Project Details Page

synopsis

Built in the 1930s, the Powell landscape was one of the last projects the Olmsted Brothers designed in Washington State. The scheme combined pastoral and formal elements in grounds of a large city residence in Spokane. Olmsted firm partner J.F. Dawson played an extensive role in both the siting and architectural design of the house, and landscape integration and organization in relation to it.

Built in the 1930s, the Powell landscape was one of the last projects the Olmsted Brothers designed in Washington State. The scheme combined pastoral and formal elements in grounds of a large city residence in Spokane. Olmsted firm partner J.F. Dawson played an extensive role in both the siting and architectural design of the house, and landscape integration and organization in relation to it. Both house and landscape plans were constructed.

On November 12, 1934 in the depths of the Great Depression, J.F. Dawson wrote his colleague Whiting about a prospective job, “Imagine we won’t get much out of it but then it might help out a little.” The project instead blossomed over the next two years into one of Olmsted Brothers’ most extensive Pacific Northwest residential designs. Both the grand Colonial house and Dawson’s landscape were built and still exist in Spokane’s Cliff Park neighborhood.

Olmsted Brothers passionately believed in sensitively integrating structures with their settings, rather than treating the landscape as a decorative accessory. For the Powells, they first provided advice on the house’s siting, floorplan and exterior appearance before architect Ernest V. Price began developing plans, “so that the architect would have something to work on.” Dawson admonished his client, “I hope your architect won’t change the style of the house much as we have given it a lot of study in trying to have it charming and well proportioned.”

Grading, preliminary and planting plans followed, as well as construction details, sections, perspective sketches and designs for ornamental garden features. These included a rock garden with planted walls, a cutting garden, garden court with a stone table, a stone cistern, garden seat and walls, Colonial and rustic fences, gate posts, a shelter, and trellises for vines against the house. The semicircular approach drive, a garden pool and peripheral plantings were laid out in graceful curves typically employed by the Olmsted firm.

The Powells’ urban property was bounded by streets and Dawson followed suit by using a structured approach to organize the landscape. “I thought it would be attractive to have an open lawn area north of the house…bordered on three sides by a raised walk along which borders of flowers could be planted.” Full length flagstone terraces bordered the house. “on the same level as the surrounding walks…in order to harmoniously marry the house into the grounds.” A wide grass allee ran from the house to a “small Colonial shelter…partially enclosed by hedges in order to create seculsion and another feature of interest.”

Opposite this allee Dawson recommended that “where the ground rises more rapidly and consists mostly of ledges that we could work in an informal so-called Alpine Garden and have it very interesting by the arrangement of ledges and boulders and the use of many rock plants. The planting plan adds a long oval pool at the foot of this slope, with boulders rising on the far side.

Plantings were rich and varied. The palette included flowering, fruit, shade and evergreen trees, retained native pines, structural evergreens and flowering shrubs, spring- and summer flowering perennials, rock garden species, climbing roses and many types of vines. Although himself a skilled plantsman, Dawson had Spokane Park Superintendent John Duncan advise him about species best adapted to local growing conditions.

W.W. Powell was in the lumber business. Dawson and his Spokane-native wife Hazel knew “Billy” and wife Helen well and their communications reflect an especially cordial and mutually supportive attitude. Dawson hand-picked and sent supervisor Adam McLeod from New Jersey to oversee project implementation. The Powell landscape was one of the firm’s last in the Pacific Northwest. Dawson died five years later.

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