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| A Short
Biography |
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Olmsted was
born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1822. Between 1837 and 1857, Olmsted performed a variety
of jobs: he was a clerk, a sailor in the China trade, and a farmer, as well as many other
professions. He moved to New York in 1848 and in 1857, without having ever had any college
education, Olmsted became the superintendent of New York's Central Park
As the superintendent of the park he served as the administrator and then
architect-in-chief of Central Park's construction. Next, he served as the administrative
head of the US Sanitary Commission, which was the forerunner of the American Red Cross.
Finally his last job, before forming his own firm, was that of the manager of the vast
Mariposa gold mining estate in California.
In addition to designing for urban life, Olmsted was anxious to preserve areas of natural
beauty for future public enjoyment. He served as the first head of the commission in
charge of preserving Yosemite Valley and was a leader in establishing the Niagara
Reservation, which he planned with Calvert Vaux, in 1887.
Between 1872 and 1895, when he retired, Olmsted's firm carried out 550 projects. These
projects included college campuses, the grounds to the US Capitol, and residential
communities.
In late 1895 he suffered a mental breakdown and spent his remaining years resting in an
Asylum in Waverly Massachusetts. In August 1903 he died.
It was not until 20 years later did people begin to realize the impact and grandness of
Olmsted's work, and the vast wonders that he had left the world. |
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1820s and 1830s 
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1840s 
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1850s 
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1860s
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1870s
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1880s 
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1890s and 1900s 
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