Olmsted Network

10/16/2026

In partnership with the Society of Architectural Historians, our partners at the Library of American Landscape History (LALH) are establishing a new grant program to support and promote scholarship related to the history of landscape design and planning in North America!

Open to scholars worldwide, the grants will support a broad range of projects including journal articles, book manuscripts, films, exhibitions, public lectures, and cultural landscape reports. Learn more at their website: https://ow.ly/WrHL50ZYrqG

10/15/2026

60 years ago today, the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law. This bipartisan law has given communities, Tribal Nations, local governments, and the public a voice before federally funded or permitted projects alter the places they love—from historic parks and parkways to communities, cemeteries, and sacred sites.

That voice is at risk. On November 9, the Senate is expected to vote on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, a bill that would rewrite the law and gut Section 106, the provision that gives the public a say. The public would learn about harm to historic places only after decisions are final.

The Olmsted Network has joined 800+ organizations in the 106 Strong coalition to oppose it. Watch the new short film to see what’s at stake, then tell your Senators to vote NO on S. 5653: https://ow.ly/b9fl50ZY6f2

10/14/2026

From the archives:

Nestled quietly along the bustling intersection of Elizabeth Avenue and West Grand in Rahway, NJ, is a small parcel of parkland rich in history. This four-acre haven, a fundamental property in the formation of the Rahway River Parkway, was once an integral part of the Wheatena Corporation’s grounds, marking the early days of the company’s relocation to Rahway and the establishment of the famed “Wheatenaville.”

Read more from Kathy Cevallos of the Friends of Rahway River Parkway: https://ow.ly/9H2r50ZXHPz

10/13/2026

Just 27 days remain until the Senate is expected to consider legislation that could significantly reshape Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Section 106 helps ensure that historic properties are considered when federal projects are planned and provides a process for consultation and public involvement. Proposed changes could affect how historic places are identified, how impacts are assessed, and how communities and preservation partners participate in decisions.

For the Olmsted Network, these protections matter to historic parks, parkways, and cultural landscapes that connect us to our shared heritage. We encourage our community to learn more and make their voices heard.

Read the latest update and find out how you can help protect Section 106: https://www.106strong.com/the-statutory-fight

Defeat Congressional Attacks on Historic Preservation The Senate plans to vote November 9 to kill the National Historic Preservation Act as we know it.For 60 years, Section 106 has made one simple promise: before the federal government harms a place that matters, it stops, looks, and listens. Most r...

10/09/2026

The Friends of Olmsted Beil House on Staten Island recently hosted a number of Olmsted Network partners for a special gathering at Frederick Law Olmsted’s Tosomock Farm. Members of the Central Park Conservancy, the Prospect Park Alliance, and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation gathered for a morning of exploration, connection, and shared learning.

We love to see our community learn from and inspire one another! Read more in our new blog: https://ow.ly/je1450ZWlMO

10/08/2026

The Olmsted firm was consulted for landscape work on nearly 150 public buildings over its history.

From the US Capitol to dozens of libraries, city halls, museums, and state capitals, learn more in this excerpt by historian Arleyn Levee from "The Master List of Design Projects of the Olmsted Firm 1857-1979": https://ow.ly/hsYE50ZVWYo

10/07/2026

Thank you to Sean Sawyer of The Olana Partnership for a fantastic presentation on Frederic Church's Olana!

If you missed yesterday's webinar, head to our YouTube channel for the complete recording, in addition to dozens of past events.

Watch now: https://ow.ly/YyyF50ZVsMF

10/06/2026

Couldn't join us for our 2026 Annual Conference last month? Watch the sessions on YouTube!

Head to our channel for a complete playlist of each panel from the 2-day conference, featuring park advocates, public officials, historians, and other leaders in design and preservation from around the country: https://www.youtube.com/

10/05/2026

Frederick Law Olmsted wasn’t Calvert Vaux’s only notable collaborator!

Frederic Church—the foremost American landscape artist of the 19th century—spent 40 years developing his personal estate, Olana, in Hudson, NY. He worked closely with Calvert Vaux on several aspects of the residence, notably the design of its eccentric hilltop villa. In honor of Church's bicentennial this year, learn more about the creation of Olana in our next free webinar tomorrow, October 6.

Register: https://ow.ly/Msbz50ZUtF0

10/03/2026

New this month on the :

Anderson Park (Job #02125) is a nearly 15-acre suburban oasis that opened in 1905 in Montclair, NJ. John Charles Olmsted oversaw the design of this landscape, an early addition to the pioneering Essex County Park System—the first countywide park system in the nation. The park’s curving pathways, wide meadow, and naturalistic design reflect many Olmstedian characteristics.

Charles W. Anderson, an insurance executive and prominent Montclair resident, donated the park site in 1903, and the park is named in his honor. Extensive labor transformed swampy ground into a meadow, playing fields, and pathways shaded by trees and bordered by shrub beds. A brook and railroad tracks make up the eastern boundary of this trapezoidal green space. The park was listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 2009.

Head to the Olmsted Trail to learn more about Forest Hills Gardens: https://ow.ly/TglY50ZTW4s