Frederick Law Olmsted and His Work 
KEY PLAN OF FRANKLIN PARK AS ORIGINALLY 
DESIGNED BY MR. OLMSTED 
A Tile Country Park 
B The Playstead 
C The Greeting 
D The Music Court 
E The Little Folks’ Fair 
K 
F The Deer Park 
G Refectory Hill 
H Sargent’s Field 
I Long Crouch Woods 
J The Steading 
The Nursery 
think of the beauty of a tree or shrub for itself and it 
is very easily introduced. t herefore it is not sur¬ 
prising that exotic and inappropriate plants have 
sometimes been used, but the mistake was soon 
corrected. In the main not only have the right 
plants been used, but enterprise and initiative have 
been displayed in discovering native plants the 
beauty of which was hitherto generally unknown. 
The beauty of vegetation is not like that of build¬ 
ings, fixed. It is constantly changing for better or 
worse; it depends in a large measure upon mainte¬ 
nance. But given proper maintenance the whole 
tendency is to improve with age, and this tendency 
continues indefinitely. Franklin Park is not one- 
quarter grown yet. It will take perhaps a hundred 
years to realize its designer’s grand intentions. 
If we are to make a significant estimate of Frank¬ 
lin Park, we must return to its relation to humanity, 
for, as Mr. Olmsted says, “the chief end of a large 
park is an effect on the human organism by an 
action of what it presents to view, which action. 
like that of music, is of a kind that goes hack of 
thought and cannot fully be given the form of words. 
But if we wish to influence human beings we must be 
practical; we must attract them; we must at least 
recognize their relatively cruder interests.” It has 
already been stated that the appeal of scenery is no 
less real because subtle. But it is subtle. More¬ 
over it is not to he sought too consciously. In this 
respect it is much like happiness itself which escapes 
if we make it the end of our seeking. Fherefore, 
the success of a park will depend upon meeting the 
natural, wholesome human appetites and desires 
that are not in direct conflict with the purposes of 
public parks. A public park must, of course, 
supply convenient “ways of going” in drives and 
walks; also shelters and opportunities for recreation. 
These Franklin Park has. Should it not also have 
the other features that its designer planned for it,— 
zoological gardens. Little Folks’ Fair, Music Court, 
a promenade or Meeting Ground of the Alameda 
type where people may gather together, and res¬ 
taurants, lunch places, and dairies in variety Mr. 
Olmsted’s sane and complete design has been only 
partially realized in execution and in this fact more 
than in any other, I believe, is to he found the ex¬ 
planation of the inadequate use of Franklin Park. 
Objection may be made to these features on the 
ground of expense. But is the alternative less 
expensive ^ Franklin Park has already cost the 
city of Boston four million dollars, about one- 
quarter of the total cost of the Boston Park System. 
Is it as it stands to-day one-quarter as serviceable 
as the other parks, parkways and play-grounds all 
put together ^ Action must depend somewhat on 
the answer to this question. There is an extrava¬ 
gant holding back as well as giving out. Franklin 
Park has a large and varied service to perform or its 
expense is not justified. To arrest disease and 
assist invalids to recovery, to bring constant refresh¬ 
ment to housekeeping women, to fit men for their 
daily work, to furnish children with play opportu¬ 
nity amid an ennobling environment, and with all 
these services, to give nature a chance to influence 
man and man an opportunity to draw inspiration 
from nature,—to accomplish these results Franklin 
Park should he completed as Mr. Olmsted planned 
it to be. In few other ways could the people of his 
adopted city meet so well the debt that they owe to 
the creittive mind of Frederick Law Olmsted, who 
twenty years ago conceived a design so practical, 
so complete, so perfect. 
