Olmsted Firm in D.C.

U.S. Capitol

Olmsted Archives

Beginning with Frederick Law Olmsted's plan for the U.S. Capitol grounds and the expansion of DC streets, the Olmsted Firm has shaped the public landscape of the District of Columbia. This work ranges from city planning to detailed design for site features. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. served on the McMillan Commission, later the Fine Arts Commission, and was the major contributor to their recommendations for improvements to the DC park system. Over time, this led to 75 individual job numbers, many of which – such as the Fine Arts Commission – include several individual design projects. In some cases, key projects started by Frederick Law Olmsted were continued by his sons and successors. For those wishing to visit Olmsted-designed landscapes in D.C., a sample is listed below.

Selected Projects

City and Regional Planning
District of Columbia Street System

Public Parks and Monuments
National Zoo
The Mall
Rock Creek Park
Union Square & Grant Monument
McMillan Park
Washington Rose Garden, Potomac Park
FDR Memorial (proposed)
Washington Monument Grounds
Fine Arts Commission (White House, Roosevelt Island, Jefferson Memorial, and others)

Grounds of Public Buildings
U.S. Capitol Grounds
U.S. Bureau of Standards 

Academic Campuses
American University
Catholic University
Trinity College
Saint Joseph's Seminary
Gallaudet College
Industrial Home School

Religious Properties
Washington Cathedral
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Residential Communties
Chevy Chase Land Company

Institutional Grounds
St. Elizabeth's Hospital