The Friends of Fairsted have announced the recipients of the 2026 Charles E. Beveridge Research Grant. The 2026 grant has been awarded Alexa Vaughn, ASLA, FAAR for her project Landscapes of Disability: Establishing a Field Through the (Re)consideration of Olmsted’s 19th-Century Institutional Landscapes. Her work explores the foundations of an emerging field of study, examining the intertwined histories of care and segregation of disabled people within institutional landscapes, alongside the development of landscape architecture as a profession in the nineteenth century. (Hear Alexa speak about accessibility in Olmsted landscapes in the Olmsted Network’s recent Conversations with Olmsted webinar: Designing Belonging—Inclusive Access in Public Landscapes.)
In addition, the Friends are pleased to recognize the strength of this year’s applicant pool with a special award to Charles Oropallo, PLA, ASLA for his project, Designing from the Source: Hydrological Thinking in the Olmsted Firm’s Work and Its Lessons for Changing Landscapes. His research investigates designed landscapes as dynamic hydrological systems shaped by their soils, drainage patterns, plant communities, and disturbance histories. It also considers how these insights can inform contemporary landscape practice and preservation.
The Charles E. Beveridge Research Grant honors the eminent scholar, Series Editor of The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted, and devoted friend of Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (Olmsted NHS) and its archives and collections. The Research Grant is intended to encourage the use of these archives and foster the continued development of Olmsted scholarship. The Friends are inspired by the depth and originality of this year’s proposals and are grateful for the opportunity to support research that continues to expand understanding of the Olmsted legacy and its relevance today.
