Last updated: June 8, 2024
Place
Newport Improvement Association
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
In August of 1913, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. submitted his report, Proposed Improvements to Newport, to the Newport Improvement Association. Thankfully, Olmsted Jr didn’t go into this project entirely alone, for he was able to build on the significant planning previously started by his father and brother.
While the firm of F.L. and J.C. Olmsted had already shaped the grounds for some of Newport’s wealthiest residents in the early 1880s, their most important projects in the area were development conglomerates, using large swaths of land for residential enclaves.
Olmsted Jr.’s design and plan for Newport was to enhance the existing setting and characteristics of the area. By emphasizing the natural assets of the area, and the borrowed views that are shaped by its topography, Olmsted Jr. was able to push for targeted designs for several other areas of Newport. Additionally, Olmsted Jr. felt the need to safeguard scenery found throughout the city, so he recommended building codes and street improvements that wouldn’t alter his design.
Source: "Newport City Plan," The Cultural Landscape Foundation
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
Olmsted Online
While the firm of F.L. and J.C. Olmsted had already shaped the grounds for some of Newport’s wealthiest residents in the early 1880s, their most important projects in the area were development conglomerates, using large swaths of land for residential enclaves.
Olmsted Jr.’s design and plan for Newport was to enhance the existing setting and characteristics of the area. By emphasizing the natural assets of the area, and the borrowed views that are shaped by its topography, Olmsted Jr. was able to push for targeted designs for several other areas of Newport. Additionally, Olmsted Jr. felt the need to safeguard scenery found throughout the city, so he recommended building codes and street improvements that wouldn’t alter his design.
Source: "Newport City Plan," The Cultural Landscape Foundation
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
Olmsted Online