Part 5/11:
However, the Spragues had grander dreams for their estate. They enlisted the renowned Olmsted, Olmsted, and Eliot firm, led by Frederick Law Olmsted, to craft an extraordinary landscape plan aiming to transform the rural farmland into a idyllic estate reminiscent of grand European gardens.
Initial endeavors faced obstacles—interpersonal disagreements between Charles Sprague and landscape architect Charles Eliot led to the premature termination of the project. Undeterred, Mary sought out another visionary: Charles A. Plat, an emerging landscape artist and author of "The Gardens of the Italian Renaissance". Plat’s expertise was instrumental in creating a garden that would become a defining feature of the estate.