Architects of an American Landscape: Henry Hobson Richardson, Frederick Law Olmsted, and the Reimagining of America’s Public and Private Spaces

by Hugh Howard

A dual portrait of America’s first great architect, Henry Hobson Richardson, and her finest landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmsted―and their immense impact on America As the nation recovered from a cataclysmic war, two titans of design profoundly influenced how Americans came to interact with the built and natural world around them through their pioneering work in architecture and landscape design. Frederick Law Olmsted is widely revered as America’s first and finest parkmaker and environmentalist, the force behind Manhattan’s Central Park, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, Biltmore’s parkland in Asheville, dozens of parks across the country, and the preservation of Yosemite and Niagara Falls. Yet his close friend and sometime collaborator, Henry Hobson Richardson, has been almost entirely forgotten today, despite his outsized influence on American architecture―from Boston’s iconic Trinity Church to Chicago’s Marshall Field Wholesale Store to the Shingle Style and the wildly popular “open plan” he conceived for family homes. Individually they created much-beloved buildings and public spaces. Together they married natural landscapes with built structures in train stations and public libraries that helped drive the shift in American life from congested cities to developing suburbs across the country. The small, reserved Olmsted and the passionate, Falstaffian Richardson could not have been more different in character, but their sensibilities were closely aligned. In chronicling their intersecting lives and work in the context of the nation’s post-war renewal, Hugh Howard reveals how these two men created original all-American idioms in architecture and landscape that influence how we enjoy our public and private spaces to this day.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Architecture, Biography, Art, American History, Urban Planning

416 pages, Paperback

Published January 17, 2023

About the author

Hugh Howard is an American historian, writer, and speaker. He has written numerous books about architecture, art, and American presidents, but describes himself as a narrative historian.

Aside from writing books, Howard has written for dozens of publications including Smithsonian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, House Beautiful, Preservation, Early American Life, Traditional Homes, and others. He was the researcher, writer, and scout for a series of television specials produced by the A&E Network In Search of Palladio.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he was Vice President of the New York Times Book Company, Inc. In 2011, he was an Attingham scholar. He has served as a board member at various historical sites, including Mark Twain House and Museum, the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society, Cheekwood Estate and Gardens, and the Historic Eastfield Foundation, where he was the founding editor of The Eastfield Record.

Howard divides his time between the Hudson Valley in New New York and New Hampshire's Upper Valley. He and his wife, Betsy, have two adult daughters.His memoir House-Dreams (Algonquin, 2003) recounts he design and construction of a Federal Revival-style home for his family in the mid-1990s.

Reviews

[Lydia Pazienza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed architecture- in fact, I even give architecture tours as a hobby, so I was really excited for this book. I've lived in several of the cities influenced by the works of both Richardson and Olmsted, yet before this, I hadn't realized the extent of their collaboration!

The book was a bit meandering, going well into the lives of some of Richardson's and Olmsted's clients in addition to the men themselves, but I found it incredibly informative, and a well done biography of the two men and their works. Sure, there are a few of Richardson's buildings I wished I could have heard more of the story of (particularly Sever Hall), and the switching between the two narratives was sometimes jarring.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-researched and thorough book, presented in a readable style. Howard gives both Richardson and Olmsted their due, while taking the reader on a tour of the national landmarks that each created. Many times the men worked together on projects: Richardson designing homes and buildings, while Olmsted did his magic integrating them to the site. Both had strong but engaging personalities and confidence in their respective work; each recognized the talent in the other and truly worked as a partnership. Each man established his work as a field to be continued after his death. Richardson became the father of distinctly American architecture, and shepherded young talent through his business in a fatherly manner, influencing fledgling architects for decades to come. Olmsted established landscape architecture as a professional field and did likewise with his protégés. While Olmsted has had the advantage of time - his landscapes have endured, grown and thrived - the Richardson era peaked and ebbed, replaced by others who were influenced in his style and then developed individual approaches to the field, including Frank Lloyd Wright. The book can be useful as a travel guide for people interested in the work of either or both men (hard to separate them) since many of their projects still exist today and are worthy of personal inspection. One pleasant surprise was the breadth of the Olmsted projects in the United States. Johnny Appleseed may be a legend, but Frederick Law Olmsted is real and evidence of his work can be found nationwide, from Yosemite, to Central Park, Washington DC, and anyplace in between. As a Buffalo, NY girl, I knew about our own Delaware Park complex of three parks, and the Richardson Insane Asylum, but Howard provided many fresh details. This book opened my eyes to so much more about the work of these two men. Breathtaking accomplishments of Richardson's and Olmsted's work, and Howard's as an author, are presented in this volume. Well worth reading. The only thing I wished for as I read: the publisher should provide a link to a website with more photos of all the projects described here. The photos included in the text were welcome, but it would have enhanced the experience to bring them and others up on my larger format computer screen.

