Frederick Law Olmsted

Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903). To celebrate Frederick Law Olmsted’s 204th birthday weekend, the Amherst Historical Society welcomes Mark Roessler, recent author of “Fairsted, Reflections on how Olmsted helped heal a fractured democracy,” published by Levellers Press. Roessler’s History Bite lecture will provide a brief overview of Olmsted’s work in Amherst and a video tour inside Olmsted’s home and office in Brookline, MA. He will conclude with the story of how Olmsted quit Central Park, vowing never to return to park design, and the journey he and his family went on that changed his mind. In the last 30 years of his life, Olmsted helped design over 40 public parks across America and Canada. Some see this as the evolution of a successful career in landscape architecture. Author Mark Roessler views Olmsted as propelled by an artistic vision. He had a radically compassionate plan to heal the nation and improve it by turning democratic principles into tangible destinations. Amidst forests, lakes, and meadows, Olmsted hoped to provide an antidote to modern living and a common ground where democracy could flourish. He and his firm were so successful, their contributions are now seen as integral and often taken for granted.