Claim to Fame: Frederick Law Olmsted is known as "the father of American landscape architecture."
Birth of Frederick Law Olmsted: Frederick Law Olmsted was born on April 26, 1822 in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
The Life's Work of Frederick Law Olmsted: Frederick Law Olmsted's work in landscape architecture spans the private sphere and the public sphere, the East Coast and the West Coast, as well as urban, suburban and rural settings. Below I provide examples of each; all are found in the U.S.
Frederick Law Olmsted's Work in the Private Sphere: The best example in this sphere is the grounds for George Vanderbilt's mansion near Asheville, North Carolina, known as the "Biltmore Estate." The grounds of the Biltmore Estate are marked by a mixture of formal garden designs and naturalistic plantings. The Biltmore Estate is now open to the public, for a fee.
Frederick Law Olmsted's Work in Urban Settings: Central Park, New York is Frederick Law Olmsted's most famous work in an urban setting, but several other cities owe something to his genius. For instance, Frederick Law Olmsted is also responsible for the grounds around the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and for the system of parks in Boston, Massachusetts, known collectively as the "Emerald Necklace."
Frederick Law Olmsted's Work in Suburban Settings: Frederick Law Olmsted laid out the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Riverside in 1869, one of the first modern-style suburbs in the U.S.
Frederick Law Olmsted's Work in Rural Settings: But Frederick Law Olmsted also put his stamp on some of America's great parks in rural settings. The National Park Service lists Great Smoky Mountains National Park (straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee), Acadia National Park (Maine) and Yosemite National Park (California) as projects of the father of American landscape architecture.
Frederick Law Olmsted and Niagara Falls: According to the FrederickLawOlmsted.com, in 1879, Frederick Law Olmsted "helped to prepare a special report for the New York State Survey of the area around Niagara Falls."
Death of Frederick Law Olmsted: Frederick Law Olmsted died on August 28, 1903 in Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
U.S. National Park Service: According to the U.S. National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted established "the world's first full-scale professional office for the practice of landscape design" in 1883. The National Park Service was itself established in part due to his influence -- 13 years after the death of Frederick Law Olmsted.
