70-585: Greenbelt Park is a park in Greenbelt , Maryland , that is managed by the National Park Service as part of National Capital Parks East . The forested park lies approximately 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Washington, D.C. , and is situated just within the Capital Beltway (which bounds the park to the northeast). The park land was originally intended to form part of the green belt surrounding
140-821: A Bowie postal address; and District 6 Station in Beltsville CDP serve the community. The federally planned and constructed inner core of the city was designated as the Greenbelt Historic District by the Maryland Historical Trust , and subsequently placed on the National Park Service 's maintained National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1980. The historic district was elevated to National Historic Landmark District status on February 18, 1997. The district contains Roosevelt Center (originally named simply The Center , and later renamed in honor of President Roosevelt) and many buildings in
210-463: A citizen." In 2009, the city implemented several election reforms with the goal of increasing diversity: increasing the city council from five to seven members, adding another precinct in Greenbelt East to shorten voter lines, and amending the city charter to allow early voting. In the election held November 3, 2009, Emmett Jordan, an African American, was chosen by 75% of voters, electing him to
280-588: A cooperative ownership plan. The houses were designed to be mass-produced using steel frame construction and insulated panels, predating the similar Lustron product by a decade. Lawsuits arising from rental disagreements and issues of maintenance apparently prevented further construction. 1000 units were built in 1941–42 as "defense housing" by the Federal Works Agency , following the general principles of earlier housing. However, many features were cut back or compromised for economy. The central common area
350-402: A medieval fortress town, a walled center surrounded by contemporary neighborhoods. Greenbelt borrowed techniques pioneered seven years previously at Radburn, New Jersey , which turned housing layouts "inside-out" to keep automobiles and service traffic hidden. The architectural design, while modern in tone, borrows details such as pitched slate roofs, plain walls and steel casement windows from
420-402: A minimally sized, but well-equipped kitchen. Children's closets had built-in ladders for access to higher shelving. Furniture was offered based on Scandinavian designs. Twelve multi-family units were built, using three standard floor plans in buildings of 18 to 48 units. These buildings were built with basements, offering storage, laundry and children's play space. Unlike the group housing areas,
490-778: A north–south direction, running parallel to the B–W Parkway, providing an alternate travel route into Washington, D.C., from Greenbelt. The southernmost Maryland portion of Kenilworth Avenue forms a major interchange with both the B–W Parkway and US 50 near the Maryland–D.C. line, and continues into Washington, as the Kenilworth Avenue Freeway (DC 295) . Washington Metro 's rapid transit rail system serves Washington, D.C. , and neighboring communities in Maryland and Northern Virginia , by operating 98 Metro stations , which includes
560-508: A site that had formerly consisted largely of tobacco fields. She was also heavily involved in the first cooperative community designed by the federal government in the New Deal Era, Arthurdale, West Virginia , which sought to improve the lives of impoverished laborers by enabling them to create a self-sufficient, and relatively prosperous, cooperative community. Cooperatives in Greenbelt include
630-603: A vehicle for the sale of the town. Congressional legislation was passed that allowed the government to sell the greenbelt towns to non-profit groups with at least 50% veteran members. In December 1952 the Greenbelt Veterans Housing Corporation (GVHC) bought 1580 units and 240 acres (0.97 km ) of developed land for $ 6,285,450. In 1953 the GVHC bought 709 acres (2.87 km ) of undeveloped land for $ 670,219. Other areas were sold to private developers, and in 1956
700-675: Is contiguous with a portion of Greenbelt's eastern border. NASA 's Goddard Space Flight Center , located directly adjacent to Greenbelt's eastern boundary, utilizes a Greenbelt postal address (Greenbelt, MD 20768), as well. It is partially within the former Goddard census-designated place . Greenbelt Park , a unit of the National Park System , is located within the City of Greenbelt's boundaries, at its southernmost portion. Two major highways pass through and have interchanges in Greenbelt:
770-496: Is land and 0.06 square miles (142,846 square meters) is water. Greenbelt's ZIP Codes are 20770, 20771, and 20768. The ZIP Code 20770 contains all residential and business addresses that correspond to actual physical locations inside the geographic boundaries of the City of Greenbelt. The 20768 ZIP Code is assigned exclusively to post-office box (P.O. Box) addresses, while 20771 is the designated ZIP Code for Goddard Space Flight Center , situated on federal government owned land that
SECTION 10
#1732852365215840-727: Is served by Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Greenbelt), a school which includes a Science and Technology magnet program and an AP Capstone program. There is a public magnet school within the City: There are no private schools within the City of Greenbelt. There is a Catholic school in nearby Lanham CDP , Academy of Saint Matthias the Apostle. The Lanham Act was used to build North End Elementary School. The original Greenbelt High School building (later used for Greenbelt Junior High, Greenbelt Middle, and currently Dora Kennedy French Immersion School) opened in c. 1937 . Originally,
910-672: The Greenbelt News Review , Greenbelt Consumers Coop grocery store, the New Deal Cafe , and the cooperative forming the downtown core of original housing, Greenbelt Homes Incorporated (GHI). The architectural planning of Greenbelt was innovative, as was the social engineering involved in this federal government project. Applicants for residency were interviewed and screened based on income and occupation, and willingness to become involved in community activities. African-Americans were initially excluded, but were later included by
