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{{short description|Landscape design firm}}
[[File:"Barberrys," Nelson Doubleday house, Mill Neck, New York. Flower garden.jpg|thumb|"Barberrys," Nelson Doubleday house, Mill Neck, New York, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1921. Architect: Harrie Thomas Lindberg (1916). Landscape: Percival Gallagher, Olmsted Brothers, 1919-1924 and others]]
[[File:"Barberrys," Nelson Doubleday house, Mill Neck, New York. Flower garden.jpg|thumb|"Barberrys", Nelson Doubleday house, Mill Neck, New York, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1921. Architect: Harrie Thomas Lindberg (1916). Landscape: Percival Gallagher, Olmsted Brothers, 1919–1924 and others]]


The '''Olmsted Brothers''' company was an influential [[landscape]] [[architectural firm]] in the [[United States]], established in 1898 by brothers [[John Charles Olmsted]] (1852–1920) and [[Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.]] (1870–1957), sons of the eminent [[landscape architect]] [[Frederick Law Olmsted]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Beveridge|first1=Charles E.|title=The Olmsted Firm—An Introduction|url=http://www.olmsted.org/the-olmsted-legacy/the-olmsted-firm/an-introduction|publisher=Olmsted.org|accessdate=22 August 2017}}</ref>
The '''Olmsted Brothers''' company was a [[Landscape architecture|landscape architectural]] firm in the United States, established in 1898 by brothers [[John Charles Olmsted]] (1852–1920) and [[Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.]] (1870–1957), sons of the landscape architect [[Frederick Law Olmsted]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Beveridge|first1=Charles E.|title=The Olmsted Firm—An Introduction|url=http://www.olmsted.org/the-olmsted-legacy/the-olmsted-firm/an-introduction|publisher=Olmsted.org|access-date=22 August 2017}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
The Olmsted Brothers inherited the nation's first landscape architecture business from their father [[Frederick Law Olmsted]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1898-1980: Olmsted Brothers|url=https://tclf.org/pioneer/olmsted-bros|publisher=The Cultural Landscape Foundation|accessdate=22 August 2017}}</ref> This firm was a successor to the earlier firm of '''Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot''' after the death of their partner [[Charles Eliot (landscape architect)|Charles Eliot]] in 1897. The two brothers were among the founding members of the [[American Society of Landscape Architects]] (ASLA) and played an influential role in creating the [[National Park Service]]. Prior to their takeover of the firm, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. had worked as an apprentice under his father, helping to design projects such as [[Biltmore Estate]] and the [[World's Columbian Exposition]] before graduating from [[Harvard University]]. The firm employed nearly 60 staff at its peak in the early 1930s. Notable landscape architects in the firm included [[James Frederick Dawson]] and Percival Gallagher.<ref name="tlcf">{{cite web| title=Percival Gallagher| url=http://tclf.org/content/percival-gallagher| publisher=The Cultural Landscape Foundation| accessdate=2012-04-11| deadurl=yes| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222050114/http://tclf.org/content/percival-gallagher| archivedate=2012-02-22| df=}}</ref><ref name="sirs">{{cite web| title=Percival Gallagher| url=http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12622E21190UU.7082&profile=all&uri=link=3100006~!105700~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=Browse&menu=search&ri=2&source=~!siarchives&term=Gallagher%2C+Percival%2C&index=| publisher=Smithsonian Institution Research Information System: Archives, Manuscripts and Photographs Catalog| accessdate=2012-04-11}}</ref> The last Olmsted family member in the firm, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., retired in 1949.<ref name="easton">{{cite news| title=Masters Of Green| url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2003/0427/cover.html| author=Valerie Easton| date=27 April 2003| work=[[The Seattle Times]]| publisher=seattletimes.com| accessdate=2012-04-11}}</ref> The firm itself remained in operation, moving from Brookline in 1980 and continuing in Fremont, NH until 2000. This created one continuous firm from 1858-2000.<ref name="end">{{cite journal |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/nov/05/frederick-law-olmsted-americas-green-giant/ |title=America's Green Giant |last=Filler |first=Martin |authorlink=Martin Filler |date=November 5, 2015 |volume=62 |number=17 |page=16 |journal=[[New York Review of Books]] |accessdate=November 8, 2015}}</ref>
The Olmsted Brothers inherited the nation's first landscape architecture firm from their father [[Frederick Law Olmsted]].<ref>{{cite web |title= 1898-1980: Olmsted Brothers |url= https://tclf.org/pioneer/olmsted-bros |publisher= The Cultural Landscape Foundation |access-date= 22 August 2017}}</ref> This firm was a successor to the earlier firm of '''Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot''' after the death of their partner [[Charles Eliot (landscape architect)|Charles Eliot]] in 1897. The two brothers were among the founding members of the [[American Society of Landscape Architects]] (ASLA) and played an influential role in creating the [[National Park Service]]. Prior to their takeover of the firm, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. had worked as an apprentice under his father, helping to design projects such as [[Biltmore Estate]] and the [[World's Columbian Exposition]] before graduating from [[Harvard University]].<ref>[https://www.tclf.org/pioneer/olmsted-olmsted-eliot 1893 - 1897, Olmsted, Olmsted & Eliot], The Cultural Landscape Foundation, connecting people to places</ref> With [[Charles Eliot (landscape architect)|Charles Eliot]], they also designed the gardens of [[Cairnwood|Cairnwood House]] in Pennsylvania and [[Lady Meredith House]] in [[Montreal]].


The firm employed nearly 60 staff at its peak in the early 1930s. Notable landscape architects in the firm included [[James Frederick Dawson]], [[Arthur Asahel Shurcliff]] and Percival Gallagher.<ref name=tlcf>{{cite web |title= Percival Gallagher| url=http://tclf.org/content/percival-gallagher |publisher= The Cultural Landscape Foundation |access-date= 11 April 2012 |url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222050114/http://tclf.org/content/percival-gallagher| archive-date=2012-02-22}}</ref> After becoming an associate partner in 1904 Dawson became a full partner in 1922.<ref name=NAOP>{{cite web |title= Chronology of the Olmsted Firm 1857–1979 |website= Olmsted.com |publisher= National Association for Olmsted Parks |url= https://www.olmsted.org/the-olmsted-legacy/the-olmsted-firm/chronology-of-the-olmsted-firm-18571979 |access-date= 14 April 2023}}</ref> Gallagher become an associate partner in 1906 and a partner in 1927, until his death in 1934.<ref name= NAOP/> Edward Clark Whiting became an associate partner in 1920 and partner in 1927. In that same year [[Henry Vincent Hubbard]] became a partner and remained with the firm until his death in 1947.<ref name= NAOP/> William B. Marquis became a partner in 1937.<ref name= Birnbaum>{{cite book |last1= Birnbaum |first1= Charles A. |last2= Levee |first2= Arleyn A. |last3= Winter |first3= Dena Tasse |year= 2022 |title= Experiencing Olmsted: The Enduring Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted's North American Landscapes |location= Portland, Oregon |publisher= Timber Press |pages= 314, 315, 318, 321, 325 |type= Hardcover |isbn= 978-1-64326-036-5}}</ref>
==Office and archives==
"Fairsted" -- the firm's 100-year-old business headquarters and design office -- has been carefully preserved as the [[Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site]], located on {{convert|7|acre|ha|3}} of landscaped grounds at 99 Warren St., [[Brookline, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Zaitzevsky|first1=Cynthia|title=Fairsted: A Cultural Landscape Report for the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Fairsted.html?id=9N3jb8ow6OYC&redir_esc=y|publisher=Google Books|accessdate=22 August 2017}}</ref> It offers excellent insights into the practice of large-scale landscape design and engineering. The site also houses an archive (access by appointment only) of the firm's designs, plant lists, and photos for hundreds of projects.


The last Olmsted family member in the firm, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., retired from active practice in 1949, but remained a partner until 1957.<ref name= NAOP/><ref name=easton>{{cite news |last= Easton |first= Valerie |date= 27 April 2003 |title= Masters Of Green |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2003/0427/cover.html| work=[[The Seattle Times]]| publisher=seattletimes.com| access-date= 11 April 2012}}</ref> The firm itself remained in operation, with Carl Rust Parker, Partridge Richardson and Charles Scott Riley becoming partners in 1950.<ref name= Birnbaum/> By 1958 Joseph George Hudak had also become a partner.<ref name= Birnbaum/>
==Design work==
The Olmsted Brothers completed numerous high-profile projects, many of which remain popular to this day, including park systems, universities, exposition grounds, libraries, hospitals, residential neighborhoods and state capitols. Notable commissions include the roadways in the [[Great Smoky Mountains]] and [[Acadia National Park]]s, [[Yosemite Valley]], Atlanta's [[Piedmont Park]], a residential neighborhood in [[Oak Bay, British Columbia|Oak Bay]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]: [[Uplands, Greater Victoria|Uplands]]; entire park systems in cities such as [[Olmsted Portland park plan|Portland]] and [[Seattle]],<ref name="williams">{{cite news| url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990502&slug=2958185| work=The Seattle Times| author=David B. Williams| title=The Olmsted Legacy -- The Fabled Massachusetts Landscape Firm Got To Seattle Early, And That Has Made All The Difference |publisher=seattletimes.com |date=May 2, 1999| accessdate=2012-04-11}}</ref> and [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]] state's [[Northern State Hospital]]. The Olmsted Brothers also co-authored, with [[Harland Bartholomew]], a 1930 report for the [[Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce]] entitled "Parks, Playgrounds, and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region" encouraging the preservation of outdoor public space in southern California.<ref name="edenbydesign">{{cite book|author1=Hise, Greg |author2=Deverell, William | title=Eden by Design: The 1930 Olmsted-Bartholomew Plan for the Los Angeles Region| publisher=University of California Press |date=7 June 2000 |isbn=978-0-520-22415-5}}</ref> The report was largely ignored by the city, but became an important urban planning reference.


