Last updated: June 7, 2024
Place
Masten Place
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
In April of 1887, Frederick Law Olmsted submitted his designs for several parks falling under Buffalo’s Board of Park Commissioners control. Included in those plans was the design for Masten Place, which would be constructed on what was then Potter’s Field, a burial ground for Buffalo’s lower class. Construction of Masten Place began in the Spring of 1887 and was substantially completed that same year.
Olmsted’s design for Masten Place called for winding diagonal walks ten feet in width crossing the site from its corners, leaving an open turf playground area at the center. During the construction process, the site required considerable regrading to make it suitable for park purposes. Characteristic of similar Olmsted parks, thick plantings screened the site from the bustle of street traffic.
In 1895 Masten Park became the focus of considerable local controversy when it was proposed as the site of a new high school. Despite strong opposition from Buffalo Park Commissioners, the school was built at the center of the plot. Although the new building destroyed its continued suitability as a public pleasure ground, the remainder of the site remained in the charge of the Park Board.
Source: "Masten Place," Olmsted Online
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
Olmsted’s design for Masten Place called for winding diagonal walks ten feet in width crossing the site from its corners, leaving an open turf playground area at the center. During the construction process, the site required considerable regrading to make it suitable for park purposes. Characteristic of similar Olmsted parks, thick plantings screened the site from the bustle of street traffic.
In 1895 Masten Park became the focus of considerable local controversy when it was proposed as the site of a new high school. Despite strong opposition from Buffalo Park Commissioners, the school was built at the center of the plot. Although the new building destroyed its continued suitability as a public pleasure ground, the remainder of the site remained in the charge of the Park Board.
Source: "Masten Place," Olmsted Online
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr