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United States of America Q:ongrtssional ]\tcord PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 98 th CONGRESS, FIRST S·E SSION t_ Vol 129 WASHINGTON , THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1983 No. 154 House olR~Presentatilles I ~. By Mr. SEIBERLING: H.R. 4356. A bill to identify, commemorate, and preserve the legacy of historic landscapes of Fredrick Law Olmsted, and ' for other purposes; to the Committee on In. terlor and Insular Affairs. f OLMSTED HISTORIC LANDSCAPES ACT HON. JOHN F. SEIBERUNG OF OHIO IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, November 10, 1983 • Mr. SEIBERLING. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today the Olmsted Historic Landscapes Act, a bill to identify. commemorate. and preserve the legacy of historic landscapes of Frederick Law Olmsted. The premier American landscape architect during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Frederick Law Olmsted. Sr .• is considered the father of landscape architecture in the United States and his philosophy and designs influenced the development of landscapes throughout the Nation. His sons. associates. and professional descendents carried out his philosophy and designs well into the 20th century . ., . _ The bill. which is also being intro. duced by Senator MOYNIHAN. would build upon current State. local. and private efforts to identify. commemorate. and preserve the Olmsted legacy by providing needed leadership and support from the Federal Government. Rather than create an entirely new program. the bill would essentially provide a means by which existing Federal programs relating to parks. recreation. and historic preservation can be better coordinated and more effectively utilized. Before describing the bill itself. I would first like to provide some background on the Olmsted legacy itself and to indicate why it is so important for us to do what we can to protect it. The material follows: BACKGROUND Frederick Law Olmstead, the father of landscape architecture in the United States, was a man of many dimensions. Today we think of him, along with his sons and associates, primarily for designing over 2,000 parks, parkways, Institutions. planned communities. college campuses, cemeteries, and privately and publicly owned estates in 37 states and the District of Columbia. But to remember Olmstead himself only as an artist and designer is to overlook the 1 breadth of his Impact on this country, for he was well known to American historians \ for his reports on the physical. economic , and social conditions in the South before , the Civil War. He is also remembered for his tireless efforts as Executive Secretary of the United States Sanitary Co(Ilmission; which was the fore-runner of the American Red Cross, and for being one of the founders of the National Park Service and the Forest Service. The concepts of environmental planning which were inherent in Olmstead'S designs and those of his associates and professional descendents, were the result of certain ideas and attitudes about human relationships to I nature and the city. They also reflected the i intellectual climate in which they were conceived. Olmstead shared with his contemporaries a belief in the salutary effect of ' nature upon people, believing that the future health of society and our cities depended on the physical and spiritual health of the residents. This could only be insured by re-e:;tablishing the link with nature that had been strained by the nation's rapid growth and 'industrialization. Moreover, Olmsted and his followers believed that it was not only desirable , but the obligation of a democratic society to provide the facilities which would encourage the re'establishment of such a link. In this context, parks were seen as vitally necessary. for it was parks that were to . bring relief from the worst conditions of the urban environment for the many city dwellers who were unable to escape to the country. OLMSTED' S LEGACY _ Frederick Law Olmsted's legacy of public design stretches from one end of this country to the other. There are Olmsted designed and Olmsted influenced landscapes in 37 states and the District of Columbia. In ; Alabama there is the Alabama State Capitol In Montgomery and 6 parks In Birmingham; , in California there are 23 projects, not in- ' cluding the Stanford University campus, and Golden Gate Park. for which a report was written although the park was designed by John McLaren, a Scotsman working with the same design vocabulary. In Colorado, Denver has 18 Olmst ed designs, while in Washington state Seattle boasts 33 parks. parkways, and playgrounds designed by the Olmsted firm. In the Mid-west, Ohio has Olmsted designs in Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lebanon and Youngstown-to mention only those which are considered public propert ies. The grounds of Stan Hywet Hall In Akron. were planned by Warren C. Manning, a former associate of Olmsted's; the house and Its gardens, now a museum, are included on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a national historic landmark. In Illinois much of the park system of Chicago was designed by Frederick Law I Olmsted, Sr.. including Jackson Park (the site of the Columbian Exposition in 1893) and Washington Park, which with Jackson I Park and the Midway Pleasance. constituted the South Park system. Drexel Boulevard. Jackson Boulevard, Grand Boulevard. and Lake Shore Boulevard were all part of the system of parkways which Olmsted used, to link his parks to one another. ... In Kentucky there are 6 Olmsted designs in Lexington, while Louslville has 21 proJects listed. One of these. Cherokee Park. was devastated by a tornado some years ago , and restored using the Olmsted plans. .. I Maine and Maryland have Olmsted parks. ' as does Louisiana, Minnesota. Missouri ~ New Hampshire. New Jersey's entire Esse~ : Country Park System Is Olmstedian, whlle j Newark's Branch Brook Park retains much -, of the Olmsted firms design. There are ~ Olmsted designs in New Mexico. North Carolina, Pennsylvania. Rhode Island. South Carolina. Tennessee. Utah. Vermont. Virginia. Wisconsin. as ' well as enormous bodies of work in New York State and Massachusetts. ~'. It should be not ed that to date with only one exception . this listing includes only the public properties, and makes no attempt to list the ma ny. many private designs executed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Sr.• his sons, or associates. What the list reveals. however. is that Olmsted and his legacy live on. His philosophy and designs Influenced the development of a school of landscape architecture which has spread throughout the country. The work done by his sons, part· n ers, associates and professional desce n· dents continues to be used by millions of people every year. It 'ls a legacy which , If lost, can never be replaced. It is essential that we preserve and effectively utilize this legacy for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. It Is a trust we cannot fail to keep. Overview of Legislation The short title of the bill is the "Olmsted Historic Landscapes Act." Section 2 provides Congressional findings of the significance of Olmsted's legacy and the need for legislation. Section 3 defines terms used in the Act; most are identical to those in existing historic preservation and recreation law. " Olmsted" includes Frederick Law Olmsted. Sr., his sons and associates (including such designers as Calbert Vaux and Warren Manning). "Olmsted historic landscape" Includes any Olmsted-designed landscape, park, forest, parkway, college campus, planned community, estate. Institution. cemetery or recreation area (including, on a case-by-case basis, Olmsted-influenced sites identified by an Olmsted advisory committee established under section 4 of the Act). Section 4 directs the National Park Service to prepare an inventory of Olmsted historic landscapes, to be done in three stages over a seven year period. The Inventory would be done in consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and with the partiCipation of state historic preservation and recreation officers and other interested organizations and Individuals.