Frederick Law Olmsted and His Work 
At the west or southwest of the Playstead, 
covering a harren ledge, is “The Overlook,” 
a huge structure that serves as a shelter 
and furnishes dressing rooms, lavatories and 
other facilities for players. Its main storey 
is huilt of houlders from the Playstead and 
its architecture is such that it harmonizes 
perfectly with its natural and picturesque 
surroundings. Mr. Olmsted outlined for the 
architects its plan and appearance, and his 
suggestions were successfully followed. 
In striking contrast with the Playstead 
and the Overlook is the third division of 
the design,—d he Refectory. For this divi¬ 
sion the hill (El. i66 ft.) at the eastern side 
of the ground near Blue Hdl Avenue was 
used. The huilding erected was to furnish 
the principal place in the park for refresh¬ 
ments, which, weather permitting, were to 
he served out-of-doors under a large vine- 
clad trellis. Here we come to partial fail¬ 
ure, both as to the character of the building and its 
use. As to the character of the building, Mr. Olm¬ 
sted had in mind one of stone resembling the simple 
antecedent types out of which Moorish architecture 
has been developed. He speaks in his correspon¬ 
dence of having visited such houses in Eastern 
Mexico. In plan and in its main conceptions the 
building is perhaps not radically unlike what Mr. 
Olmsted proposed, and yet one cannot look upon 
this great structure of yellow brick and terra-cotta, 
conspicuous beyond excuse, and altogether inhar¬ 
monious with its environment, without realizing how 
PATH AND DRINKING FOUNTAIN NEAR THE OVERLOOK 
easy it is to follow what appears to he the letter of 
a master’s design and fail utterly to catch his spirit. 
Equally regrettable is the Refectory’s failure as a 
restaurant. Eor a few years it was conducted as 
such, then closed, and now the building is used as a 
branch of the Public Eibrary. The question at once 
arises, why did it fail ? In the public parks of other 
cities, Detroit, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and New 
York, restaurants similar in character are success¬ 
ful. Three explanations have been given: (i) that 
the lessee was not capable; (2) that to receive suf¬ 
ficient patronage, such a restaurant must have at 
least beer as well as other 
drink and food for sale; (3) 
that the people of Boston have 
not generally the habit of eat¬ 
ing out-of-doors. These ex¬ 
planations seem inadequate. 
Before discontinuing such a 
feature of a park intended for 
public use, a park that should 
do everything that is proper to 
attract people, it would seem 
that further experiments 
should have been made. 
The roads and paths of 
Eranklin Park deserve high 
praise. I'hey go where they 
are wanted, they are properly 
huilt, and they look well, and 
this is the whole philosophy of 
roads. In all there are seven 
miles of driveways, fourteen 
miles of walks, and one mile 
A FOOT-PATH IN FRANKLIN PARK SHOWING THE CHARACTER OF THE 
BORDERING PLANTATIONS 
of riding pad. d he circuit 
drive at no point is steeper 
than I in 25, the branch 
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