Fredrick Law Olmsted National Historic Site
About
The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline preserves Fairsted, the home and office of the man recognized as the founder of American landscape architecture and the nation’s foremost parkmaker. Olmsted moved his home to suburban Boston in 1883 and established the world’s first full-scale professional office for the practice of landscape design. Fairsted served as both a family home and a working office, with designers at work in its office wing.
During the following century, his sons John Charles and Frederick Jr. and their successors carried on Olmsted’s design ideals, philosophy and influence. Early partners and apprentices such as Charles Eliot and Henry Codman worked alongside the family on key projects. The National Park Service manages the site and shares the stories of the many people who walked its floors and grounds, along with others who played a role in the Olmsted story.
What to Know
- Olmsted lived from 1822 to 1903.
- He moved to Fairsted with his wife, Mary, his daughter, Marion, and his sons.
- Early influences on Olmsted included his parents, John and Charlotte, and his brother John Hull.
- Olmsted’s best-known Boston work includes the Emerald Necklace park system.
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