Baltimore's Olmsted Parkways
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THE Baltimore’s Olmstedian Olmsted Parkways VOLUME 22 ISSUE 1 Connecting Communities Spring 2016 with Green Corridors FMOPL Digest olmstedmaryland.org How fortunate for Baltimore to have the benefit of early comprehensive planning by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., for a regional system of parks and parkways. This leafy corridor across the urban grid, linking diverse green nodes, was designed to make the quality of life in the city more habitable and civilized. —Arleyn A. Levee, Landscape Historian, American Association of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Community Assistance Team, Revitalization Plan for the Wyman Park Drive, 33rd Street Corridor, poster for ASLA National Conference, Baltimore, October 1987 Baltimore’s principal east-west The parkways were a key parkways—The Alameda, 33rd component of the vision of an Street and Gwynns Falls Park- integrated, comprehensive park way—represent a 100-year-old system for Baltimore advanced heritage, fulfilling the vision in 1904 by the noted Olmsted of the Olmsteds and the city’s Brothers Landscape Architects planners and civic leaders firm, under the direction of to provide a green corridor Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., connecting parks, afford green and John Olmsted, son and spaces for neighborhoods step-son of landscape archi- along the route, and contribute tecture pioneer Frederick Law immeasurably to the quality of Olmsted. Recognizing his- life for Baltimore’s citizens. toric Druid Hill Park as the The 1914 Topographical Survey Map shows the vision of Olmsted parkways and boulevards connecting north central Baltimore communities, Baltimore connecting north central and boulevards Olmsted parkways the vision of SurveyMap shows Topographical The 1914 Archives. Maryland from Map State institutions and parks. metropolitan centerpiece of the period particularly credit Baltimore’s parks, their report the leadership of Richard M. called for parkways or connect- Venable, president of the park ing boulevards to link Druid board, who championed the Hill to newer parks in the city’s idea of a “chain of modern outer ring—Gwynns Falls to parkways,” based upon the the west, Wyman Park to the plan prepared by the Olmsted immediate east, and Clifton Brothers. Urging voter approv- and Herring Run Parks and al of a one million dollar loan Lake Montebello farther to the in 1906, Venable told the Sun east. that the expenditure would enable the “great extension of The 1904 Report argued that parks, connected by handsome parkways “should be treated as boulevards.” far as possible like extensions of the parks to bring them to the At the time of the 1904 Olmst- people and place them in touch ed report this east-west corridor with each other.” Over the next represented the northern edge decade the Olmsted Brothers of the built-up city, and the worked directly with the Park Olmsteds had recommended a Commission and city govern- curving route and wide clear- ment on the plans for these ances to provide a park-like parkway corridors. While the experience. Olmsteds conducted park and landscape plans for many cities, By the time plans were under- their impact upon the land- way, city officials recognized scape of Baltimore is among that the pace of development the most significant in scope and the cost of land acquisition and implementation. would mean that the corridor would have to be straighter Equally important as the and less wide than the Olm- Olmsted vision was the com- steds envisioned. The Olmsted mitment of Baltimore civic report of 1926 acknowledged leaders to the development of this change, terming transpor- the parkways. With the support tation corridors like these as of the Park Commission, City boulevards, which “should be Council, and Mayor, over the treated with ample planting following two decades plans strips and trees so that they The 1914 Topographical Survey map (east at top) showed that the green median already had been completed along for this set of parkways were are attractive and passage over 33rd Street by that year. The Park Board bore the cost ofparking the route with grass medians and street trees,while developed and implemented. them pleasant.” the Commission for Street Openings paid for the cost of the paving portion. Map from the Maryland State Archives. Baltimore Sun articles from As the parkways were planned plete and all the parks linked Never fully implemented plans, Maryland’s Olmsted Parks & and developed, Baltimore’s together by one continuous as well as subsequent roadway Landscapes and other park Baltimore’s press and public understood boulevard.” changes, altered the envisioned and community advocates, the the logic of this