Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frederick Law OlmstedNational Historic Site |
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 Frederick Law Olmsted
National Historic Site Location in Massachusetts
Frederick Law Olmsted
National Historic Site Location in the United States
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| Location | 99 Warren Street, Brookline, Massachusetts, United States |
| Nearest city | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Area | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Established | October 12, 1979 |
| Visitors | 9,473 (in 2016) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site |
The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is a special place in Brookline, Massachusetts. Brookline is a town near Boston. This site honors Frederick Law Olmsted, who lived from 1822 to 1903. He is known as the person who started landscape architecture in America. He designed many famous parks in the 1800s.
In 1883, Olmsted moved his home and office to Brookline. He called his new home and workplace "Fairsted". This was the world's first professional office dedicated to landscape design. Over the next 100 years, his sons and their team continued his work. They kept Olmsted's ideas and influence alive.
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Discovering Frederick Law Olmsted's Home
The historic site is located at 99 Warren Street in Brookline. Frederick Law Olmsted bought the property in 1883. It had an old farmhouse built in 1810. He wanted to be close to his friend and coworker, H. H. Richardson.
How Fairsted Changed Over Time
Olmsted and his son, John Charles Olmsted, made many changes to the property. They updated the house and designed the gardens. In 1903, they added a special office wing to the main house. Olmsted's family lived in the house until 1936. Later, the National Park Service took over the property in 1980.
Today, the grounds look much like they did around 1930. This restoration helps visitors see Olmsted's original landscape designs.
Exploring the Olmsted Design Office
The site includes the beautiful "Fairsted" landscape. It also has the design office, which looks almost exactly as it did when the Olmsted firm was busiest. This office holds nearly 1,000,000 original design records. These records show how many of America's most famous landscapes were created.
Famous Places Designed by Olmsted
The Olmsted firm designed parts of the U. S. Capitol and the White House. They also worked on Great Smoky Mountains and Acadia National Parks. Other famous projects include Yosemite Valley and New York's Central Park. They even designed entire park systems in cities like Buffalo, Seattle, Boston, Louisville, and Montreal.
The Olmsted family also helped create the National Park Service. This is the organization that now protects and cares for the Olmsted site.
Visiting the Historic Site
The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is open to everyone. The National Park Service offers guided tours. These tours let you explore the historic grounds and the old office wing. It's a great way to learn about landscape design and American history.
See also
