About McMillan Park
Alternate name(s): McMillan Park Reservoir Sand Filtration Site
In collaboration with Charles Platt, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. drew plans for McMillan Park in 1907. A result of the McMillan Plan and City Beautification Movement, the 92-acre plot was built as a water treatment plant using a sand filtration system. Approximately 25 acres of the unique landscape were selected to serve as a leisure park. Overlooking the Washington City Reservoir (see plan 02840-12), Olmsted Jr. designed a curved driveway and several walking paths to wind through the park’s silos and underground cisterns. The southern end of the park consisted of a large recreation field, featuring a fountain sculpted by Henry Adams (see plan 02840-42). McMillan Park is presently at risk from a proposed redevelopment project.