Category: Field Notes

Field Notes

Instructions to Draftsmen 

Created by the Olmsted Brothers firm in 1932, this newly digitized booklet served as a formalized guide for the office’s graphic standards.
Field Notes

Olmsted’s First Walk in a Public Park

Nearly 175 years ago, Frederick Law Olmsted’s passion for parks as democratic spaces was ignited by a trip to Birkenhead Park in England.
Field Notes

Act Now: Stand with Fairsted 

The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site—known as Fairsted—faces budget and staff reductions. 
Field Notes

Revitalizing Portland’s Olmsted Parks

In this Q&A, Suzanne Bishop explains how a passionate group of advocates are pushing for a new parks funding model in Oregon’s largest city.
Field Notes

Apply Now: 2025 PGMS Green Star Awards

Honor your Olmsted-influenced landscape by applying for the Professional Grounds Management Society's Olmsted Award category by June 15, 2025.
Field Notes

New Scenic Overlook Coming to Cherokee Park

Olmsted Parks Conservancy announces investment of more than $300,000 in Chauffeur’s Rest section of Cherokee Park.
Field Notes

Preserving Hudson River State Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY

A site of national significance, this remarkable Kirkbride hospital and its grounds— designed by Olmsted and Vaux— are currently at risk.
Field Notes

New Research Grant Opportunity: Call for Entries

The 2025 Charles E. Beveridge Research Grant supports research and projects highlighting the Olmsted firm’s legacy utilizing the Olmsted Archives at Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.
Field Notes

Riverside Park Conservancy launches “More Trees, Less Trash”

Experts Margaret Bracken and John Herrold answer questions about the Conservancy’s latest tree initiative.
Field Notes

The Olmsted Society marks Riverside’s 150th Anniversary 

The Olmsted Society celebrates Riverside’s 150th anniversary with a new logo and a renewed commitment to Stewardship, Education and Community Engagement.
Field Notes

Fires Threaten Olmsted & Vaux’s Prospect Park 

As drought conditions grip New York City, Prospect Park Alliance contends with the recent blazes in Brooklyn’s Backyard.
Field Notes

Evolving Landscapes: Author Interview 

In his new book, Design Through Time, author Mark Hough explores how landscapes evolve through generations of stewardship.
Field Notes

Beloved Olmsted scholar’s library finds a new home 

Tony Horwitz’s collection of Olmsted books was recently donated to the University of Virginia’s Center for Cultural Landscapes.
Field Notes

Battered, Biltmore Rises 

As the Asheville, NC, region struggles to recover from the unparalleled devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, America’s largest home offers its neighbors aid.
Field Notes

Olmsted Legacy Shines at ASLA & PGMS Conferences 

Last month, the Olmsted Network attended not one but two partner conferences.