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Olmsted Brothers Collection, 1908-1959

By Jackie Couture

Collection Overview

Title: Olmsted Brothers Collection, 1908-1959

Predominant Dates:1908-1927

Creator: Olmstead Associates

Extent: 4.0 Folders

Arrangement: chronological

Date Acquired: 11/04/2009

Languages: English [eng]

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This is an artificial collection composed of copies of correspondence between Eastern Kentucky University representatives and the Olmsted Associates of Brookline, Massachusetts regarding future building and landscaping plans for Eastern. The original records are housed at the Library of Congress and at the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site which is part of the National Park Service. It also includes one surviving watercolor drawing of a plan of Eastern's campus.

Box and Folder Listing

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1908-1914: Correspondence including the initial contact with Olmsted from Regent P.W. Grinstead. Also includes a report detailing the initial walk through of campus with Dr. Ruric N. Roark and others discussing location of buildings that had been appropriated and purchases of surrounding properties. Unpaid bills and state appropriations are mentioned as well as locations of sidewalks, roads, buildings and plants. Also mentioned are plans for buildings and additions which were never acted on.
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1923-1927: Correspondence between Olmsted and Eastern representatives regarding campus plans. There appears to have been a period of fifteen years when Eastern did not use the Olmsted firm. The first letter in this folder is from Thomas J. Coates requesting Olmsted’s services to help integrate a new purchase of land into the campus plan. Many of the letters and reports discuss Plan 35, which is the only extant plan in Eastern’s collection.
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1959: Correspondence between William F. O’Donnell and Olmsted Brothers including a letter from O’Donnell canceling the Olmsted contract.
Folder 4: Landscape Plan, 1926: Plan 35, a watercolor plan of Eastern showing present and future building sites, sidewalks, streets, gardens and farmland.