In 1962<ref name= NAOP/> the firm changed its name to Olmsted Associates to reflect the retirement of Parker in 1960, Riley in 1961, Marquis in 1962, and the death of Whiting in 1962, leaving the firm to continue under Richardson and Hudak with Erno J. Fonagy joining them as an associate.<ref name= NAOP/> Olmsted Associates was dissolved in 1979.<ref name= Birnbaum /> Afterwards Richardson continued to practice under the name The Olmsted Office<ref name= NAOP/> from Brookline in 1980 and continuing in [[Fremont, New Hampshire]] until 2000. This created one continuous firm from 1858 to 2000.<ref name="end">{{cite journal |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/nov/05/frederick-law-olmsted-americas-green-giant/ |title=America's Green Giant |last=Filler |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Filler |date=November 5, 2015 |volume=62 |number=17 |page=16 |journal=[[New York Review of Books]] |access-date=November 8, 2015}}</ref>
===Selected private and civic designs===
[[File:("Allgates," Horatio Gates Lloyd house, Cooperstown Road, Haverford, Pennsylvania. (LOC) (7221378512).jpg|thumb|"Allgates," Horatio Gates Lloyd house, Cooperstown Road, Haverford, Pennsylvania (1911-1915)]]Adair Country Inn, Bethlehem, NH


==Office and archives==
The beauriful gardens at Adair Country Inn were designed by the Olmsted Brorhers.
"Fairsted"—the firm's 100-year-old headquarters and design office—has been carefully preserved as the [[Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site]], located on {{convert|7|acre|ha|3}} of landscaped grounds at 99 Warren St., [[Brookline, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zaitzevsky|first1=Cynthia|title=Fairsted: A Cultural Landscape Report for the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site|year=1997 |url=https://archive.org/details/fairstedcultural00zait|publisher=Internet Archive|access-date=22 August 2017}}</ref> It offers excellent insights into the practice of large-scale landscape design and engineering. The site also houses an archive (access by appointment only) of the firm's designs, plant lists, and photos for hundreds of projects.


