Last updated: June 6, 2024
Place
Hinckley School
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Work on the Hinckley School in Maine was first begun by Charles Rust Parker in 1914, when the school hired him for a campus extension. Parker began his career with Olmsted Brothers after graduating from Phillips Andover Academy in 1901. Parker stayed with Olmsted Brothers, learning everything he could until 1910, at which point he left Brookline to open his own practice in Portland, Maine.
Wanting a home-like campus, Parker implemented a curvilinear road system, stone entrance gates, an artificial pond, and outdoor athletic fields. He also chose the location for new dorms, a dining hall, gymnasium, and the school’s administrative building. Parker also wove paths through woods and meadows, and spaced-out stone monuments across the campus, many of whom were leaders in the outdoor movement.
During WWI, Parker closed his practice, choosing to lend his talents to the United States government. In 1919, he returned home to Maine, but this time as an employee for Olmsted Brothers. The Hinckley School reached out to Olmsted Brothers in 1926, and with his extensive knowledge of the site, Parker led the design, working until 1928.
Source: "Good Will- Hinckley," The Cultural Landscape Foundation
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
Wanting a home-like campus, Parker implemented a curvilinear road system, stone entrance gates, an artificial pond, and outdoor athletic fields. He also chose the location for new dorms, a dining hall, gymnasium, and the school’s administrative building. Parker also wove paths through woods and meadows, and spaced-out stone monuments across the campus, many of whom were leaders in the outdoor movement.
During WWI, Parker closed his practice, choosing to lend his talents to the United States government. In 1919, he returned home to Maine, but this time as an employee for Olmsted Brothers. The Hinckley School reached out to Olmsted Brothers in 1926, and with his extensive knowledge of the site, Parker led the design, working until 1928.
Source: "Good Will- Hinckley," The Cultural Landscape Foundation
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr