Last updated: May 3, 2024
Place
Blaine Memorial
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Location:
Augusta, ME
Significance:
Olmsted Designed Cemetery
After the Civil War, James Blaine served as Secretary of State under three United States Presidents and became a dominant figure in American politics. After his death and burial at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C., Blaine, and his wife, who were highly revered by the people of Maine, were reinterred at Blaine Memorial Park.
In 1920, Carl Rust Parker of Olmsted Brothers was asked to design the three-acre site situated just one mile from Blaine’s home, and was an area he and his wife enjoyed for strolling and meditation.
Parker, who instead of college began work at Olmsted Brothers in 1901, served as a draftsman, planting designer and construction supervisor. Though Parker would attempt to start his own firm in Maine around 1910, he would return after World War One in 1919. In 1950, Parker became a partner of Olmsted Brothers, where he remained until his retirement in 1961.
For Blaine Memorial, Parker’s plan included almost 2,800 plants in a horseshoe-shaped design with elms and two gravestones on the border. Parker also included a stone terrace overlooking the picturesque cemetery, accessible by granite steps going gently down the hillside. While many of the plantings have died, most of the design features remain.
For references and more resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Flickr
Olmsted Online
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
In 1920, Carl Rust Parker of Olmsted Brothers was asked to design the three-acre site situated just one mile from Blaine’s home, and was an area he and his wife enjoyed for strolling and meditation.
Parker, who instead of college began work at Olmsted Brothers in 1901, served as a draftsman, planting designer and construction supervisor. Though Parker would attempt to start his own firm in Maine around 1910, he would return after World War One in 1919. In 1950, Parker became a partner of Olmsted Brothers, where he remained until his retirement in 1961.
For Blaine Memorial, Parker’s plan included almost 2,800 plants in a horseshoe-shaped design with elms and two gravestones on the border. Parker also included a stone terrace overlooking the picturesque cemetery, accessible by granite steps going gently down the hillside. While many of the plantings have died, most of the design features remain.
For references and more resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Flickr
Olmsted Online
The Cultural Landscape Foundation