==Design work==
*[[Audubon Park, New Orleans|Audubon Park]], [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]
[[File:View of garden and house, Beacon Hill House, Newport residence of Arthur Curtis James, Esq. Olmsted Brothers, Landscape Architects (LOC) (19974340191).jpg|thumb|View of garden and house, Beacon Hill House, Newport residence of [[Arthur Curtiss James]], by Olmsted Brothers]]
*[[Ashland Park]], residential neighborhood built around [[Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate]] in [[Lexington, Kentucky]]
[[File:Pdx wash mainentrance sse.jpeg|thumb|[[Washington Park (Portland, Oregon)|Washington Park]] in [[Portland, Oregon]]]]
*Bloomfield, [[Villanova, PA]]. Private house of George McFadden. <ref>https://issuu.com/acanthus_press/docs/trumbauer_flip_book/23</ref>
The Olmsted Brothers completed numerous high-profile projects, many of which remain popular to this day, including park systems, universities, exposition grounds, libraries, hospitals, residential neighborhoods and state capitols. Notable commissions include the roadways in the [[Great Smoky Mountains]] and [[Acadia National Park]]s; [[Yosemite Valley]]; Atlanta's [[Piedmont Park]]; [https://www.vamonde.com/posts/springvale-park/8118 Springvale Park]; [[Uplands, Greater Victoria|Uplands]]; residential neighborhoods in [[Oak Bay, British Columbia|Oak Bay]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]], [[Oakland]], [[California]], including the street layout for what is now the Lakeshore Homes Association<ref>[http://lakeshorehomes.net Lakeshore Homes Association]</ref> (the oldest [[homeowners' association]] west of the Mississippi River and which includes parts of Oakland's historic [[Crocker Highlands]] and [[Trestle Glen]] neighborhoods) and [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]] (including parts of [[Mayfield, Baltimore|Mayfield]] and [[Roland Park, Baltimore|Roland Park)]];<ref>{{cite web |title=Our History |url=http://lakeshorehomes.net/about/history |website=Lakeshore Homeowner's Association |access-date=March 14, 2020}}</ref> entire park systems in cities such as [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]], [[Cleveland Metroparks|Cleveland]], [[Olmsted Portland park plan|Portland]], [[Seattle]];<ref name="williams">{{cite news| url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990502&slug=2958185| work=The Seattle Times| author=David B. Williams| title=The Olmsted Legacy -- The Fabled Massachusetts Landscape Firm Got To Seattle Early, And That Has Made All The Difference |publisher=seattletimes.com |date=May 2, 1999| access-date=April 11, 2012}}</ref> and Washington state's [[Northern State Hospital]]. The Olmsted Brothers also co-authored, with [[Harland Bartholomew]], a 1930 report for the [[Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce]] entitled "Parks, Playgrounds, and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region" encouraging the preservation of outdoor public space in southern California.<ref name="edenbydesign">{{cite book|author1=Hise, Greg |author2=Deverell, William | title=Eden by Design: The 1930 Olmsted-Bartholomew Plan for the Los Angeles Region| publisher=University of California Press |date=June 7, 2000 |isbn=978-0-520-22415-5}}</ref> The report was largely ignored by the city, but became an important urban planning reference. In addition to these higher profile projects, the Olmsted Brothers took on projects beautifying residential areas.{{cn|date=May 2020}}
*The [[British Properties]], [[Vancouver, Canada]]
*[[Brookdale Park]], Bloomfield & Montclair, New Jersey
*[[Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial]] a [[World War II]] for American servicemen in [[Cambridgeshire]], near [[Cambridge]], [[England]]
*[[Caracas]] Country Club (1928)<ref name="romero">{{cite news| author=Simon Romero, Sandra La Fuente P. contributor| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/world/americas/28venez.html| title=A Venezuelan Oasis of Elitism Counts Its Days| work=The New York Times| date=27 December 2010| page=A1 NY ed.| accessdate=2012-04-11}}</ref>
*[[Cleveland Metroparks|Cleveland Metroparks System]], in the [[Greater Cleveland]] area, [[Ohio]]
*Crocker Field Park, [[Fitchburg, Massachusetts]]
*[[Deering Oaks]], [[Portland, Maine]]
*[[Druid Hills, Georgia|Druid Hills]], [[Atlanta, Georgia]]
*[[Dunn Gardens]], [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
*[[Eastern Promenade]], [[Portland, Maine]]
*[[Elm Bank Horticulture Center]], [[Wellesley, Massachusetts]]
*[[First Presbyterian Church of Far Rockaway]], [[Queens, New York]]
*[[Fort Tryon Park]], [[New York City]]
*[[Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park]], [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] Original Name '''"League Island Park"'''
*[[Fresh Pond (Cambridge, Massachusetts)|Fresh Pond]], [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]]
*[[Grover Cleveland Park]], [[Caldwell, New Jersey]]
*[[High Point (New Jersey)|High Point]] Park, [[Montague, New Jersey]]
