Last updated: June 5, 2024
Place
Elk Rock
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Location:
Portland, OR
Significance:
Olmsted Designed Estate
MANAGED BY:
Privately Owned
In December 1909, Scottish immigrant and entrepreneur Peter Kerr hired Olmsted Brothers to landscape the grounds of his estate. As with many Pacific Northwest designs, John Charles Olmsted was tasked with working on the estate, laying out roads and pedestrian paths, as well as choosing an orientation for the house to provide the best views of Mount Hood.
From 1916 to 1919, John Charles and Kerr, an avid amateur gardener, began planting a sprawling hillside garden, utilizing intertwining paths and streams to give off a wild essence, though it was highly manicured. While John Charles ended work in 1919, Kerr spent another thirty-eight years planning and maintaining his garden.
Source: "Elk Rock Garden at the Bishop's Close," The Cultural Landscape Foundation
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
From 1916 to 1919, John Charles and Kerr, an avid amateur gardener, began planting a sprawling hillside garden, utilizing intertwining paths and streams to give off a wild essence, though it was highly manicured. While John Charles ended work in 1919, Kerr spent another thirty-eight years planning and maintaining his garden.
Source: "Elk Rock Garden at the Bishop's Close," The Cultural Landscape Foundation
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr