From September 13-15, the Olmsted Network took to the Hudson River Valley for Landscapes of Renewal: Olmsted, Vaux and Downing. The three days included memorable lectures, community conversations, panels, tours and dinners and inspired over 130 people from around the globe, ranging from local community members and students to partners, supporters, scholars and the 2023 Beveridge Fellow, all the way from Paris! 

On Friday, September 13, we kicked off the weekend with an exclusive visit to Stonegate Farm and Frederic Church’s Olana. Limited to 20 people, this special pre-trip started in Newburgh’s Balmville where Stonegate owner and photographer Matthew Benson welcomed us to this National Historic Register site. After a tour of the greenhouse, gardens and orchard (with many fruit trees selected to mirror those grown by Andrew Jackson Downing), Benson and his partner Jill Rowe served a spectacular farm-to-table salad, pizza and basil sorbet.  

After lunch, it was off to Cedar Hill Cemetery to see Andrew Jackson Downing’s grave before heading to Olana State Historic Site near Hudson. There, The Olana Partnership President Sean Sawyer guided us through the landscape, explaining current initiatives, including ongoing protection of the sweeping views of the Hudson River Valley. Sawyer and Olana Partnership Director of Education & Public Programs Carolyn Keogh then offered insightful tours of Frederic Church’s unique home, designed in partnership with Calvert Vaux. We ended the day with Hudson Valley wine, Newburgh beer and charcuterie on the piazza at sunset.

Bright and early on Saturday, September 14, over 100 people gathered at Calvary Presbyterian Church— designed by Frederick Clarke Withers— in Newburgh to celebrate the unique history of the area and shine light on Newburgh’s treasured Downing Park. After a welcome by Olmsted Network President & CEO Dede Petri, Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey welcomed the crowd to the city and recognized the Olmsted Network, The Garden Club of Orange & Dutchess Counties and Downing Park Conservancy for their combined commitment to Downing Park. Mayor Harvey also helped recognize students, teachers and parents from Newburgh Free Academy— one of the recipients of our 2024 Caroline Loughlin Volunteer Service Award. Alongside The Garden Club of Orange & Dutchess Counties, NFA-West students have worked hard to revitalize Downing Park through the Root for Trees! program. A video, created pro bono by Brian McDonnell of Timeline Productions, highlighted their efforts and experiences.

  • Frank Kowsky
  • Sara Zewde
  • Marjorie Greville, Lucy Lawliss, Duane Martinez and Morgan Monaco
  • Pamela Breeman, Brad Taylor, Rosamond Fletcher and Virginia Kasinki
  • Mary McTamaney, Kathy Lawrence and Karen Eberle-McCarthy
  • Newburgh Environmental Justice Students with panelist Kathy Lawrence of Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy

First on the conference docket was a fascinating introduction to landscape history by author and scholar Francis (Frank) Kowsky who presented: “Memory Belongs to the Friends who Loved Him; His Fame to the Country which Honors and Laments Him” — Olmsted, Vaux and Newburgh’s Downing Park. Landscape architect Sara Zewde followed with Finding Frederick Law Olmsted in Cotton’s Kingdom. After a Skinner Organ concert from Vassar College Organist Gail Archer, our focus turned to ways to renew parks and revitalize cities with Olmsted Network Board Member Marjorie Greville, landscape historian Lucy Lawliss, Prospect Park Alliance President Morgan Monaco and Scenic Hudson Director Duane Martinez. During lunch, local conservancy leaders Karen Eberle-McCarthy and Kathy Lawrence joined Newburgh Historian Mary McTamaney for a community conversation about the opportunities and challenges surrounding Downing Park. Environmental Justice Fellows also addressed the crowd.

The day concluded with a memorable trip to Downing Park. Designed by Olmsted, Vaux and their sons in memory of Newburgh native Andrew Jackson Downing, the park has seen a resurgence of interest since Olmsted’s bicentennial celebration in 2022. There, attendees examined the park’s opportunities and challenges and took pictures with our 7-foot-tall Big Head Fred mascot at The Polly.  

After a long day, guests were able to relax aboard the Pride of the Hudson. Cruising through the majestic Hudson Highlands at sunset, guests enjoyed an Italian buffet, wine and beer, great company and magnificent views.  

Sunday, September 15 was the final day of our conference, with a day of lectures at Vassar College and tours of the campus and other sites in Poughkeepsie.  

  • Morning reception in Vassar’s Jade Room, Tyler Hall
  • Yvonne Elet
  • Paris Roselli, Jennifer L. Thomas, Robert Kirkbride and Yvonne Laube
  • Elizabeth Bradley, Susan Marino, Dr. Howard Frumkin and Dr. Hank Schwartz

After breakfast in the Jade Room of Vassar’s Taylor Hall, college President Elizabeth Bradley welcomed us to campus and teed up the morning’s keynote by Professor Yvonne Elet on the campus’ Olmsted connections. Next, we discussed preservation and mental health with panelists Paris Roselli of Richardson Olmsted Campus, professor Robert Kirkbride of Parsons School of Design and PreservationWorks, Professor Jennifer Thomas of Virginia Tech and Yvonne Laube of the Poughkeepsie Historic Preservation Commission.  

Our final panel highlighted park inclusivity and equity with President Bradley, Professor Susan Masino of Trinity College, Dr. Harold “Hank” Schwartz of the Institute of Living and Dr. Howard Frumkin of Trust for Public Land.  A box lunch was served on the Campus green, with time for visits to the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center and Sculpture Garden and the A. Scott Warthin Jr. Museum of Geology and Natural History. At the museum, attendees had the opportunity to see four remarkable Gritten paintings of Matthew Vassar’s landscape— reunited for the first time for our conference.

Afternoon tours took us to three exciting venues: first, the Vassar campus and the Edith Roberts Ecological Laboratory with Professor Elet and Margaret Ronsheim. Others saw nearby Hudson River State Hospital with Yvonne Laube and Springside National Historic Landmark with guides Harvey Flad and John Mylod.

The conference concluded with a celebration of the 2024 award winners who are championing Olmsted principles and works across the country:  

  • 2024 Olmsted Stewardship Award. To Christian Zimmerman of Prospect Park for his long-time efforts to restore Prospect Park and his generous support of Olmsted stewards across the country  
  • 2024 Caroline Loughlin Volunteer Service Award. To The Garden Club of Orange & Dutchess Counties and Newburgh Free Academy- West for their participation in the Root for Trees! initiative in Newburgh’s Downing Park. We also recognized Downing Park Art Contest winner, Daniela, a sophomore at the school.  
  • The 2024 President’s Award. To JoAnn Beck, chair of the Highland Park Conservancy in Rochester, who has been instrumental in the success of the organization and spearheaded the campaign to restore the Children’s Pavilion in the park.   
  • 2024 Certificates of Appreciation: To Mary Page Michel, Roland Park Foundation, for spearheading the creation of a new Hillside Park in Baltimore City; and Henry Hester, Friends of Keney Park in Hartford, CT, for promoting education about Olmsted and youth participation in Olmsted’s Keney park.  

You can watch the awards presentation here.  

Recordings of the keynote presentations, community conversation and panel discussions can be viewed on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaFy3DAjq6qem67cEXE_ATzdQ1Bv3uMQw&si=DUor434t8lE5T5sk 

Find photos from our conference on Flickr here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/naolmstedparks/albums