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. It's a National Historic Site because it was the home and office of Frederick Law Olmsted. He was a very important person in American history.
Olmsted (1822–1903) is known as the founder of American landscape architecture. This means he was a master at designing outdoor spaces like parks and gardens. He was also the most famous park designer of the 1800s. In 1883, Olmsted moved his home and business to a suburb of Boston. He called his new place "Fairsted". This was the world's first full-size professional office for landscape design. For the next 100 years, his sons and others continued his work. They spread his ideas and influence across the country.
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The History of Fairsted
Fairsted is located at 99 Warren Street in Brookline. Olmsted bought the Clark homestead in 1883. This house was built in 1810. He wanted to be close to his friend and coworker, H. H. Richardson. Richardson's home and office were nearby.
Olmsted and his son, John Charles, worked on the house. They updated it and designed the gardens around it. They also moved the barn closer to the house. In 1903, they added a new office section to the main house.
Changes Over Time
The Olmsted family lived in the main house until 1936. Then, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. moved away. He rented out the house to other people. The offices of the Olmsted Brothers firm stayed in the new wing. However, their business slowed down during this time.
In the 1960s, members of the firm moved back into the house. They made many changes to the original gardens. The National Park Service bought the property in 1980. Since then, the grounds have been restored. They now look much like they did around 1930. This brings back Olmsted's original landscape designs.
What You Can See at the Site
The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site has several cool things to see. You can explore the restored "Fairsted" historic landscape. This means the gardens and outdoor areas look just like Olmsted designed them.
You can also visit the design office. It looks almost exactly as it did when the Olmsted firm was busiest. Inside the office, there are nearly 1,000,000 original design records. These records show details of many famous American landscapes.
Famous Designs
The Olmsted firm designed many important places. These include the grounds of the U. S. Capitol and the White House. They also worked on national parks like Great Smoky Mountains and Acadia National Parks. They even helped design Yosemite Valley.
One of their most famous projects is New York's Central Park. They also created entire park systems in cities. These cities include 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 Site
The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is open to everyone. The National Park Service offers guided tours. You can take a tour of the beautiful grounds. You can also see the historic office wing. It's a great way to learn about American landscape design!