[Noreen13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The auhtor argues that H. H. Richardson has been forgotten or overlooked while his dear friend and frequent collaborator F. L. Olmsted still lives on in the American consciousness. Shocking to me who studied American architectural history in the heart of New England surrounded by so many of Richardsons's masterpieces! Really, but I guess I need to get out of my greater Boston bubble. Sorry for all those who didn't have the opportunity to work across the square from Trinity Church, in a building designed by McKim, one of Richardson's former employees.
Howard does a very good job of introducing readers to Olmsted and Richardson - thier careers and long-lived friendship. I hope that the author did manage to convince everyone of Richardson's brilliance and lasting influence on the generations who followed him.
A quibble the paper quality is poor and thus the illustrations suffer. Take a road trip and view the buildings wherever possible - you will become a believer.

[Mateo Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried…

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it interesting that the author admitted in the afterword that he really wanted to write about Henry Hobson Richardson, but thought adding Frederick Law Olmsted would make the book more marketable.

I am a Pittsburgh native, so Henry Hobson Richardson was known to me, though I knew more of Olmsted’s work. What I did not know was that the two men were friends and worked closely together. This is a fascinating dual biography that also contains a lot of history. I would like to reread it and savor it, but even a quick read yielded fascinating vignettes that were new to me. And Richardson, described as “Falstaffian” and larger than life is deserving of more public attention. Both were pioneers of their respective professions, particularly FLO, who pretty much created landscape architecture.

An dits hard not to notice how badly public architecture has deteriorated. #ArchitectsOfAnAmericsnLandscape #NetGalley

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, highly informative and well written. I had known of H.H. Richardson, I had known of FLO, but I had not put the connection together. The collaboration, the friendship, the influence that one had on the other -- and the incredible impact they had together on the field of architecture and landscape architecture -- really amazing. I highly suggest reading this book on a digital device -- or having one nearby -- so that you're able to google the various buildings and properties that are referenced. I will surely be reading this book again, and I look forward to it.

[Frank Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Hobson Richardson deserves a much greater place in the pantheon of American architecture, and in American art more generally. Most importantly with his Trinity Church in Boston (1874) he started the "Richardson Romanesque" trend, which featured rough-faced, often red, stone, asymmetrical massing, limited ornament, and large voussoired arches. I hadn't fully appreciated that the reason much of late 19th century buildings, from the old Dallas Courthouse (based on Richardson's Alleghany Courthouse) to the Old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. look like they do is almost solely because of Richardson.

Beyond his eponymous style, Richardson's focus on limited ornament and massing was a major inspiration for Louis Sullivan and Burnham & Root in Chicago (their Auditorium and Rookery building unmistakably bear his imprint, especially from his Marshall Field store design) as well as Frank Lloyd Wright, all of whom found his low-slung, large-roofed buildings with minimal ornament an obvious inspiration for much of American modernism. He had both Stanford White and Charles McKim work in his office, which thus helped birth the McKim, Mead, and White firm and much of the subsequent Beaux-Arts style. Beyond, these major styles, however, he almost single-handedly revived "gambrel" (two pitches, side-gabled) roofs from American colonial times, which can now be seen in suburbs across the nation. He created the "shingle style" with his Stoughton house that is so popular among resort homes. Somehow numerous, occasionally conflicting, trends and tendencies in American architecture all emerged out of one man with an incredibly inventive mind; a man who, despite his stutter and soon-disabling girth, was universally lauded as a boisterous, fun, and generous human being.

