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​GEORGE E. KESSLER PARK AND BOULEVARD SYSTEM

GEORGE E. KESSLER
(1862-1923)
George E. Kessler, born in Germany in 1862, moved to the United States at the age of three.  He returned to Germany as a young man for instruction in botany, forestry, landscape design, civic design, and civil engineering. 

In 1882, at the age of 20, Kessler returned to the United States to begin his career.  Over the next 40 years, Kessler would provide the landscape design for the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis and prepare plans for 26 park and boulevard systems, 49 parks, 46 estates & residences, and 26 schools throughout the United States, Mexico and China. 




THE CITY BEAUTIFUL
In the late1800s, over-crowding and pollution led to the belief that American cities were unhealthy environments.  A movement known as City Beautiful emerged at the turn of the century as a remedy to these urban problems. 

The City Beautiful movement comprises a range of beautification efforts including park and boulevard planning, the establishment of civic centers, tree and flower planting, factory smoke pollution regulation, and billboard and trash removal.  In Indianapolis, as in numerous other American cities during this time, various civic and business leaders recognized the need for a concerted effort toward city clean-ups and park establishment.

A PLAN FOR INDIANAPOLIS
In 1908, the City's Park Board enlisted the help of George Kessler.  As one of the preeminent landscape architects in the nation, Kessler was a leading figure of the City Beautiful movement.  Kessler spent a year researching Indianapolis' parks, waterways, and transportation system.  In 1909, he submitted his Indianapolis Park and Boulevard Plan ("The Kessler Plan") as part of the Board of Park Commissioner's Annual Report. 

Kessler identified the key natural features of the city and built his plan around these features.  To encompass all areas of the city, Kessler identified six waterways as the cornerstone of his plan.  

Along these waterways would be landscaped boulevards linking the park system together.  These boulevards served a practical purpose as well, providing flood control and routes into the downtown business district.  In addition, ornamental bridges would connect portions of the boulevards and serve as landmarks for the city. 

After World War I, Kessler expanded his plan in response to city growth.  He added a northern boulevard that was later named Kessler Boulevard in his honor.  After Kessler's death in 1923, landscape architect Lawrence Sheridan extended the plan further to include all of Marion County.

A Lasting Legacy
Kessler's work in Indianapolis was a catalyst for the City Beautiful movement throughout Indiana.  Kessler designed park and boulevard systems in Fort Wayne, South Bend, and Terre Haute.  Kessler also advised on projects in Anderson, Evansville, Marion and Peru, Indiana, and influenced the campus landscapes of Indiana University (Bloomington), Butler University, and Rose Polytechnic in Terre Haute, the Kessler Plan continues to serve as the basis of the city's park system and the framework for the city's extensive greenway network.

 
 

​Administrative Offices located at the City County Building, 200 East Washington Street, Ste. 2301

(317) 327-PARK