Connecticut History: Frederick Olmsted's Influence on Our Landscape

Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture and founder of one of the nation’s most influential landscape architecture firms, was born in Hartford in 1822. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth, the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office and Preservation Connecticut commissioned a study of the Olmsted heritage in the state, encompassing works by Frederick Law Olmsted as well as his sons who continued the firm after his death. Christopher Wigren of Preservation Connecticut will describe how Olmsted’s achievements were shaped by his Connecticut upbringing, present some of the Olmsted firm’s landscape works in the state and discuss how historic landscapes contribute to the quality of modern-day life. 

Christopher Wigren is deputy director of Preservation Connecticut, the statewide nonprofit organization that preserves, protects, and promotes the buildings, sites, and landscapes that contribute to the identity and vitality of Connecticut communities. He is the author of Connecticut Architecture: Stories of 100 Places and recently coordinated a project with the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office to document the heritage and works of the Olmsted landscape architecture firm in Connecticut.

Photo credit: National Park Service Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site