Frederick Law Olmsted from Connecticut to Central Park

Frederick Law Olmsted from Connecticut to Central Park

January 24th at 11:00 a.m. at the Library

Join us as the Sherman Library offers Frederick Law Olmsted from Connecticut to Central Park, a presentation by Caitlin Merritt on Saturday, January 24th at 11:00 a.m. at the Library.

How does a jack of all trades, master of none become one of the most important landscape designers in the United States? Frederick Law Olmsted shaped how Americans interact with our landscapes, designing many famous private estates, world renown public parks, and initiating conversations surrounding the national parks system. In this talk, Caitlin Merritt will engage Frederick Law Olmsted's biography, examining how this Connecticut son influences the American understanding of landscape.

Caitlin Merritt's enthusiasm for research stems from the cultural narratives that shape our understanding. Her engagement with the concepts surrounding the relationship of the person and the natural world has led her to engage in the fields of landscape design and ethnobotany through historical, philosophical, and theological lenses. Caitlin teaches the History of Landscape Design at New York Botanical Garden and was also one of the three founding content developers for NYBG’s Plant Studio initiative “Landscape Design History for Beginners”. Caitlin also teaches undergraduate classes in philosophy, religion, and intellectual history at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield University, and Fordham University. She has earned her bachelor of arts in Philosophy at the College of the Holy Cross, a Master's of Arts in Philosophy at Boston College, and is currently earning her Master's of Theological Studies at Fordham University.