Frederick Law Olmsted In 1783, the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds commissioned Olmsted, who had co-designed Central Park in New York City, to design the grounds of the Capitol. Olmsted created a park-like plan that complimented the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/59">Capitol building</a>. His plan added marble terraces on the northern, western, and southern sides of the building, and a <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/7">summerhouse </a>for visitors on the side near the Mall. Olmsted's career designing park systems and as an urban planner influenced design plans for the National Mall into the 1900s. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Frederick+Law+Olmsted">Frederick Law Olmsted</a> Architect of the Capitol. <a href="http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-grounds/frederick-law-olmsted">View original image.</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=38&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1860-1889">1860-1889</a>