The author demonstrates the Richardson's collaboration with Frederick Law Olmsted was constant and real, as was their friendship, first when they lived on Staten Island together, and then when Olmsted moved to Brookline, Massachusetts to be closer to Richardson who had moved their after the Trinity Commission. They were both collaborators and best friends. As the author notes in the acknowledgments, the book started with Richardson and it's clear that Olmsted takes a back seat here, but his accomplishments are at least as great. Besides the Central Park commission that started his career (late, at age 35, after some years of toying as a writer and nurseryman), he was essential in turning both Yosemite and Niagara Falls into public parks, he created the first arboretum with Charles Sergeant of Harvard; he designed the park systems for Chicago, Buffalo, San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Boston, as well as the grounds the Capitol in DC, of all of which used his combination of rolling paths and pleasure-riding parkways, which he basically created; with Riverside outside of Chicago he created the first modern, curvilinear street suburb. As the book notes, starting with Central Park he also became a good manager of his projects, and, beyond architecture, as head of the Sanitary Commission in the Civil War which helped save thousands of lives.

One leaves this book impressed with the immense scale of these men's impact on the landscape. It is almost impossible to imagine modern American cities and parks without their imprint, and it is more amazing that they were close friends and often collaborators. The book does tend to go on tangents, and spends much time on individual projects that don't seem important to the evolution of the architects, but it tells an important and essential story about America's land, and even America's contribution to global art and design.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. The book is about the unlikely friendship of Frederick Law Olmstead (the Father of Landscape Design) and Henry Hobson Richardson ( Early architect of American Architecture). The book tells the story of both of these men and their lives and careers. But both became good friends and worked on projects together where they collaborated. Both gave ideas to the other that helped with the final result.

Richardson died at 47 years old but had very different ideas from the old style designs from Europe. Many future architects were fans of his but when he died - he wasn't remembered. He designed Trinity church in Boston, many libraries, train stops and many buildings for the Ames family in North Easton. Frank Lloyd Wright was a huge fan. Also brought in Norcross Bros to built Trinity and many projects and the artist John La Farge to paint and decorate the inside of the church.

Olmstead had various careers such as a writer and a farmer before he landed the job of designing Central Park, which is he was incredibly successful.

Very well written and many interesting facts about these two incredible men!

Notes: loved the descriptions of the building and the gardens, the background stories of the projects and the relationships between all of these famous people that came into contact with each other.

Train stops: Richardson designed the train stops to be building with amazing roofs. long and interesting . Olmstead designed the landscape around the station and the tracks.

Building to see in the area: Trinity Church, Brattle Square Church, Crowninshield Marlborough st, Woburn Library (Winn Memorial - first public library), Easton Library, Quincy Library, Malden Library and town hall, Grace Church Medford, Ames Gatehouse -Lauwater, Civil War memorial - Easton, Boylston St Bridge, Nortonville train station, N Easton Train station, Auburndale station, Chestnut Hill station, Framingham Station, Niagara Square Buffalo, Buffalo Insane Assylum. Richardson is buried in the Brookline Walnut Hill Cemetary.

[Andrew R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an excellent overview of the lives of Olmsted and Richardson, the former of whom led me to buy this book and the latter of whom I shockingly had never heard of. I live in ignorance! The mix of biographical details (e.g. that Central Park was Olmsted's first project as a landscape architect or that Richardson was during the Civil War an 'alien' upon return to Boston from Paris due to his Louisianan birth) with their respective career highlights made the text accessible and deeply engaging.