980-406: The 2010 U.S. Census and 24,921 at the 2020 census . Greenbelt is located at 38°59′41″N 76°53′07″W / 38.99467°N 76.885399°W / 38.99467; -76.885399 . According to United States Census Bureau data, as of January 1, 2018, the city has a total area of 6.23 square miles (16,146,235 square meters ), of which 6.18 square miles (16,003,389 square meters)
1050-480: The 2020 census , the population was 24,921. Greenbelt is the first and the largest of the three experimental and controversial New Deal Greenbelt Towns, the others being Greenhills, Ohio , and Greendale, Wisconsin . Greenbelt was planned and built by the federal government as an all-white town. The cooperative community was conceived in 1935 by Undersecretary of Agriculture Rexford Guy Tugwell , whose perceived collectivist ideology attracted opposition to
1120-709: The Art Deco style. Roosevelt Center contains the Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket and Pharmacy (the Co-op), which opened in 1984, and the original, historic Old Greenbelt Theatre , while also adding the Greenbelt Arts Center (located underneath the Co-op, in what was previously the city's bowling alley ), and additional new businesses such as the New Deal Cafe , with its name honoring the origins of its location. Both
1190-782: The CSX System . Also available at Greenbelt station was a weekday express Metrobus service, the Greenbelt–BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Express Line (commonly shortened to the Greenbelt–BWI Airport Line), designated route B30, to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), a mode of transportation to and from the airport for airline passengers, in addition to allowing for connections to Baltimore's regional transit services. This service ended in 2020. Metrobus , Prince George's County's THE BUS (routes 11 and 15X), and
1260-760: The Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495) and the National Park Service 's owned and maintained portion of the Baltimore–Washington Parkway ( unsigned MD 295). The Greenbelt portion of the Baltimore–Washington Parkway (B–W Parkway) is part of the parkway's 19-mile section which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Additionally, Greenbelt Road is part of state highway MD 193 , which connects several suburban communities in both Prince George's and Montgomery counties. Kenilworth Avenue (MD 201) traverses Greenbelt in
1330-732: The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act , intended to counter the effects of the Great Depression through the appropriation of $ 5 billion for jobs programs. As a result, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the Resettlement Administration (RA) to coordinate federal efforts concerning housing and land, placing particular emphasis on rural poverty. While the focus of the RA remained primarily rural, it
1400-642: The Federal Works Agency controlled North End Elementary School, Greenbelt High School, and the Center School. High Point High School , in Beltsville , opened in fall 1954, and began serving students from Greenbelt. The former Greenbelt High School then became Greenbelt Junior High School. The county bought Center School for $ 260,000, after the federal government renovated it in July 1958. The county also bought Greenbelt Junior High and North End Elementary. Roosevelt High
1470-528: The Greenbelt station , the northern terminus of Metro's Green Line . Commuter rail service to the station is provided by MARC Train 's Camden Line , which connects the District of Columbia 's Washington Union Station with Camden Station in Baltimore . The Camden Line provides service by utilizing the original 1835 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) track route between Washington and Baltimore, now part of
SECTION 20
#17328523652151540-602: The McCarthy investigations . After several abortive attempts to divest itself of the town, the Federal Government hired Hale Walker, the town's original planner, along with Harold Heller to develop a master plan for expansion of the town. The new plan envisioned a reduction of agricultural use and an increase in single-family housing. In 1947 the Greenbelt Mutual Home Owners Corporation was formed as
1610-781: The United States Congress passed the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 . Then under the authority granted to him from this legislation, President Roosevelt issued an executive order , on May 1, 1935, establishing the United States Resettlement Administration (RA / RRA) . Rexford Tugwell agreed to serve as the Administrator of the Resettlement Administration, in addition to his Undersecretary of Agriculture position, without receiving any additional salary. Working alongside Tugwell
1680-620: The United States Department of Justice opened an investigation into the city's election system. In 2008, the city government hosted three public community meetings regarding election reform, in concert with the ACLU, NAACP, and FairVote . Over 100 residents attended the forums, including one of the unsuccessful African American candidates, Jeanette Gordy, who said, "My concern is that people don't get off their royal behinds. By going to meetings I got what I wanted and found out I had power as
1750-551: The University of Maryland 's Shuttle-UM (route 143; University ID required) each have bus routes which serve the city of Greenbelt. Through a city–university partnership between 2017 and 2019, Greenbelt residents were permitted to unlimited travel on Shuttle UM, with the purchase of a $ 10 annual pass. The City operates limited transportation via the Greenbelt Connection, a 12-passenger wheelchair-accessible van. Greenbelt
