Chris Wigren, Preservation Connecticut
Jenny Scofield, State Historic Preservation Office
Join us on Wednesday, June 9th, to hear about the newest survey happening for historic resources- Olmsted-designed landscapes in Connecticut! One of Connecticut’s most famous citizens, Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. was the father of American landscape architecture and the founder of a firm that was a national leader in the profession for more than a century. Connecticut played an influential role in this history, as the place of Olmsted’s birth, early inspiration, education, societal network, and burial; and the state accounts for nearly 300 of the Olmsted firm’s commissions. Yet despite Connecticut’s importance to the Olmsted legacy, and the huge amount of information available about Olmsted and his firm, there is little specifically about the state’s place in Olmsted heritage. The project will result in two items; a statewide historical context for the Olmsted firm that directly addresses Connecticut’s contributions to Olmsted Sr., the firm, and the development of landscape architecture and a more complete record of what historic Olmsted landscapes remain in Connecticut and to what extent they remain intact. Jenny and Chris will talk about this survey, jointly administered by Preservation Connecticut and the State Historic Preservation Office.