Last updated: May 3, 2024
Place
Cadwalader Park
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Frederick Law Olmsted visited Trenton, New Jersey in April of 1891 to view the proposed site for Cadwalader Park, determine if it was suitable and take the job, all of which he did. It would become Olmsted Sr.’s last great urban park. Olmsted’s plan for Cadwalader Park relied on the creation of long open views and rolling meadows that contrasted with the more densely planted edges of the park.
Design proceeded rapidly with John Charles Olmsted assisting with supervision of the park. The first changes at Cadwalader involved a looping carriage drive, pathways, and plantings. The mansion that had been on the property, the focal point of the design, was repurposed into a refectory. A vine covered terrace and concert grove complemented the refectory, providing outlooks to the lawn beyond.
Park progress continued to follow the broad outlines put in place by Olmsted’s plan, however, monuments and zoo enclosures were placed into the pastoral landscape against the firm’s recommendations. By 1892, political changes in Trenton resulted in decreased support for the parks, ending Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.’s work on Cadwalader Park.
For references and more resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Flickr
Olmsted Online
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Trenton
Design proceeded rapidly with John Charles Olmsted assisting with supervision of the park. The first changes at Cadwalader involved a looping carriage drive, pathways, and plantings. The mansion that had been on the property, the focal point of the design, was repurposed into a refectory. A vine covered terrace and concert grove complemented the refectory, providing outlooks to the lawn beyond.
Park progress continued to follow the broad outlines put in place by Olmsted’s plan, however, monuments and zoo enclosures were placed into the pastoral landscape against the firm’s recommendations. By 1892, political changes in Trenton resulted in decreased support for the parks, ending Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.’s work on Cadwalader Park.
For references and more resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Flickr
Olmsted Online
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Trenton