Barton Hills & Olmsted
Barton Hills & Olmsted
Embedded Files
National Park Services Introduction
National Park Services Introduction
https://www.nps.gov/places/barton-hills-maintenance-corporation.htm
After work at Barton Dam, a hydroelectric project along the Huron River, began in 1913, the president of Detroit Edison Company began acquiring the surrounding land. Discussions arose about what should be developed on the land; with nearby steep ravines, it would be unsuitable for agricultural use.
Olmsted Brothers were solicited to study the land and determine what should be developed on it. Firm member George Gibbs Jr. visited the site in 1915, submitting his concept for a suburban development months later. Commanding views of the nearby lake helped guide the plan, with more valuable lots being sited at higher points on the hill. Plantings were carefully curated to frame picturesque views.
Olmsted Brothers continued to improve their design over several years, with John Charles and Frederick Jr. weighing in on various aspects. The firm designed Barton Shore Drive, parallel to Barton North Drive, which would "undoubtedly prove the most attractive when built as it will follow comparatively near the water and will command an uninterrupted view over the pool."
Much of the development of Barton Hills was realized in the mid-1920s, when the first holes of the local golf course and country club were opened. Despite rapid development, Olmsted Brothers carefully planned the community to preserve and emphasize the land’s natural forms.
BMHC 100th year anniversary lecture
BMHC 100th year anniversary lecture
In celebrations, the board of directors commissioned a lecture by Historian and filmmaker Laurence Cotton, originator of and consulting producer to the PBS special “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America.” A video of this lecture can be found on YouTube link below.
The Olmsted Network
The Olmsted Network
The Olmsted Network is the first and only national organization dedicated to championing Olmsted parks, places and principles through advocacy, education and stewardship.
Olmsted created some of the most iconic and recognizable landscapes in North America, including Central Park in New York City, the Emerald Necklace in Boston, Jackson Park in Chicago and the park systems of Louisville, Rochester and Buffalo.
Devil in the White City
Devil in the White City
Anne Neal Petri, April 9, 2021
Are you one of the hundreds of thousands of people who read Erik Larson’s best-selling book, The Devil in the White City?
If so, you probably remember the vile serial killer, H. H. Holmes, who is central to Larson’s mesmerizing story. But do you also remember Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted? They were responsible for creating “the White City” and overseeing the development and design of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Jackson Park.
Read more about this here: https://olmsted.org/the-devil-in-the-white-city-murder-magic-and-madness-at-the-fair-that-changed-america/
Additional Reading:
Additional Reading:
Belle Isle https://www.nps.gov/places/belle-isle-park.htm
Parks for the People! Profit, Power, and Frederick Law Olmsted in Louisville, by Eric Burnette
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