86 Frederick Law Olmsted 



contamination. Thus, with a few strokes and at small ex- 

 pense he transformed the place from a very dirty, disagree- 

 able farmyard to a gentleman's house. This was his first 

 attempt at anything of the sort, and it was as successful as 

 anything he ever did." 



Mr. Kingsbury preserved a letter which his friend wrote 

 him in the fall of 1848, pursuing the subject of landscape 

 surroundings : 



I am glad you are disposed to notice such things as Har- 

 ral's house so much. The effect such things have on the 

 taste of a community, — and through that on their hearts and 

 lives — the elevation, — I believe is very much underestimated. 



I do exceedingly enjoy the view from my house, some- 

 times it is "wondrous beautiful"; just now for instance in 

 this charming sleepy autumn haze, I cannot attempt to 

 describe it, constantly changing, always renewedly interest- 

 ing. I can tell you a few features always present. The water 

 view extends over just half the circle. From the immediate 

 opposite front, to the left of the arc, it is bounded by the 

 horizon, — dark blue ocean, with forever distant sails coming 

 up or sinking as they bid good-bye to America. Then all 

 over that quarter at all distances are all sorts of vessels — at 

 anchor or under sail — and in all variety constantly shifting. 

 On the extreme right, across the water (Raritan Bay), the 

 horizon is broken by the hills of Jersey some twelve miles off, 

 I suppose. They sweep off gradually growing into something 

 like mountains as they curve round facing us; yet to the 

 front, suddenly and abruptly they end in a precipitous cliff 

 similar to their relations, the Palisades of N. River. This is 

 the Highland of Navesink, and we can just discern a cluster 

 of white towers upon its brink, the fixed and revolving lights 

 and the Telegraph Station. 



A little beyond it (on the circle's edge) you imagine the 

 horizon is half broken by a long yellowish white streak. It 

 is the sand and spray or foam of Sandy Hook, and the three 

 singularly distinct sails are nothing but its three white light- 



