New Photography © Steve Rosenthal

Operated by the National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted's home and office houses many of the drawings, photographs, and records from the succession of Olmsted firms. Built in 1901, the historic records vault houses 115,000 drawings and records of Frederick Law Olmsted and succeeding firms. To preserve the collection at the historic site and to improve accessibility for research, a complete renovation and modernization of the vault was undertaken. The interior of the three level vault was demolished and a new steel and concrete structure inserted to support the weight of new storage equipment. Custom-designed aluminum storage systems house drawings in lightweight flat drawers. The special drawer design allowed removal of drawers from their cases after insertion of spring loaded retention bars. These hold drawing folders in place while the drawers are carried in a vertical position to work tables outside the vault. Environmental controls, a modern security system, and a Halon fire suppression system were installed on all three vault levels. A portion of the original vault is preserved so that visitors may view the old and new.