Of particular interest to me are Chapter 9 ("Richardson Designs a Duomo"), which discusses Richardson's initial designs for Trinity Church in present-day Copley Square, and Chapter 10 ("Building Trinity Church") which discusses the church's construction and initial reception. Chapter 11 ("Boston Days") then goes on to discuss Olmsted's development of the Emerald Necklace, Richardson's Winn Memorial Library in Woburn, and two projects on which the men collaborated, the Boylston Street Bridge in the Fenway and The Converse Library in Malden. Chapter 12 ("Amestown") speaks to their shared work in North Easton -- I need to visit!

I now feel more equipped to observe the landscape around me and I take profound inspiration from both men's belief that their respective work should be rooted in place, including the natural landscape, the built environment, and historical tradition. A quote from Olmsted on the work of a landscape architect sticks with me: "What artist [is] so noble... as he who, with far reaching conception of beauty and designing power, sketches the outline, writes the colors, and directs the shadows of a picture so great that Nature shall be employed upon it for generations, before the work he has arranged for her shall realize his intentions." (25)

[Amelia L.]

This [mouthful of a title] was the result of my late-July quest to become an informed nonfiction reader, and a month or so later I return...

To begin, I think the era covered in this book is one of the most fascinating in all of American history; it is when the America that we know started to converge, defined by change and progress. Sometime after the civil war and before the turn of the century, America strived to find an identity. This dual biography follows the lives and work of the most famous men on the frontiers of America's spatial layout, Henry H. Richardson and Frederick Law Olmsted.

Their footprints remain all over America; Richardson's Trinity Church in Boston, Marshall Fields' in Chicago, plus libraries such as the Woburn in MA. Olmsted, too, scattered his parks and landscapes from Central Park to Yosemite to Biltmore in North Carolina. Very impressive oeuvre from two men alone. They were also frequent collaborators, which I suppose was the genesis of the whole book. I am vaguely but generally familiar with the cities of the Northeast--seeing places I've been in a new light was very neat. Upon research I found out a Richardsonian Romanesque mansion is in my hometown!

The dual biography remains a tricky thing to pin down because I think there's a lot of ways it can go, all falling toward some kind of inequality or misrepresentation. Howard admittedly focuses on some aspects much more than others that I feel could have been better served towards the narrative (e.g. the long chapter on Richardson's working partnership and friendship with the DC elite Adams family). But for the most part it's quite even and thorough.

Can't really give this a star rating because I don't feel like rating nonfic, but take your own opinions out of this review.

[Philip McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written and easily readable book that turned out to be about Henry Hobson Richardson a lot more than Olmsted. They were both extremely close friends and it was wonderful to read about their friendships and the way their work intertwined. I was fascinated to learn about the methods of design the Richardson and Olmsted used in order to make use of the landscape where the buildings were being put. Many of the locations mentioned in this book were familiar to me, having grown up just outside of Boston, so it was fun to see them talked about historically. The buildings made by Richardson were truly monumental pieces that had their own architectural flare, drawing strongly from the Romanesque styles, the local terrain, and even from colonial constructions later on. Olmsted was a surprisingly well traveled man, having worked on the Sanitary Commission during the Civil War, advocating for the protection of and construction of roads to Yosemite, and travelling in the South to write travel books that were unafraid to talk about the brutalities of slavery. The parks as the lungs of the city was a very amazing way that he talked about what they provide to people. I've found that this book was super fascinating, and has stirred within me an interest in reading more about the U.S. architectural history.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book about Frederick Law Olmsted, the creator of New York’s Central Park, and Henry Richardson, a famous architect of the early twentieth century who was right up there with Frank Lloyd Wright. Not until reading this marvelous book did I learn about Richardson, a creative, innovative architect who collaborated closely with Olmsted on several projects that united the building site, the outdoors, and the structure itself. This approach was and still is unique in America when the landscape of a house or building site is typically an afterthought.
 
Yet what I learned from Howard’s book is that Olmsted was more than a landscape architect; he collaborated with and influenced Hobson’s architectural designs. Hobson was that kind of person; he welcomed ideas and suggestions from not only Olmsted but also his apprentices, students, and clients. This is where he differed from architects like Frank Wright who had reputations for working in the individualist tradition rather than the collectivist.

