Carl Rust Parker
American
Carl Rust Parker was born in Andover, Massachusetts, attended the public schools there and graduated from Phillips Academy in 1901. From 1901 to 1910, he was in the office of Olmsted Brothers, Brookline, Massachusetts as a draftsman, planting designer and supervisor of both construction and planting operations. In the period 1910 to 1917 he had private office in Portland, Maine and Springfield, Massachusetts doing work on private estates, subdivisions and parks, both design and construction....In 1919 he returned to Olmsted Brothers where, as a principal assistant to members of the firm in both the office and field, his work covered a wide range - private estates, subdivisions, industrial plants, town and city planning, parks and recreation areas and cemeteries. In 1950 he became a member of the firm, continuing the same types of work, some as his principal responsibility, some in collaboration with others. He retired in 1961. "Some of the more important projects in which he had a special interest were the development of Kohler Village in Wisconsin; Bell Telephone Laboratories New Jersey, plants for the Western Electric Company; the National Cash Register Company; Armco Steel Corporation; the University of Maine; University of Mississippi; Mississippi State University; Parks in Union and Essex Counties, New Jersey; the National Life insurance company; Berkshire Life Insurance Company; Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company; and George Washington Masonic Memorial.
During his tenure in Maine Parker set up office in Portland, where he advertised "designer parks, playgrounds, private grounds, gardens and land developments. Special attention given to Continued Care of Summer Residents' Property. Construction and Planting plans furnished and work supervised". Among the important commissions that Parker received were the Percy V Hill House in Augusta, the Blaine House in Augusta (NHL: 66000024) and the Hyde Mansion in Bath (NR: 78000197). He was also active in the Village Improvement movement and designed public and commercial landscapes including a Village Green in Yarmouth and, the New Mount Kineo House on Moosehead Lake (1911), and the Goodwill- Hinckley School in Fairfield. (NR: 87000232). - NRHP