Gray Gardens
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Gray Gardens
Cambridge, Massachusetts
United States

This Cambridge, Massachusetts neighborhood is an example of residential subdivisions that became the firm’s primary focus during the 1920s. 

About Gray Gardens

Designed by Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects in 1922, Gray Gardens is a residential neighborhood comprising two streets, Gray Gardens East and Gray Gardens West, on either side of Garden Street. The project is an example of residential subdivisions that became the firm’s primary focus during the 1920s.

In Gray Gardens, the firm worked with the topography, preserving existing landscape features and incorporating small park spaces. The layout and design reflect patterns of single-family suburbanization that were widespread in the early twentieth century and popularized through the Garden City movement.

Gray Gardens continues to be a very desirable neighborhood nestled within a mature landscape. Walking along these streets is the best way to experience the subtle but impactful design elements that the Olmsted firm used to create a suburban enclave amid an urbanized area.

Gray Gardens was listed on the National Register for Historic Places for the architectural significance of the homes designed in the Georgian Revival style. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the contributions of the Olmsted firm in the layout and design of the streets, sidewalks and landscaping.

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Jackson Park

Built in 1871, the Jackson Park landscape today—including lagoons, historic bridges, winding paths and the Wooded Island—still reflects Olmsted’s early vision. 

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