CHARLES ELIOT, Landscape Architect
A LOVER OF NATURE AND OF HIS KIND WHO TRAINED HIMSELF FOR A NEW PROFESSION PRACTISED IT HAPPILY AND THROUGH IT WROUGHT MUCH GOOD
Published June 1902
Pages 35 - 36
Charles writes on May 13th (1883) to his friend Thaxter. I am to go about with Mr. Olmsted and am expected to gather the principles and the practice of the profession in the course of this going. I am to be of what service I can and this if I am to judge by ten days experience will consist chiefly in doing draughtsman's work making working drawings from preliminary design plans etc. I have already had a little journey with Mr. Olmsted to Newport and Providence and learned much and enjoyed more. I expect to give two years to this apprentice education and then hope to study and travel abroad. I have a high idea of what a landscape architect should be and a high ideal of what his art should be, and you may believe that I was highly excited by this sudden plunge into the midst of things. The world says I am a lucky fellow and congratulates me on all sides. Charles kept an interesting record of his various trips with Mr. Olmsted and other persons connected with the firm a record which shows how very instructive to him were these opportunities of observing work in progress…..
Shortly after this excursion Charles spent a delightful day with Mr. Olmsted on Cushing's Island in Portland Harbor, Mr. Olmsted having been called on to advise the owners of the island about laying it out as a seashore resort. Mr. Olmsted's advice included the enlargement of the brick hotel, the reservation of a considerable area near it for hotel cottages, the making of play grounds for common use by all the island people, the laying out of about fifty house lots on the island - small on the landward and smooth part of the island - larger on the ocean shore where the building sites are finest, the reservation of White Head at one end of the island and of the southwest point at the other end, these two to be connected by a wide strip down the middle of the island along the highest ridge whence views can be had in both directions at once. The whole shore was to be common to all the inhabitants The Spruces on the island being badly blighted Mr. Olmsted recommended that Pine seed should be sown among the dying Spruces so as to have a growth to fall back on when the Spruces should necessarily be removed. To clear away the present forest immediately would not be safe for the mosses ferns and other undergrowth might be lost.