's landscape architecture was recognized by his contemporaries, who showered him with prestigious commissions. Daniel Burnham said of him, "He paints with lakes and wooded slopes; with lawns and banks and forest-covered hills; with mountainsides and ocean views...."[4] His work, especially in Central Park, set a standard of excellence that continues to influence landscape architecture in the United States. He was an early and important activist in the conservation movement, including in his work at Niagara Falls, the Adirondack region of upstate New York, and the National Park system. As head of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, he also played a major role in organizing and providing medical services to the Union Army during the Civil War.[5]
- ^ A celebration of the life and work of Frederick Law Olmsted – Biography Page.
- ^ "F. L. Olmsted is Dead; End Comes to Great Landscape Architect at Waverly, Mass. Designer of Central and Prospect Parks and Other Famous Garden Spots of American Cities" (PDF). New York Times. August 29, 1903. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
- ^ Caves, R. W. (2004). Encyclopedia of the City. Routledge. p. 500. ISBN 9780415252256.
- ^ Martin, John Stuart (October 1964). "He Paints With Lakes And Wooded Slopes ...". American Heritage. 15 (6).
- ^ Robert Muccigrosso, ed., Research Guide to American Historical Biography.