HHR4

Richardson collaborated with F.L. Olmsted on many projects. Olmsted was involved with the NY State Capitol, and designed the landscaping around the Ames Hall & Library in North Easton. In fact, when Richardson moved to the Boston suburb of Brookline to oversee the construction of Trinity Church, he rented a house within walking distance of Olmsted. Richardson was involved in a small way in the design of Boston's Emerald Necklace, the series of parks that stretch from Franklin Park to the Boston Common. Below is a bridge over the Muddy River in the Fenway. The street is Boylston. The Victory Gardens are on the other side of the bridge. Most Bostonians are familiar with Trinity and several other Richardson buildings, but few know that this bridge was designed by Richardson, as well as the pumping houses (which regulate water flow through the fens) across from the Museum of Fine Arts.

MORE LIBRARIES

At left is the Winn Memorial Library in Woburn, MA (1876-1879), Richardson's first library. This is probably his most "exuberant" building. There's a wealth of detail all around the building. The round room at the right was designed to be an art gallery.

Inside the Winn Library. The library is the only one designed by Richardson that hasn't been enlarged. Some interior modifications have been made, however.

This is the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy, MA. Richardson distilled all that he had done before with his libraries and created this "simplified" version. While the original building is largely unchanged, two wings have been added, and a third is under construction.