Project Details Page

synopsis

The Hartford Retreat for the Insane was the first of several insane asylums Frederick Law Olmsted would design during his career. In 1860, with his partner Calvert Vaux, Olmsted created a plan to transform the grounds of the hospital into an open and pleasant meadow where patients could spend time outdoors.

The Hartford Retreat for the Insane was the first of several insane asylums Frederick Law Olmsted would design during his career. In 1860, with his partner Calvert Vaux, Olmsted created a plan to transform the grounds of the hospital into an open and pleasant meadow where patients could spend time outdoors. The design to improve the 37 acres, drain the fields, and create a space for recreation activities received ample support and was adopted without alteration, however it was not implemented until funding was secured at which point Olmsted was Executive Director for the United States Sanitary Commission an assignment he took on during the Civil War. Jacob Weidenmann, who often collaborated with Olmsted, was hired as Superintendent to execute the Olmsted & Vaux plan and the grounds opened to the public in 1863.

Today, the grounds are part of the Hartford Hospital campus and continue to provide a significant open space around the institution.

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