The projects they worked on included several large budget projects such as asylums for the ‘insane’ as they were labeled then, though all have been destroyed or repurposed. Others included private homes, train stations, city halls and courthouses.

Olmsted is credited by Howard as having a futuristic view—specifically that urban life would consume the rural, and for that reason, buildings, homes, and public spaces would need the restful influence of the outdoors. To that end, Olmsted would always approach a building site with the goal of leveraging the best possible qualities of the outdoors for its visitors and inhabitants. This is where the term 'Olmstedian’ comes from — an architectural term applied to design.

This is an excellent and interesting read for anyone interested in the development of public spaces, American architecture, or the legacy of Olmsted, even though Howard covers more of Richardson’s life and works than he does Olmsted’s.

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

5⭐️ on interesting material! A dual biography of H. H. Richardson and Frederick Law Olmstead. Olmstead is maybe more well remembered (Central Park! Prospect Park! Stanford! Rock Creek Park! The Capitol stairs! Yosemite! Niagara Falls! Biltmore! And on and on) but Richardson wildly altered American architecture only to die far too young. I was especially interested to learn about Sever Hall, which he designed and I used to teach in and is one of my favorite buildings (except for the bathrooms!), but I never saw it covered :(. I really love the Richardsonian Romanesque style and his buildings (like Trinity Church) and those emulating him (the Cambridge Public Library) were always some of my favorites when we lived there.

I found the organization and timeline/subject jumping to be distracting and sometimes hard to follow. It would have been better either focusing on one or the other or really leaning in on just their collaborative work.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fabulous! Dual biography was very detailed, very interesting and informative. I knew more about Richardson going into this book than I did about Olmsted, but learned a lot about both men - their lives, inspiration, mentors, and projects. They were both such an amazing influence on American architecture and public spaces. Probably nearly every American has seen/visited some of their work, perhaps without realizing the historical importance. I've seen many locations of their work, but now want to revisit/see others, including Olmsted's home (now a National Historic Site) in Brookline, MA.
Caveat to those who may object: it's not strictly chronological -essentially writing two intersecting biographies, the author jumps around a bit in describing the life of each man, and where their lives and work intersected. This did not bother me; I found it very enjoyable and smooth reading without worrying about the timeline.

[Chris Tilden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugh Howard's Architects of an American Landscape ranks among the best biographies I have ever read. A "dual biography" of Frederick Law Olmsted, one of the founders of the discipline of landscape architecture, and his friend Henry Hobson Richardson, an architect, was a revelation to me. I knew a bit about Olmsted's work (and admittedly nothing about Richardson), but I had no idea of the incredible mark these men made on our country. There are a few spots where the book "lags" a bit, but for the most part I found this to be one of my most enjoyable reads of 2022. As much as I love to read novels, sometimes truth is more remarkable than fiction, and this is one of those books that leaves on truly impressed with the remarkable achievements of two individuals that are certainly not household names in the average American household. They should be, and this book is should be a "must read" for anyone with any interest in the history of the United States.

[Rebecca Wilkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about Henry Hobson Richardson, architect and Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect. I like architecture and I really like landscapes and scenic views. I think this was a book from Daedalus. It was published in 2022 and his reference list is prolific but he leaves out what to me is the best book on Olmsted which was A CLEARING IN THE DISTANCE by Witold Rybczynski written in 1999. I think that Howard wanted to write about Henry H. Richardson but since nobody has heard of him anymore, his publisher had him throw in the friendship and work that he had with Olmsted to be a known name on it. I found Richardson to be interesting and it is a shame how one of the leaders and a prominent man in his field at one time can be forgotten as time goes by and his buildings get replaced. I am glad to know about Richardson's career and influence on later architects such as Sullivan and Wright. But if you want a really good book on Olmsted read the one by Rybczynski.

[Ebirdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The writing was crisp and precise and moved you along. The research was amazing but it didn't read like typical "nonfiction". The author's respect and admiration came through clearly.
I really liked how he wove in many other types of artists: painters, sculptors, writers, and photographers, giving the reader a better sense of the life and times of Richardson and Olmsted. I also liked that he gave good sketches of women who played a role in the times and lives of both men,, like Mariana Van Rensselaer and Clover Adams.
This book should be required reading before a trip to Boston and its surrounds, for sure. If you like reading about very influential people and want information to inform your next trip to NYC, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago or California, pick up this book.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

well-done research on two indisputable geniuses, who’s lives are so intertwined, it is impossible to examine one without the other.

i thoroughly enjoyed this read. as someone who is going to school to be an architect, i found it not only useful but enlightening. what helps, is this isn’t all work and no play. while olmsted and richarson’s architectural processes and achievements are thoroughly examined, so are their personal lives. i found myself growing attached to these men as they navigated their lives in a relatively new and unexplored career path.

for someone who is fond of nonfiction, especially of the historical variety, this is a must read.

[caitlin]

this was a p interesting history read ab rich white people! i picked this up after going on a tour of frederick law olmsted's house in brookline (highly recommend btw) and loved learning about his design principles and how his ideas shaped american culture. this book was mostly about richardson though, and i wish there was more focus on olmsted. it was also neat to learn so much about local brookline history. my final thought is why did the author spend like half the book talking ab how fat henry richardson was? like i get it, his health issues were debilitating and played a big role in his life but the author was just constantly like "henry richardson was so fat he couldn't fit into the chair" like ok

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable joint biography of two people who influenced and collaborated with each other in developing American architecture (Henry Hobson Richardson) and its urban park system (Frederick Law Olmsted). I know of Olmsted's influence but very little about Richardson, apart from hearing his name as a type of architecture. This book tells their stories well and their impact on the American landscape.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account about the formation of Landscape architecture, incorporating "green space" in the urban areas and how 2 men: Fredrick Law Olmsted and Henry H Richardson (an unlikely couple) worked together to establish harmony between nature and man's desire for expansion in the 19th century.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Although I've heard of Olmsted (mainly through his Central Park design), I learned a great deal about him and his many projects as well as Richardson the architect. I was surprised by how many parks, landscapes and buildings I was already familiar with had connections to these two very talented men.

[Kyle Magin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great survey of Olmsted and Richardson's works, enjoyed it thoroughly. It clips right along and reads easily, which is nice because architecture writing can be so unapproachable. Was a little disappointed the author didn't dive more deeply into Olmsted us work on the Chicago World's Fair or Montreal's Mount Royal park, but there was a lot to cover here. Good book.

[Jessica Layman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I DNF this one - I thought it was going to be more about the reimagining of America's public and private spaces and not just a biography of the two guys. I wanted analysis on the decisions architects make and how it impacts what spaces or buildings are considered successful, etc.

But! I am sure this is perfectly good for people who want to read this biography. It is well written.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this an awesome book!! Especially since I was going to do my dissertation at Columbia University on Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. but decided to exit the field. I did not know the relationship between Olmsted Sr. And Richardson or how important Richardson was.

[Scott Hiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book! Had a lot of good historical elements to it and it makes me appreciate architecture/ landscape design and the role it plays in cities and human flourishing. Not something I would’ve gravitated towards on my own but I’m glad I read it!

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book ! Howard gives us a looking in to the lives, and work of these great men. Further we delve into the enduring friendship between them. Olmsted and Richardson left and enduring legacy on the architecture of our country and the world. This book helps us see their work in a new light.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slog at times but I really enjoyed this. Having never had much interest in building architecture I picked this up for the Olmsted, but was pleasantly surprised by the Richardson portions as well. The Boston/Brookline piece kept the architecture compelling for me.

[Alice Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical book about Frederick Law Olmstead and Henry Hobson Richardson! Their paths crossed in so many ways. Since I love architecture and landscape design, reading this was a glimpse into seeing the world through their eyes!

[Liene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vividly captures the enduring architecture of Richardson and Olmsted, highly recommend especially to fans of Frank Lloyd Wright.