Frederick Law Olmsted Biography

Frederick Law Olmsted was an American landscape architect, often regarded as father of American landscape architecture for his role in the designing of many well-known urban parks including Prospect Park and Central Park in New York City, as well as Elm Park in Worcester, Massachusetts. He also played a major part in the designing and building of the country's first and oldest coordinated system of public parks and parkways, and America’s oldest state park, Niagara Reservation in Niagara Falls, New York. Born as the son of a wealthy merchant, he developed an early interest in nature and grew up to be a creative young man. A hard working student, he was almost ready to enter Yale College for his higher studies, but had to ditch his plans because of a medical condition. Unable to establish himself in any particular career for years, he worked as a clerk, a sailor in the China trade, and a farmer before finally making a name for himself as a journalist. His career as a journalist brought him into contact with Andrew Jackson Downing, a prominent landscape architect, and the English-born architect Calvert Vaux. Soon Olmstead too ventured into landscape architecture and formed a successful collaboration with Vaux which lasted for many years; during this time the men designed several major public parks which earned them much acclaim and recognition.