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Theodore Wirth (1863–1949) was instrumental in designing the
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
system of parks. Swiss-born, he was widely regarded as the dean of the local parks movement in America. The various titles he was given included administrator of parks, horticulturalist, and park planner. Before emigrating to America in 1888, he worked as a florist and landscaper in Zurich,
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, and
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. He married Leonie Mense, the daughter of his employer in
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, before taking a job as superintendent of parks in Hartford, Connecticut in 1896, where he developed the first municipal
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garden in the country. In 1904 the city of Minneapolis offered him the position of Superintendent of Parks in that fast-growing Midwest city. His goal provided for a playground within a quarter-mile of every child and a complete recreation center within a half-mile of every family. During his 30-year tenure there, he expanded the park system from to , in a city of 37,387 acres (14%). Park land included parks,
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courses, flower gardens and boulevards. Unlike earlier park planners, he believed that parks ought to be used by the residents. His park development is enjoyed daily by residents and visitors on the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, at
Minnehaha Falls Minnehaha Park is a city park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and home to Minnehaha Falls and the lower reaches of Minnehaha Creek. Officially named Minnehaha Regional Park, it is part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board sy ...
, along the path following Minnehaha Creek, at Lake Harriet,
Bde Maka Ska Bde Maka Ska (, previously named Lake Calhoun, its former official designation) is the largest lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and part of the city's Chain of Lakes. Surrounded by city park land and circled by bike and walking ...
,
Lyndale Park Lyndale Park is a Minneapolis city park on the northeast side of Lake Harriet. It is next to Lakewood Cemetery, southeast of Bde Maka Ska. It is part of an enormous greenspace circling through Minneapolis called the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, an ...
, Winchell Trail, and scores of other public open spaces in Minneapolis. The lakes, parks, and outdoor recreation areas that Minneapolis features are often cited by users as some of the most important factors in their quality of life. Several Minneapolis recreation areas bear his name, including the Wirth Lake, which is in Theodore Wirth Park. At , it is by far the largest park in the Minneapolis park system. The Theodore Wirth House-Administration Building is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
because "it was built as a home for Theodore Wirth, an international figure in the field of park design" and "his administration offices within the building were the actual location where Theodore Wirth designed or redesigned the award-winning Minneapolis parks." The house was constructed to Wirth's specification and located in a corner of Lyndale Farmstead Park. Wirth wanted to be inspired by watching people using parks. In 2004 the Theodore Wirth Statue Garden, designed by his grandson Theodore J. Wirth, was opened. The sculpture, by Bill Rains, consists of a 115%-sized bronze statue of Wirth surrounded by twelve children representing the diverse population of Minneapolis and his policies of equal access for all people regardless of race or economic status. Wirth left his legacy in Minneapolis and via his three children: Conrad L. Wirth became director of the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...
; Walter L. Wirth was superintendent of parks in
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, and superintendent of the Salem, Oregon, Regional Parks System. The third son, Theodore, enjoyed a distinguished career, attaining the rank of admiral in the
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.


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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wirth, Theodore 1863 births 1949 deaths American landscape architects History of Minneapolis Architects from Minneapolis Swiss emigrants to the United States