Date unknown Olmsted Archives Mary Perkins was born on March 26, 1830 to an affluent family in New York. Orphaned at the age of eight, she moved in and was raised by her grandparents on Staten Island. As a young girl she loved to play the piano and sing. She first met Frederick Law Olmsted as a teenager. Although Mary's wit impressed Olmsted, it was his brother, John Hull Olmsted, who pursued a courtship with Mary. John and Mary married on October 16, 1851. They had three children together, John Charles, Charlotte, and Owen. After suffering with tuberculosis, John Hull Olmsted died in 1857. Frederick Law Olmsted, devastated by the loss of his brother, wanted to ensure that Mary and her children were cared for. Frederick Law Olmsted and Mary Perkins Olmsted married in 1859. They had four children together, two of whom survived infancy, Marion and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Mary moved to Brookline with Frederick Law Olmsted in 1883 and lived at Fairsted until her death in 1921. |
Last updated: March 1, 2024