*[[Homelands Neighborhood (Indian Orchard, Massachusetts)|Homelands Neighborhood]], [[Springfield, Massachusetts]]
*[[Katonah Village Historic District|"New" Katonah]], [[Katonah, New York]]
*[[Kentucky State Capitol]] Grounds, [[Frankfort, Kentucky]]
*[[Kohler, Wisconsin|Kohler (Village of), Wisconsin]]<ref name="kohler">{{cite web |url=http://www.kohler.com/corp/about/timeline/index.htm| title= Company Timeline| publisher=[[Kohler Company]]}}</ref>
*[[Leimert Park, Los Angeles|Leimert Park Neighborhood]], [[Los Angeles]]
*[[Locust Valley Cemetery]], [[Locust Valley, New York]]
*Metro Parks, [[Summit County, Ohio]] <ref name="metro">{{cite web| title=The History of Metro Parks| author=Cheri Goldner| url=http://www.summitmetroparks.org/InsideMetroParks/History.aspx| publisher=Summit Metro Parks| accessdate=2012-04-11}}</ref>
*[[Manito Park and Botanical Gardens]], [[Spokane, Washington]]
*[[Marconi Plaza, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Marconi Plaza]] Original Name '''"Oregon Plaza"'''
*[[Marquette Park (Chicago)|Marquette Park]], [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]
*[[Memorial Park (Jacksonville)]], Florida
*Memorial Park, [[Maplewood, New Jersey]]
*[[Oheka Castle|Otto Kahn Estate]], Cold Spring Hills, New York
*[[Oldfields]]-Lilly House and Gardens,<ref name="lilly">{{cite web| title=Oldfields – Lilly House & Gardens| url=http://www.imamuseum.org/art/collections/oldfields-lilly| publisher=[[Indianapolis Museum of Art]]| accessdate=2012-04-11}}</ref> a National Historic Landmark, originally Hugh Landon estate (Olmsted job # 6883 [http://www.rediscov.com/olmsted/default.asp?include=master.htm] 1920-1927) [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oldfields_Border_plantings,_Olmsted_job-6883,_sheet_88,_scanned_11_2007_orig_sz_29x24inch.jpg], [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]]
*[[Piedmont Park]], [[Atlanta, Georgia]]
*[[Planting Fields]], [[Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York]]
*[[Pope Park (Hartford)|Pope Park]], [[Hartford, Connecticut]]
*Prouty Garden, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston This garden is at risk of being destroyed for redevelopment purposes.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The battle over Prouty Garden is not over - The Boston Globe|url = https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/12/18/the-battle-over-prouty-garden-not-over/MvoCjGqmamKkWlMcPNrZeL/story.html|website = BostonGlobe.com|access-date = 2016-02-11}}</ref>
*[[Rahway River Parkway]] [[Union County, New Jersey]]<ref>Jean P. Yearby, [[Historic American Engineering Record]] No. NJ-55, "[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj1000/nj1005/data/nj1005data.pdf Rahway River Park, Swimming Pool]," 1985.</ref>
*[[Riverside Park, Hartford, Connecticut]]<ref>http://www.hartford.gov/parks/204-riverside-park</ref>
*[[Rancho Los Alamitos]] Gardens, [[Long Beach, California]]
*[[Riverbend (estate)|Riverbend]], [[Walter J. Kohler, Sr.]] estate grounds, [[Kohler, Wisconsin]]
*[[List of Olmsted parks in Seattle|Seattle Park System]]<ref name=abhoseap>{{cite web |url=http://www.seattle.gov/friendsofolmstedparks/FSOP/history.htm |publisher=City of Seattle |title=A brief history of Seattle's Olmstead legacy |last=Williams |first=David B. |accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Southern Boulevard Parkway (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)]]
*[[South Mountain Reservation]], [[Maplewood, New Jersey|Maplewood]], [[Millburn, New Jersey|Millburn]], [[South Orange]], [[West Orange, New Jersey|West Orange]], [[New Jersey]]
*[[Spokane, Washington]] city parks<ref name=ospokcp>{{cite news |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8218 |publisher=HistoryLink.org |agency=Washington State History |title=Olmstead parks in Spokane |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=July 18, 2007 |accessdate=June 16, 2015 }}</ref>
*Thompson Park and roadways, [[Watertown (city), New York|Watertown, New York]]
*[[Union County, New Jersey]] Park system
*[[Utica Parks and Parkway Historic District|Utica, New York Parks and Parkway System]] (1908–1914)
*[[Verona Park]], [[Verona, New Jersey]]
*[[Cleveland Museum of Art#Wade Park|Wade Lagoon]], on [[University Circle]], Cleveland
*The garden at [[Welwyn Preserve]], Long Island, New York
*Warinanco Park, [[Roselle, New Jersey]]
*[[Washington State Capitol]] campus, [[Olympia, Washington]]<ref name=jcoipnw>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wned/frederick-law-olmsted/learn-more/john-charles-olmsted-the-pacific-northwest/ |publisher=PBS.org |title=John Charles Olmsted in the Pacific Northwest |last=Cotton |first=Laurence |accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Watsessing Park]], [[Bloomfield, New Jersey]]
*[[The Highlands (Seattle)|The Highlands Neighborhood]], Seattle<ref>Troy University (1930)</ref>
*Barberrys, Nelson Doubleday house, Mill Neck, New York (1919-1924)
*"Allgates," Horatio Gates Lloyd house, Cooperstown Road, Haverford, Pennsylvania (1911-1915)


The Olmsted Brothers were particularly influential on college campuses, helping to plan and design universities across the country by creating close ties between architecture and environment in the built landscape to the purpose of the institution. This can first be tied to their unimplemented work with the College of California, now the [[University of California, Berkeley]], which envisioned a campus that would be integrated with the surrounding community. Other campuses include [[Stanford University]], with a plan drawn specifically to accommodate California's climate; the [[University of Mississippi]], with a plan that would allow for future campus expansion; [[Washington University in St. Louis]]; [[The College of New Jersey]]; [[Duke University]]; [[Brown University]]; [[Williams College]]; [[Berea College]] and the Lincoln Institute; Howard College (now [[Samford University]]); the [[University of Maine]]; [[Huntingdon College]]; and [[Denison University]]. Their portfolio also includes secondary educational institutions, such as [[Emma Willard School]] (a private girls-only secondary school in New York) and [[Lawrenceville School]] (a secondary school in New Jersey).<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Brookline |first1=Mailing Address: 99 Warren Street |last2=Us |first2=MA 02445 Phone: 617 566-1689 Contact |title=Olmsted Designed Campuses - Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/frla/learn/historyculture/olmsted-designed-campuses.htm |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref>
===Campus designs===
*[[Bryn Mawr College]], [[Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania]] (1895–1927)
*[[Chatham University]], [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania
*[[Denison University]], [[Granville, Ohio]] (1916)
*[[Grove City College]], [[Grove City, Pennsylvania|Grove City]], [[Pennsylvania]] (1929)<ref>{{citation |title=Crimson View |url=http://www2.gcc.edu/admissions/crimsonview/index.html#/7/zoomed |page=7 |publisher=Grove City College Office of Admissions}}</ref>
*[[Harvard Business School]], [[Allston, Massachusetts]] (1925–31)
*[[Haverford College]], [[Haverford, Pennsylvania]] (1925–32)*
*[[Huntingdon College]] campus,<ref name="huntingdon">{{cite web| title=Huntingdon History| url=http://www.huntingdon.edu/about.aspx?id=42| publisher=Huntingdon College| accessdate=2012-04-11| deadurl=yes| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501221837/http://huntingdon.edu/about.aspx?id=42| archivedate=2012-05-01| df=}}</ref> [[Montgomery, Alabama]]
*[[Indiana University]], [[Bloomington, Indiana]] (1929-1936) <ref>{{cite web| title=The Old Crescent| url=http://hiddentreasuresindiana.org/the-old-crescent/| publisher=Indiana Historic Landscapes Alliance| accessdate=2012-04-12}}</ref>
*[[Iowa State University]] [[Ames, Iowa]] (1906)
*[[Johns Hopkins University]], [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]] (1903–19)
*[[Louisiana State University]], [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]] <ref name="lsu">{{cite web| url=http://www.lsu.edu/visitors/history.shtml| title=History of LSU| publisher=Louisiana State University| date=5 October 2010| accessdate=2012-04-12| deadurl=yes| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310182742/http://www.lsu.edu/visitors/history.shtml| archivedate=10 March 2009| df=}}</ref>
*[[Morehead State University]], [[Morehead, Kentucky]] (1923)
*[[Middlesex School]], [[Concord, Massachusetts]] (1901)
*[[Mount Holyoke College]], [[South Hadley, Massachusetts]] (1896–1922)
*[[Newton Country Day School]], [[Newton, Massachusetts]] (1927)
*[[Oberlin College]], [[Oberlin, Ohio]] (1903) <ref name="blodgett">{{cite news| url=http://www.oberlin.edu/library/news/observer16.17/observations.html| author=Geoffrey Blodgett| work=Observer| date=11 May 1995| title=The Grand March of Oberlin campus plans| publisher=Oberlin College| accessdate=2012-04-11| deadurl=yes| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116071851/http://www.oberlin.edu/library/news/observer16.17/observations.html| archivedate=16 November 2010| df=}}</ref>
*[[Ohio State University]], [[Columbus, Ohio]] (1909)<ref name="heritage">{{cite web| title=The Ohio State University| url=http://www.campusheritage.org/page/the-ohio-state-university| publisher=Campus Heritage Network| accessdate=2012-04-12}}</ref>
*[[Oregon State University]], [[Corvallis, Oregon]] (1909) <ref name="oregon">{{cite web| title=Report on Oregon Agricultural College| url=http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/7930/1/Rep_on_Org_Agr_1909.pdf| publisher=Oregon State University| date=1 October 1909| accessdate=2012-04-12}}</ref>
*[[Saint Joseph College (Connecticut)|Saint Joseph College]], [[West Hartford, Connecticut]]
*[[Samford University]], [[Homewood, Alabama]]
*[[Stanford University]], Stanford, California (1886-1914)
*[[Tufts University]], [[Medford, Massachusetts]] (1920)
*[[University of Chicago]], Chicago, Illinois (1901–10)
*[[University of Florida]], [[Gainesville, Florida]] (1925)
*[[University of Idaho]], [[Moscow, Idaho]] (1908)<ref name=uicphs>{{cite news |url=http://www.uidaho.edu/facilities/ae/longrangecampusdevelopmentplan/campusplanninghistory |publisher=University of Idaho |title=Campus planning history |agency=(Facilities Services) |accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref><ref name="idaho">{{cite web| title=History of the University of Idaho| url=http://www.uidaho.edu/celebrationofleadership/inauguration/Inauguration%20objects/history| publisher=University of Idaho| accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref>
*[[University of Montevallo]], [[Montevallo, Alabama]]<ref name="montevallo">{{cite web| title=About Montevallo:UM Quick Facts| url=http://www.montevallo.edu/montevallo/QuickFacts.shtm| publisher=University of Montevallo| accessdate=2012-04-12| deadurl=yes| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330122802/http://www.montevallo.edu/montevallo/QuickFacts.shtm| archivedate=2012-03-30| df=}}</ref>
*[[University of Maine]], [[Orono, Maine]] (1932)
*[[University of Notre Dame]], [[Notre Dame, Indiana]] (1929–32)
*[[University of Rhode Island]], [[Kingston, Rhode Island]] (1894–1903)
*[[University of Washington]], [[Seattle, Washington]] (1902–20)
*[[Vassar College]], [[Poughkeepsie (town), New York|Poughkeepsie, New York]] (1896–1932)
*[[Western Michigan University]] Main Campus, [[Kalamazoo, Michigan]] (1904)<ref name="wmu">{{cite web| title=Original 1904 Planting Plan for the Western State Normal School| url=http://www.cf.wmich.edu/planning/WebSites/1904/1904OlmstedPlan.htm| publisher=Western Michigan University| accessdate=2012-04-12}}</ref>
*[[Williams College]], [[Williamstown, Massachusetts]] (1902–12)


==References==
==See also==
* [[List of Olmsted works]]
{{reflist|2}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://www.nps.gov/frla/index.htm Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site] preserved home, office and archives of Olmsted firm, National Park Service
* [http://www.nps.gov/frla/index.htm Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site] preserved home, office and archives of Olmsted firm, National Park Service
* [http://www.olmsted.org/ National Association for Olmsted Parks]
* [http://www.olmsted.org/ National Association for Olmsted Parks]
* [http://www.filsonhistorical.org/archive/guideindes.html#O|website=The Filson Historical Society|accessdate=15 April 2015] In the Filson Archives: Olmsted Brothers (landscape designers), 420, 580, 848.
* [http://www.filsonhistorical.org/archive/guideindes.html#O|website=The Filson Historical Society|accessdate=15 April 2015]{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In the Filson Archives: Olmsted Brothers (landscape designers), 420, 580, 848.

{{Druid Hills}}


[[Category:American landscape architects]]
[[Category:American landscape architects]]
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[[Category:Companies based in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Companies based in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1898 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1898 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:NRHP architects]]
[[Category:Druid Hills, Georgia]]
[[Category:1980 disestablishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1980 disestablishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Design companies established in 1898]]
[[Category:Design companies disestablished in 1980]]

Latest revision as of 05:15, 1 February 2024

"Barberrys", Nelson Doubleday house, Mill Neck, New York, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1921. Architect: Harrie Thomas Lindberg (1916). Landscape: Percival Gallagher, Olmsted Brothers, 1919–1924 and others

The Olmsted Brothers company was a landscape architectural firm in the United States, established in 1898 by brothers John Charles Olmsted (1852–1920) and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. (1870–1957), sons of the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.[1]

History[edit]

The Olmsted Brothers inherited the nation's first landscape architecture firm from their father Frederick Law Olmsted.[2] This firm was a successor to the earlier firm of Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot after the death of their partner Charles Eliot in 1897. The two brothers were among the founding members of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and played an influential role in creating the National Park Service. Prior to their takeover of the firm, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. had worked as an apprentice under his father, helping to design projects such as Biltmore Estate and the World's Columbian Exposition before graduating from Harvard University.[3] With Charles Eliot, they also designed the gardens of Cairnwood House in Pennsylvania and Lady Meredith House in Montreal.

The firm employed nearly 60 staff at its peak in the early 1930s. Notable landscape architects in the firm included James Frederick Dawson, Arthur Asahel Shurcliff and Percival Gallagher.[4] After becoming an associate partner in 1904 Dawson became a full partner in 1922.[5] Gallagher become an associate partner in 1906 and a partner in 1927, until his death in 1934.[5] Edward Clark Whiting became an associate partner in 1920 and partner in 1927. In that same year Henry Vincent Hubbard became a partner and remained with the firm until his death in 1947.[5] William B. Marquis became a partner in 1937.[6]

The last Olmsted family member in the firm, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., retired from active practice in 1949, but remained a partner until 1957.[5][7] The firm itself remained in operation, with Carl Rust Parker, Partridge Richardson and Charles Scott Riley becoming partners in 1950.[6] By 1958 Joseph George Hudak had also become a partner.[6]

In 1962[5] the firm changed its name to Olmsted Associates to reflect the retirement of Parker in 1960, Riley in 1961, Marquis in 1962, and the death of Whiting in 1962, leaving the firm to continue under Richardson and Hudak with Erno J. Fonagy joining them as an associate.[5] Olmsted Associates was dissolved in 1979.[6] Afterwards Richardson continued to practice under the name The Olmsted Office[5] from Brookline in 1980 and continuing in Fremont, New Hampshire until 2000. This created one continuous firm from 1858 to 2000.[8]

Office and archives[edit]

"Fairsted"—the firm's 100-year-old headquarters and design office—has been carefully preserved as the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, located on 7 acres (2.833 ha) of landscaped grounds at 99 Warren St., Brookline, Massachusetts.[9] It offers excellent insights into the practice of large-scale landscape design and engineering. The site also houses an archive (access by appointment only) of the firm's designs, plant lists, and photos for hundreds of projects.

Design work[edit]

View of garden and house, Beacon Hill House, Newport residence of Arthur Curtiss James, by Olmsted Brothers
Washington Park in Portland, Oregon

The Olmsted Brothers completed numerous high-profile projects, many of which remain popular to this day, including park systems, universities, exposition grounds, libraries, hospitals, residential neighborhoods and state capitols. Notable commissions include the roadways in the Great Smoky Mountains and Acadia National Parks; Yosemite Valley; Atlanta's Piedmont Park; Springvale Park; Uplands; residential neighborhoods in Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada, Oakland, California, including the street layout for what is now the Lakeshore Homes Association[10] (the oldest homeowners' association west of the Mississippi River and which includes parts of Oakland's historic Crocker Highlands and Trestle Glen neighborhoods) and Baltimore, Maryland (including parts of Mayfield and Roland Park);[11] entire park systems in cities such as Birmingham, Cleveland, Portland, Seattle;[12] and Washington state's Northern State Hospital. The Olmsted Brothers also co-authored, with Harland Bartholomew, a 1930 report for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce entitled "Parks, Playgrounds, and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region" encouraging the preservation of outdoor public space in southern California.[13] The report was largely ignored by the city, but became an important urban planning reference. In addition to these higher profile projects, the Olmsted Brothers took on projects beautifying residential areas.[citation needed]

The Olmsted Brothers were particularly influential on college campuses, helping to plan and design universities across the country by creating close ties between architecture and environment in the built landscape to the purpose of the institution. This can first be tied to their unimplemented work with the College of California, now the University of California, Berkeley, which envisioned a campus that would be integrated with the surrounding community. Other campuses include Stanford University, with a plan drawn specifically to accommodate California's climate; the University of Mississippi, with a plan that would allow for future campus expansion; Washington University in St. Louis; The College of New Jersey; Duke University; Brown University; Williams College; Berea College and the Lincoln Institute; Howard College (now Samford University); the University of Maine; Huntingdon College; and Denison University. Their portfolio also includes secondary educational institutions, such as Emma Willard School (a private girls-only secondary school in New York) and Lawrenceville School (a secondary school in New Jersey).[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Beveridge, Charles E. "The Olmsted Firm—An Introduction". Olmsted.org. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  2. ^ "1898-1980: Olmsted Brothers". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  3. ^ 1893 - 1897, Olmsted, Olmsted & Eliot, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, connecting people to places
  4. ^ "Percival Gallagher". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Archived from the original on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Chronology of the Olmsted Firm 1857–1979". Olmsted.com. National Association for Olmsted Parks. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d Birnbaum, Charles A.; Levee, Arleyn A.; Winter, Dena Tasse (2022). Experiencing Olmsted: The Enduring Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted's North American Landscapes (Hardcover). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 314, 315, 318, 321, 325. ISBN 978-1-64326-036-5.
  7. ^ Easton, Valerie (27 April 2003). "Masters Of Green". The Seattle Times. seattletimes.com. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  8. ^ Filler, Martin (November 5, 2015). "America's Green Giant". New York Review of Books. 62 (17): 16. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  9. ^ Zaitzevsky, Cynthia (1997). Fairsted: A Cultural Landscape Report for the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site. Internet Archive. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  10. ^ Lakeshore Homes Association
  11. ^ "Our History". Lakeshore Homeowner's Association. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  12. ^ David B. Williams (May 2, 1999). "The Olmsted Legacy -- The Fabled Massachusetts Landscape Firm Got To Seattle Early, And That Has Made All The Difference". The Seattle Times. seattletimes.com. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  13. ^ Hise, Greg; Deverell, William (June 7, 2000). Eden by Design: The 1930 Olmsted-Bartholomew Plan for the Los Angeles Region. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-22415-5.
  14. ^ Brookline, Mailing Address: 99 Warren Street; Us, MA 02445 Phone: 617 566-1689 Contact. "Olmsted Designed Campuses - Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links[edit]

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Olmsted Brothers
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