The U.S. Capitol Grounds features a collection of more than 4,800 trees throughout the entire 274-acre Capitol complex. Some of the oldest and most majestic trees were planted during the tenure of Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. in the 56-acre area directly surrounding the Capitol building known as Capitol Square.
Olmsted’s 1874 General Plan for the U.S. Capitol Grounds sought to create a setting to accentuate the monumentality of the Capitol Building. In addition to the numerous site furnishings and infrastructure changes, the Olmsted expansion project incorporated the careful selection and placement of more than 1,050 trees over a 20-year period. While the majority of the trees planted during the Olmsted period have succumbed to natural life cycles, pest, diseases or environmental stressors, approximately 45 of Olmsted’s trees remain today, having endured more than a century of urban life on the front stage of American democracy.
Preservation of historic living assets is central to the mission of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) and a key component of the work that is carried out by the AOC’s Capitol Grounds and Arboretum staff. Many of these trees have their own unique stories within the landscape and have been witness to many events over the last 130 years. Each tree has its own unique features and preservation challenges, and our arborists employ industry best management practices to ensure these trees are given the very best care to remain safely in the landscape for current and future generations to enjoy.
As remnants of Olmsted’s legacy live on, the remaining original trees represent his preference for plant material with varied texture, worm, leaf color, shape and tone, that could provide contrast to the open ground plane when planted at various heights in mass.
This blog was republished with permission from the Architect of the Capitol. It originally appeared at aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/blog/original-olmsted-trees.
