Andrew Jackson; Downing 
THE CHADWICK RESIDENCE, NEWBURGH, FORMERLY FINDLAY S 
or “devil’s dancing ground,” a place on the Hud¬ 
son about seven miles from Newburgh, being bis 
very first literary attempt. Following this be de¬ 
scribed Beacon Hill and made some contributions 
to a Boston journal including a discussion on 
novel reading and some historical papers. Many 
editions have been published on his “Treatise 
on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Garden¬ 
ing” which has ever since been a standard work on 
the subject. Others of his publications also ran to 
several editions. Downing aptly expresses the spirit 
in which these books were written during the course 
of a later essay in which he states, referring to them, 
“Angry volumes have we written none, but only 
peaceful books, humbly aiming to weave something 
more into the fair garland of the 
beautiful and useful, that encircles 
this excellent old earth.” 
In the year of 1850, Downing went 
to Europe, and visited many of the 
fine estates of England and France. 
His descriptions of some of these 
were written in the form of letters and 
published in the “Horticulturist” 
serially. He chose London as a field 
for the seeking of an assistant, and 
visiting an architectural society meet¬ 
ing one evening, made his wants 
known. He was introduced to a 
young architect by the name of Cal¬ 
vert Vaux, and so quickly were each 
of these men attracted to each other, 
that a contract was signed the follow¬ 
ing morning and within two weeks it 
is said they were at work together at 
Newburgh. Calvert Vaux became, 
after Downing’s death, a partner of 
the late Frederick Law Olmsted of 
Brookline, Massachusetts, and they 
were associated together in the laying 
out of Central Park in New York and 
Prospect Park in Brooklyn. 
While it is well known that there 
are many places existing to-day, 
particularly on the Hudson, which 
were laid out by Downing, it is very 
difficult to trace them. The period 
of sixty years back is beyond the 
recollection of most persons living 
to-day and it is a pity that no records 
of importance were ever kept. His 
most well-known work, however, was 
in connection with the Capitol 
grounds at Washington, the White 
House and the Smithsonian Institu¬ 
tion, for which he made plans in 1851. 
In one sense of the word it may be 
said that it was through his efforts 
and influence that the scheme for building a Central 
Park in New York City was inaugurated. His 
appeals for urban parks, made public in the “Horti¬ 
culturist,” had much to do with influencing the 
final decision in this matter. He wrote a strong 
article in that magazine in August, 1851, advis¬ 
ing, among other things, that the park in consider¬ 
ation be 500 acres in extent instead of 160 acres as 
suggested. 
Downing died in July, 1852. On his way to New¬ 
port on the steamer Henry Clay, while racing with 
the Amenia, the former took fire near Yonkers and 
much loss of life occurred. It is claimed Downing 
was drowned while attempting the rescue of some 
friends. His “Rural Essays” (first published in 
SHRUBBERY PLANTING ON THE CHADWICK ESTATE, NEWBURGH 
45 
