Frederick Law Olmsted

Fredrick Law Olmsted
Life

Landscape architect, author, conservationist and public servant.

Olmsted tried his hand at various careers: merchant, apprentice seaman, experimental farmer, author and even a goldmine manager. He directed the U.S. Sanitary Commission, forerunner of the American Red Cross, and wrote for The New York Daily Times, exposing the injustice of slavery in the South. And that was all before he completed Central Park and established the practice of landscape architecture.

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Work

Career & Projects

In a career spanning half a century, Olmsted designed some of the most celebrated landmarks in the United States, ranging from Central Park in New York and the Emerald Necklace in Boston to the U.S. Capitol Grounds in Washington, D.C., and Jackson Park in Chicago. He is remembered as the preeminent 19th-century landscape architect and founder of the profession.

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Legacy

Principles, Values & Impact

Olmsted was more than a landscape architect. He was a multifaceted visionary and social reformer who contributed to the fields of public health, conservation, urban planning and landscape design.

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