Landscape Architecture in the Hudson Valley: Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux, and Andrew Jackson Downing

The latest historical lecture offered by Hudson Valley historian Alex Prizgintas showcases the rich legacy of Landscape Architecture in our region. Highlighting the work of Calvert Vaux, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Andrew Jackson Downing, Prizgintas explored their rise to fame and most famous projects—much of which can be drawn to the city of Newburgh where the three crossed paths for the first times in the 1850s. Adapted from Alex’s 2021 film documentary produced in part with Marist College’s Hudson River Valley Institute, both Olmsted and Vaux remained tied to the Hudson Valley even after their fame with the construction of Central Park—particularly through Vaux’s architectural works and the business of the Olmsted Bros. firm. This program pays particular attention to two landmarks that received influences from both minds: Middletown’s Hillside Cemetery and Newburgh’s Downing Park—along with several other structures and parks designed by Olmsted, Vaux, and Downing across the Hudson Valley. 

A graduate of Marist College with degrees in Hudson River Valley History and Public Administration, Alex has been published in the Hudson River Valley Review, New York Archives Magazine, and Orange County Historical Society Journal on topics including Hudson River railroad history, Orange County’s dairy farming history, and the region’s early settlers. He serves as president of the Woodbury Historical Society and town historian of Woodbury in Orange County, New York.