Project Details Page

synopsis

At the urging of his friend Henry Hobson Richardson, pioneer of American architecture and former neighbor on Staten Island, Frederick Law Olmsted moved from New York City to Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1883, Olmsted bought a foursquare style house on a rustic 1.75 acres of land and called the site Fairsted.

At the urging of his friend Henry Hobson Richardson, pioneer of American architecture and former neighbor on Staten Island, Frederick Law Olmsted moved from New York City to Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1883, Olmsted bought a foursquare style house on a rustic 1.75 acres of land and called the site Fairsted. Ultimately becoming the family’s main residence and the firm's principal office, Frederick Law Olmsted and his son, John Charles Olmsted, made several design changes to the property. To accommodate the growing practice, additions were built onto the house in the late 1880s. Some of the more haphazard additions were later removed during a restoration effort.

An open lawn adjacent to the house, provided a point of contrast to the dense plantings along the perimeter of the grounds. Vines and evergreen shrubs covered the facade of the house creating a sense of wildness.

The house and property became a National Historic Site in 1979. Today it houses the Olmsted Archives, a collection of over 1,000,000 original letters, plans, and drawings.

For additional plans for the house and property see job 00020.

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