Spotlights

Spotlight on…Stonehurst

Spotlight on… Druid Hills and Olmsted Linear Park

Spotlight on… Olmsted Parks Conservancy

Spotlight on… The Rochester Park System

Rochester, NY is one of only four cities in the U.S. with an entire park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted was commissioned in 1888 to design the first park for the city on 20 acres of donated land. However, Olmsted recommended the addition of lands along the Genesee River, north and south of […]

Spotlight on… Riverside, IL

One of the first planned communities in the U.S.—Riverside, IL (Project Number 00607)—is said to be the realization of Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision of the ideal suburb. Riverside was designed by Olmsted to be a place of tranquility, combining the best of the city and the country. In 1869, Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux […]

Spotlight on… Trinity College

In post-Civil War America, Frederick Law Olmsted believed universities should play a critical role in advancing democracy. As he saw it, the physical environment– buildings and grounds – contributed to both the success of education as well as the shaping of character.   It’s perhaps not surprising that, in the course of his career, Olmsted […]

Spotlight on… Mount Royal, Montréal

In 1869, after a decade of toying with the idea of creating a park on Mount Royal, the City of Montréal began the process of acquiring the land to achieve its vision. The land purchase alone cost Montréal the equivalent of close to a full year’s budget. The City Council then went straight to Frederick […]

Spotlight on… Seaside Park

Shortly after the Civil War, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux transformed the lands around Bridgeport Harbor, Long Island Sound, and Black Rock Harbor into what is today – Seaside Park (Project No. 12021). Thanks to advocacy by Bridgeport’s daily newspaper, plus land donations from nearby residents, Seaside Park came to fruition. Most notable among […]

Spotlight on… Buffalo’s Olmsted Park System

The first of its kind in the United States, the Buffalo, New York system of interconnected parks and parkways (Project #00700) is one of the largest Olmsted bodies of work comprised of 24 park and parkway features. Designed between 1868 and 1915, the pioneering design duo of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux conceived of a wonderful […]