set of east-west connectivity to the Baltimore Olmsted Parkways—Gwynns Olmsted Planned/ parkway connectors as distinc- Over succeeding decades, the park system’s centerpiece, Falls Parkway, 33rd Street and Designed tive in plans for the city’s land- parkway corridor became a Druid Hill Park. The Olmsteds The Alameda—were officially Parkways and scape. A 1909 Baltimore Sun front yard for fine row house planned the Gwynns Falls designated as Baltimore City article announced the “Design development and some of the Parkway as a direct western Landmarks, the first landscapes Boulevards for New Parkway to Connect city’s most vital neighborhoods. gateway—though its imple- to receive such City recogni- Druid Hill and Gwynns Falls Open spaces along the east- mentation was constrained by tion. The Alameda Park,” noting that ordinances west span afforded sites for development and an awkward Broadway already had been passed for a important cultural and edu- approach to Gwynns Falls Park Today, many Baltimoreans who Charles Street Boulevard comparable boulevard along cational institutions, past and via Windsor Mill Road. On the live near or travel these east- 33rd Street and The Alameda. present—on the east, Baltimore park’s east side, the opportunity west boulevards may take them East 33rd Street City College, Eastern High for Wyman Park Drive to serve for granted—not likely appre- Ellicott Drive A 1914 Sun article noted that School (now JHU Eastern), as a seamless parkway approach ciating the green canopies of Greenway Baltimore for generations had Memorial Stadium (now senior from Wyman Park was serious- shade and the contribution to Gwynns Falls Parkway been “famous for its parks, housing and The Y of Central ly diminished by the routing of the area’s quality of life, nor ful- Hilton Parkway squares, and monuments . Maryland), Union Memorial traffic along Druid Park Lake ly recognizing the century-long but it was not until Frederick Hospital and the JHU Home- Drive and construction of the heritage represented. These are Loch Raven Boulevard Law Olmsted [Jr.] presented wood Campus (also designed Jones Falls Expressway. not simply tree-lined roadways, Mount Royal Avenue his comprehensive plan that by the Olmsted Brothers). but important linkages in North Avenue Blvd the work of linking them into On the west, along Gwynns Landmark designation is Baltimore’s comprehensive park Roland Avenue one vast system was begun.” Falls Parkway, are the sites imperative to assure that the system. San Martin Drive The article celebrated the work for Frederick Douglass High Olmsted Parkways receive underway—concluding, “It School (originally Western the recognition, protection —Ed Orser, Urban Cultural Spring Lake Way is reasonable to suppose that High School), Coppin State and enhancement that they Historian and Lauren Schiszik, University Parkway another decade will not pass University and the Mondawin deserve. In March 2015, with Historic Preservation Planner Wyman Park Drive without seeing the chain com- Shopping Center. the support of the Friends of This construction drawing for the eastern section of East 33rd Street at Tivoly Avenue details the dimensions and curb lines of the boulevard intersections. Drawing from FMOPL Archives, Baltimore City Archives. Publication Design/Editing by Sandra Sparks & Judy Dobbs The Olmsted Parkways are valuable assets to the city and greatly contribute to its character, rich history, economic vitality, and quality of life. Landmark designation ensures they will continue to serve future generations. It is hopeful that the increased public awareness that comes The Gwynns Falls Parkway linked parks in from landmark designation will encourage greater appreciation and the central corridor with the stream valley stewardship by the local government and citizens alike. parks. At the Olmsteds' recommendation —Lauren Schiszik, Historic Preservation Planner, Baltimore in the 1910s, the old mill race in newly- Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), acquired Gwynns Falls Park was filled in to Baltimore Protects Olmsted Parkways: A Green Ribbon create this popular wooded promenade. that Connects the City, The Alliance Review, Fall 2015 Photo of Gwynns Falls mill race path from Enoch Pratt Free Library, Hughes Co. Black Fund. Fund. Black Co. Hughes Library, Free Pratt Enoch path from mill race of Gwynns Falls Photo Archives. 1989, FMOPL Corridor. Street 33rd Drive, Park Wyman Plan for Revitalization of The Poster For the National ASLA Conference in Baltimore in October 1989, a Community Assistance Team of over 50 volunteers created the Revitalization Plan for Wyman Park Drive, 33rd Street Corridor, a two-sided poster based on FMOPL’s initial research of documents and drawings representing Baltimore’s extensive Olmsted legacy..