The Washington times., 1903-08-31
TRIBUTE TO OLHSTED
BY ARCHITECT WOODS
Great Work of Improving
Capitol Grounds.
BEAUTIFlED BY HIS GENIUS
Most Capable Landscape Gardener in
= United States-Lived Here Dur
ing Civil War.

Nashingtonians who hold in high es-
TEEN the public-spirited men who have
contributed to the adornment and per-
mSnent Identification of the National
Capital lament the death Of Frederick
Law Olmsted. the landscape architect
who designed the grounds of the Capt.
tol. A fine tribute has been paid his
work by Elliott Woods, architect OF the
Capitol who said:
Mr.. Olmsted's great ability is per-
manently shown in the grounds about
this building. The design of the west
I, trace originated with him, although
the carrying out of the work was under
the supervision Of the office of the Capt.
toll architect. He first came to Wash
ington in 1873, and regularly several
times year for fifteen years after that.
For all of that time Congress appropri-
ated about $40. 900 a year for improving
and maintaining the grounds. and the
astistic ability Of Mr.. Olmsted was given
a fine field for achieving permanent re-
suits.
Unsightly Grounds.
when he came to Washington the
Capitol grounds. smaller in extent than
a. present. were surrounded by an iron
fence, with gates, which were Locked
every night. AT the north and south ends
were buildings which were removed with
the progress of the work in order TO in
crease the size of the grounds. Mr..
Olmsted did away with the iron fence
and substituted the low stone coping
which surrounds the reservation
ITO the genius OF Mr.. olmsted may be
aseribed the beauty OF the grounds of
the present time. / have little doubt
that when he laid down his active work
several years ago he was the most capa-
bic landscape gardener in the United
States. on Italian gardens in particu-
lar there was no greater authority in the
country. Washington and the country
certainly have sustained great loss in
lis death.
Il shall never forget my first associa-
tion with Mr. Olmsted. when 1 came here
a boy to work in the office of the archi
tect Of the Capitol What struck me
most about the personality of the man
was his extreme tenderness Of heart. In
nlsDy instances gardeners who were
practically incapacitated by inirmities
o. age owed their livelihood TO Mr. Ohm
std, who always managed to find a
way to save them from suffering or
starvation. He was big-hearted and
generous
Secretary of Sanitary Commission.
While the civil war lasted. Mr.. Ohm
stead lived most of the time in this city.
Here he was the leading spirit on the
Commission of Inquiry Regarding the
Sanitary Conditions OF the Union
Forces" being elected the secretary OF
that famous sanitary commission, and
later he helped to organize the Southern
Feminine Relief Commission. still later
the New York State Charities Aid AS
soeiation. In 1895 he was in California,
snd became the first commissioner of
the National Park OF the Yosemite,
which began the work of saving to the
nation the great tracts now reserved
and protected. He received from Yale,
Harvard. and Amherst the degree OF
master OF arts, followed twenty years
later by the degree OF Ii. D. from Har-
ward and Yale.
Personally Mr.. Olmstead was a man
who had great charm Of manner, won
perhaps in his long career as traveller
and student OF nature. Into the great
polemic between the believers in for
NAL gardening and those who think ma
ture should be left as much as possible
10 herself he entered with no great
zest In his later years he had been IN
able 10 work, but the pleasing char
aeteristies Of the man remained long
after he had given up the practice of
the profession.