Last updated: June 11, 2024
Place
Point Lobos
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Location:
Point Lobos, CA
Significance:
Olmsted Designed Park
MANAGED BY:
In 1920, real estate developer Duncan McDuffie, who had already hired Olmsted Brothers to design his estate in Berkeley, again reached out to the landscape architecture firm. McDuffie was a member of the Save the Redwoods League and hired Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. to research Point Lobos and report on the most noteworthy areas that needed to be preserved.
On his first visit, Olmsted Jr. was struck by how unique the landscape was. Olmsted Jr. noted the outstanding nature at Point Lobos and agreed to assist in the creation of a state park by providing analytical surveys and site plans.
Directing the study and visiting Point Lobos frequently during the two years he spent on the effort, Olmsted Jr. described the area as “the most outstanding example on the coast of California of picturesque rock and surf scenery in combination with unique vegetation”. In 1933, the State of California, with assistance from the Save the Redwoods League, purchased 348 acres at Point Lobos.
Source: "Designing the American Landscape," The Maritime Heritage Project
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
On his first visit, Olmsted Jr. was struck by how unique the landscape was. Olmsted Jr. noted the outstanding nature at Point Lobos and agreed to assist in the creation of a state park by providing analytical surveys and site plans.
Directing the study and visiting Point Lobos frequently during the two years he spent on the effort, Olmsted Jr. described the area as “the most outstanding example on the coast of California of picturesque rock and surf scenery in combination with unique vegetation”. In 1933, the State of California, with assistance from the Save the Redwoods League, purchased 348 acres at Point Lobos.
Source: "Designing the American Landscape," The Maritime Heritage Project
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr