There
was no official planning for the sites of
the new Mount Holyoke buildings, but Frederick
Law Olmsted’s successor, Frederick ,
Jr. assisted in the placement of the Gothic
structures that faced College Street in a single
row. He had an experienced eye in making certain
that open green spaces and trees were a part
of the landscape and equally distanced between
the buildings. From the beginning, John Olmsted,
Fred’s brother, acted as an advisor and
technical consultant and his expertise
was essential in the designing of the highly
constructed
nature of the campus. Olmsted promoted the
addition of lakes and rolling hills
to the campus, similar to his
stepfather,
Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. In the earlier years
of the College’s campus expansion, Olmsted’s
philosophy was “what’s your hurry?’ Olmsted
wanted the Mount Holyoke community to enjoy
their surroundings as they strolled through
the various pathways situated around the campus.
It
would seem the Olmsted brothers’ love
of nature complimented the feminine manner
of thinking, but it was A. Lyman Williston,
treasurer and a devoted trustee of Mount
Holyoke College, who expressed a strong desire
to preserve
the pastoral setting on the campus. Undoubtedly,
the Olmsted “stamp” was inscribed
into the MHC landscape. by John and Frederick,
Jr., successors of Frederick Law Olmsted,
although the firm wasn’t considered
to be among the major designers.
Home
Page
The
History of Gothic Architecture:
Cambridge
and Princeton
About Ralph Cram
A Time of Transition:
Bryn
Mawr
Mary E.
Woolley
Frederick
Olmsted Jr.
The Envisioned Plan:
Program for
Campus Development
Designs
for the Library and Chapel
Shurtleff
and Cram Present Their Ideas
The Implemented Plan:
Meetings
and Discussions
Collens'
Library Designs(Exterior)
Collens'
Library Designs (Interior)
Bertha
Blakely's Influence
Abbey Memorial
Chapel
Charles Collens
Dedication Speech and closing comments
Trivial Pursuit
Question
References
