Adolph Strauch, father of the lawn plan

Abstract

Tobey, G.B., 1976. Adolph Strauch, father of the lawn plan. Landscape Plann., 2: 283–294. Adolph Strauch, product of the 19th century romantic era of landscape gardening, while not as well known as Frederick Law Olmsted Sr, had a strong influence on his time. Having chosen cemetery design and maintenance as his life's work, Strauch conceived of the rural cemetery as a place of natural beauty and solace, in sharp contrast to 18th century churchyards. In designing Spring Grove Cemetery, in Cincinnati, Strauch insisted upon preserving open space, limiting monuments to one per family plot. Thus, with judicious planting of native and exotic trees, evergreens and shrubs, the cemetery became a natural beauty spot, attractive to visitors, whose numbers far exceeded those of bereaved families. So successful was Strauch's formula, that Spring Grove became a nearly instant financial success, as well as a model for garden cemeteries everywhere. That Strauch was destined to create Spring Grove seems inevitable when we contemplate his early career. Born in Austria, he studied gardening at the Imperial gardens, where he became acquainted with Baron von Puckler Muskau, eminent park-estate designer of the infant 19th century. Muskau recommended for Strauch an apprenticeship which included a stint in the Royal Gardens in Regent's Park, London. While working in London, Strauch met Robert Bowler, his future employer and the man influential in seeing Strauch made landscape gardener and superintendent of Spring Grove. An exhibit of American mountain scenery based on John Fremont's expeditions in the Rockies crystallized Strauch's plans to visit the United States, and to acquaint himself with its scenic beauties. An accidental delay in train schedules occurring at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1852 led to Strauch's again meeting wealthy Cincinnati businessman Robert B. Bowler, who induced Strauch to design his estate in suburban Clifton. By the time Cincinnati's Spring Grove Cemetery was established, Strauch's reputation as landscape gardener gave him ready entry to the task which occupied the rest of his life, that of designing and caring for one of the finest and most influential landscaped cemeteries in the U.S.