One Man's Vision

Southern Living, Feb 2004 by Lingo, Karen, Bender, Steve

Plans to restore them began in 1995, and two years later the Olmsted Linear Park Alliance was formed. So far, four of the parks-Oak Grove, Dellwood, Shadyside, and Virgilee-have been rehabilitated. Next in line are Springdale and Deepdene, the only one that's heavily wooded.

Combined, the linear parks total about 50 acres, with some segments covering only 4 to 6 acres. "But each has a sense of space," Alida says. "Just look at the sun shining through the trees. The land has an east-west orientation, which makes the light here incredible."

The Legacy

Olmsted retired in 1895 and died in 1903. The landscape firm he founded continued for about 50 more years, designing plans for public and private projects in the South. His landscapes remain as vibrant and valid today as when he created them more than a century ago.