Agnostik
National Historic Site · MA

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) is 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. During the next century, his sons and successors perpetuated Olmsted's design ideals, philosophy, and influence.

nps.gov ↗

Photos

Fairsted
Fairsted, the home and office of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.
Dark wood box with four shallow drawers on large wooden table with blueprint
A box of colored pencils and a draftsmen's handbook sit on a table in the drafting room. These materials reflect the period during which Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. was the senior partner in the Brookline, MA landscape architecture firm.
A shaded bench and plants in a sunken garden surrounded by bushes
Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Hollow on his Brookline, MA property to be a peaceful, picturesque sunken garden.
Wicker chairs around table in room with rock covered wall with views outside
Fairsted's Plant Room was the Olmsted family's favorite room in the house. With the rock walls and large windows to view the South Lawn, it was the perfect mix of interior and exterior.
Large flat grassy area with one tree in middle, other on sides, next to large house
Fairsted's South Lawn served as an apple orchard for the previous owners, but the Olmsted's turned it into a sprawling open lawn where they hosted gatherings.
Many pieces of paper wrapped around wooden rods stacked on top of each other
The Vault at Fairsted houses over one million pieces of paper, dating from Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.'s time to 1979, when the firm closed.
Large room with wooden tables and stools
The Drafting Department housed the most office employees, with drafting being a crucial stage in a landscape design project.
Room with wooded drawers along all the walls
In nearly one hundred years of active practice, the Olmsted office would produce sixty thousand images, all stored in wooden boxes along the walls

Activities

  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Museum Exhibits
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store