Olmsted Subdivision Historic District
Encyclopedia
Olmsted Subdivision Historic District is a historic district roughly bounded by New Ocean St/Paradise Road, Swampscott Avenue, Redington Street and Burrill Street in Swampscott, Massachusetts
.
According to the May 2005 Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program (Swampscott Reconnaissance Report), “This large residential neighborhood was planned by Frederick Law Olmsted
, Sr. in 1888 at the request of the Swampscott Land Trust. The 130-acre estate had belonged to E. Redington Mudge. Olmsted’s plan with its curvilinear roads layout, traffic islands, entrance parkway, use of the topographic features and fine architecture is remarkably well preserved. The roads and traffic islands are maintained by the town. The shapes have not been altered; however the town has been unable to maintain original plant material. Part of the original plan showed “Overlook Park” with steps leading to it at the end of Monument Avenue. It was never constructed and in its place is a huge house on top of the hill. The original subdivision had 191 lots of varying sizes and shapes.”
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2002.
Swampscott, Massachusetts
Swampscott is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States located 15 miles up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population is 13,787...
.
According to the May 2005 Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program (Swampscott Reconnaissance Report), “This large residential neighborhood was planned by Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, Sr. in 1888 at the request of the Swampscott Land Trust. The 130-acre estate had belonged to E. Redington Mudge. Olmsted’s plan with its curvilinear roads layout, traffic islands, entrance parkway, use of the topographic features and fine architecture is remarkably well preserved. The roads and traffic islands are maintained by the town. The shapes have not been altered; however the town has been unable to maintain original plant material. Part of the original plan showed “Overlook Park” with steps leading to it at the end of Monument Avenue. It was never constructed and in its place is a huge house on top of the hill. The original subdivision had 191 lots of varying sizes and shapes.”
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2002.