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ASLA Chapters Histories

From left to right, clockwise: ASLA 1981 Conference in Washington, D.C.; Torey Carter-Coneen, ASLA CEO at COP28; ASLA 1981 Conference in Washington, D.C.; ASLA Center for Landscape Architecture in Washington, D.C. / Halkin Mason Photography, courtesy of ASLA  

The First ASLA Chapter: Boston
January 7, 2024

"In the mid-1890s, there was discussion about forming a national professional association for landscape architects in Boston, but several key figures, including Charles Eliot, rejected the idea for this tiny, not-well-understood profession. Instead, Boston practitioners Warren Manning, John Charles Olmsted, and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. joined eight other colleagues in New York to found ASLA in 1899. Fast forward fourteen years, and the situation had changed." Read more

A Brief History of the ASLA New York Chapter
January 21, 2024

"Beatrix Farrand was the only woman on the founding committee. She came from a prominent New York family and began practicing in 1895. Her works include private gardens, botanical gardens, college campuses, and public parks, including The Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden, which still blooms in its original glory today." Read more 

The History of ASLA Northern California Chapter
February 4, 2024 

"The Northern California Chapter extends from the Oregon border to the Central Coast. Within that stretch of coast and valley, the San Francisco Bay Area and its environs has historically drawn some of the most renown landscape architects to the area. It remains a hub of innovation and creativity, bearing the imprint of early founders of the professional organization as well as contemporary trend setters." Read more 

Our Story – The Southern California Chapter
February 4, 2024 

"Katherine Bashford and Fred Barlow, Jr. were both involved in founding the Southern California Chapter in 1937, organized partly from the defunct Pacific Coast Chapter. Ralph Cornell was elected Chapter President by a handful of members at a time when the American economy was experiencing the third worst downturn of the 20th century." Read more 

Our Story – The Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter
February 19, 2024 

"The legacy of landscape architecture has deep roots in Pennsylvania and Delaware, dating back to the Olmsted firm. In Pennsylvania, Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. projects include Bryn Mawr College, Fairmount Park (Philadelphia), Vandergrift town plan, and other city parks. In Wilmington, Delaware, Olmsted, Sr. notably drafted the Brandywine Park plan." Read more 

Potomac Chapter History
February 19, 2024 

"In 1938, the Washington DC chapter of ASLA was established, and by the time of the 1940 annual ASLA meeting, membership had grown to 51 professionals. During World War II, the chapter provided a series of meetings in which speakers advised landscape architects of the impact of the war on the nation's capital." Read more

Connecticut Chapter – The Early Years
March 3, 2024

"Though we share him with the rest of ASLA and the world, CTASLA take great pride in Olmsted's Connecticut heritage. He was born and raised in Hartford and is interred in the city's Old North Cemetery. The hills and streams of the Connecticut landscape are where those first seeds that would inform his life's work were planted." Read more

The ASLA New York Upstate Chapter’s Early History
March 3, 2024

"The Chapter encompasses all of upstate New York. It includes a significant geography from the Adirondack Mountains to the Ontario and Erie Lake plains, the Finger Lakes, the Southern Tier, and the Hudson Valley." Read more  

In a Little Grass Shack – Hawaii Chapter History
March 3, 2024
 
"It seems only natural that the Hawai‘i Chapter would be formed in 1955. The post-WWII boom in hotel and resort development recognized Hawai‘i’s true gem, the landscape. One delightful anecdote remembered by Frank Brandt, FASLA, was that 'meetings were held at the Waikikian Hotel Bar.'" Read more

California Sierra Chapter’s Legendary History
March 17, 2024

"Fast forward to the turn of the millennium when our chapter played a pivotal role in ASLA's Centennial Celebration. We commemorated the event with a master plan for Sacramento’s Capitol Mall, which was developed and gifted by the chapter to the City of Sacramento and State of California. This showcased the transformative power of landscape architecture on a grand scale." Read more  

ASLA's 125th: Minnesota Chapter – Origins of a Midwestern Design Hub
April 1, 2024

"Through the decades, the chapter has grown and so has its scope, championing the profession, driving sustainable design initiatives, engaging in K-12 STEM outreach, and advocating for diversity and equity in landscape architecture." Read more

ASLA's 125th: Indiana Chapter History
 April 14, 2024

"Over the past fifty years, INASLA has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape architecture profession in Indiana. Our dedicated members have left an indelible mark on the state, creating spaces that inspire, connect, and enrich the lives of communities across the region." Read more

ASLA's 125th: History of the Illinois Chapter
April 14, 2024

"A look into the history of landscape architecture in Illinois is a breathtaking journey into outdoor spaces, natural shorelines, and famously crafted environments. The state's founders placed great value on the natural environment and created sweeping laws to protect outdoor spaces such as the Lake Michigan lakefront and the many forest preserves throughout the state." Read more

ASLA's 125th: Ohio Chapter History
May 5, 2024

"In 2023, the Ohio Chapter added two new executive committee positions: VP of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and VP of Climate Action. These roles were created to align more closely with ASLA National efforts to increase the profession’s reach and relevance for new audiences and aspiring professionals and support ASLA’s major commitment in addressing the industry’s impact on the environment." Read more