Fullers Overlook has been under the stewardship of the Fuller family for more than 125 years. Mort’s great grandfather, Edward L. Fuller, began assembling the property in 1899, completing the purchase by 1902 and commissioning iconic landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to develop a master plan for what was envisioned as a weekend and summer retreat near the Fuller family’s Scranton home. So began a 30-year relationship with the firm, which was expanded by Olmsted’s sons, Frederick Jr. and John C, under the name Olmsted Brothers.
Since its initial purchase, the property has been owned and occupied by E. L. Fuller’s direct descendants, with three generations of Fullers growing up on the premises. Following the death of Mort’s grandmother, Kathryn Steel Fuller, in 1964, parts of the property were divided among the family. While some parcels were sold, most of the land remained in the Fuller family. In 2012, following a dedicated effort to reassemble much of the original core footprint, Mort and Sue Fuller engaged Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW) Landscape Architects to draft a plan to rejuvenate and modernize the property.
NBW was granted access to the Olmsted Archives, which holds most of the preserved drawings from Olmsted’s original master plan. Research and review of these documents has formed the basis for the revitalization of the property, which interweaves the familial and cultural landscape while placing the precinct within a larger working environment of production and experimentation.
In 2024, citing the urgent need for sustainability research, innovation, and engagement, Mort and Sue initiated a transfer of ownership and stewardship of Fullers Overlook to Penn State to provide opportunities for cutting-edge research, on-site learning, and collaborative partnerships with sustainability-oriented organizations.