Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903)
Acclaimed as the founder of American landscape architecture, Hartford-born Frederick Law Olmsted received an informal education in civil engineering, farming, and scientific agriculture. Travels to Europe in the 1850s exposed him to Continental landscape and park designs. By 1858, as Central Park Commission superintendent, he designed New York City’s most famous park. His success in coordinating its construction led to his appointment as head of the US Sanitary Commission in 1861. In this capacity, he improved health conditions for Union troops. Over 37 years, Olmsted and his partners designed parks, campuses, residential communities, and private estates. His Connecticut projects include New Britain’s Walnut Hill Park, Seaside and Beardsley parks in Bridgeport, and grounds for what is now the Institute for Living in Hartford.
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Landscape Architecture Helps in Healing – Who Knew?
Frederick Law Olmsted re-designed the grounds on the campus of the Hartford Retreat for the Insane to help induce healing and serenity. …[more]
