Generous Grant Helps Restore Olmsted’s Legacy at Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living
July 02, 2012
(Hartford Conn.)- The Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital received a $4.4 million donation from an anonymous donor to help fund the Olmsted landscape rehabilitation project.
The donor was a patient at the Institute of Living during the 1940's. She was treated at the Institute of Living with insulin shock treatment after suffering from a severe breakdown. Her family recalls her saying that the Institute of Living, “Gave her back her life.”
Some of the donation will be used to fund the Olmsted landscape rehabilitation project. Numerous trees on the grounds of The Institute of Living represent rare or unusually large species. Many of the trees on the grounds are thought to date back to the 1860’s. The funding will be used to replace damaged or deceased
trees along the tree walk.
Frederick Law Olmsted, one of America’s famous landscape architects, designed the grounds of The Institute in 1861. The design was executed by Olmsted and his protégé, Jacob Weidenmann. Frederick Law Olmsted was a 19th century visionary and pioneer conservationist who founded the profession of landscape and architect in America. Some of his other designs include Central Park in New York City, the Boston Park System, and the U.S. Capitol Grounds in Washington, D.C.
On June 15, 2012, the Institute of Living held a tree planting ceremony. At the ceremony, the last of the 17 new specimen trees was planted in an effort to restore the grounds of the Institute of Living to their historic magnificence.
About the Institute of Living
The Institute of Living was founded in 1822. It was one of the first mental health centers in the United States. Today, the Institute of Living is a division of Hartford Hospital. It continues to be one of America’s leading not-for-profit centers for comprehensive patient care, research and education in the fields of behavioral, psychiatric, and addiction disorders. Community commitment is strong at The Institute of Living. The Institute of Living is proud to contribute to the stability and strength of its immediate neighborhood and the city beyond.