Community leaders of Maplewood, New Jersey (originally part of South Orange) were eager to create a recreational area for their residents. In 1922, community members reached out to Olmsted Brothers, requesting a general plan for their new park. The plan for the new park included a pond, playfields, tennis courts, and a memorial to those lost in WWI.
Planting at Maplewood Park began in 1923 and was completed two years later, the only aspect of the Olmsted design that was implemented. The relationship between Olmsted Brothers and Maplewood was strained by differing opinions on design choices. One example of this is that Olmsted Brothers preferred a simple piece of granite for the base of the War Memorial, while the Memorial Committee preferred a large boulder, which was eventually chosen.
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service