Historic Structure Report, Volumes I-III: Fairsted

Carden, Marie; Gilmore, Andrea

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. This report was written to fulfill the requirements for an Historic Structures Report on the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site consistent with the General Management Plan, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, 1983 and amended in 1987. Its purpose is to provide specific information concerning the physical history of the structures on the site, to record their existing conditions and make recommendations for their preservation/restoration in accordance with a four-year program, established in 1985. The Historic Structure Report was written with the objectives of investigating, documenting and interpreting the construction and alterations of the various structures at Fairsted from 1883 to the present. The Historic Structure Report is divided into three volumes, the first comprised of brief historical background material, and the section on the house; the second volume contains solely the reports on the offices; and the third volume consists primarily of the reports on the barn, shed and fences. The first volume was written by Marie Carden, the second by Andrea Gilmore and the third by both authors. Archival numbers are included for drawings and plans illustrating Volume I because of a new system established at Frederick Law Olmsted N.H.S. in 1989-90. This document is a draft version of the 1998 Historic Structure Report, Volumes I-III: Fairsted.

Historic Structure Report, Volumes I-III: Fairsted

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