1820-489: The 1938 "Mother and Child" sculpture by Lenore Thomas Straus . The "Rural High School", later Greenbelt Middle School, was built between 1936 and 1945. Like the elementary school, it is a notable Art Deco building, using glass block extensively. Greenbelt is the best-preserved of the three built greenbelt towns, retaining much of its green space reserve despite the encroachment of development and highway construction. The Greenbelt model provided inspiration to other projects in
1890-402: The 1960s the Capital Beltway was built through the middle of the Greenbelt reservation, destroying the "Indian Springs" that had been a recreational feature, as well as an Indian cemetery. Greenbelt is laid out as a crescent of "superblocks" containing two rows of frame or concrete block multi-family dwellings. Houses are linked by footpaths and are grouped around central service courts, with
1960-506: The Co-op and the New Deal Cafe carry on a tradition from the city's inception, as they operate as non-profit cooperative membership corporations . Greenbelt is served by Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS). There are three public elementary schools serving sections of Greenbelt: All of Greenbelt is served by Greenbelt Middle School (Greenbelt), which includes a Talented and Gifted magnet program. All of Greenbelt
2030-613: The Council as Mayor Pro Tem, the second-highest city official. Voter turnout increased from 1,898 to 2,399 voters (a 26% increase in ballots cast) from 2007 to 2009. In the election held November 5, 2013, Emmett Jordan was chosen by 77% of voters, and receiving highest vote count was then elected Mayor by the council. Prince George's County Police Department District 1 Station in Hyattsville ; District 2 Station in Brock Hall CDP , with
2100-553: The Council selects the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem (who assumes the duties of the Mayor when the Mayor is unavailable). The Council has traditionally chosen the member with the highest vote count to be Mayor and the member with the second-highest vote count as Mayor Pro Tem. Elections are held every two years, in odd-numbered years, in part to diminish the influence of political parties. Political party affiliations are not an official part of
2170-458: The English garden cities at Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City . International Style influences are visible in the white walls and flat roofs of the concrete block buildings. Landscaping was integrated into the design, with mature specimen trees saved or transplanted during site development. Each of the group housing units had a plot 30 feet (9.1 m) by 90 feet (27 m) between the house and
Greenbelt Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
2240-409: The GVHC sold the undeveloped land to cover its loan. In 1957 Greenbelt Homes, Inc. was formed from the GVHC to manage the community, and retains title to 1600 units and 280 acres (1.1 km ) of land. The supermarket remains a co-op. The community opposed the proposed Baltimore–Washington Parkway , beginning in 1946, but the road was completed in 1954 through part of the greenbelt reservation. In
2310-469: The Greenbelt Committee for Fair Housing founded in 1963, and came to account for 41% of residents, according to the 2000 census. The same census data also indicates that African-Americans are isolated in certain parts within the town, and the percentage of African-Americans within the historic area is between 0% and 5% on most blocks. Much of the federal government planned and developed portion of
2380-507: The Greenbelt Towns project throughout its short duration. The project came into legal existence on April 8, 1935, when Congress passed the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 . Under the authority granted to him by this legislation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order , on May 1, 1935, establishing the United States Resettlement Administration (RA/RRA) . First called Maryland Special Project No. 1 ,
2450-627: The Maryland American Civil Liberties Union and Prince George's County NAACP sent a letter to the Greenbelt City Council claiming that Greenbelt's at-large system may violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 . According to the letter, the 2000 Census indicated that African-Americans constituted 38% of Greenbelt's voting-age population, Asians 13%, and Latinos 6%. At the time, however, all members of
2520-643: The US Federal Government (including NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center adjacent to Greenbelt). Greenbelt Historic District The Greenbelt Historic District is a national historic district located in Greenbelt , Prince George's County , Maryland, United States. The district preserves the center of one of the few examples of the Garden city movement in the United States. With its sister cities of Greenhills, Ohio and Greendale, Wisconsin , Greenbelt
2590-861: The United States. Parade Park in Kansas City, Missouri , River Park in southwest Washington, D.C., and Parktown in Cincinnati , Ohio, were built by the Reynolds Aluminum Company Service Corporation as showcases for aluminum construction, and were based on the Greenbelt urban model. The town of Kitimat, British Columbia , was built in 1953 by the Aluminum Company of Canada along similar lines. Both Vallingby in Sweden and Chandigarh in East Punjab , India , were influenced by Greenbelt, as
2660-427: The age of 18 living with them, 30.7% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.9% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age in
2730-420: The age of 18 living with them, 33.1% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under
2800-460: The age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 39.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 46,328, and the median income for a family was $ 55,671. Males had a median income of $ 39,133 versus $ 35,885 for females. The per capita income for
2870-423: The city council were white. The letter proposed that the city switch to single-winner district-based voting , cumulative voting , or choice voting , and indicated a lawsuit would follow if no reform were implemented. While the city population is racially diverse, only two African Americans had run for Council in the 30 years preceding the 2009 election, one of whom had withdrawn before the election. In June 2008,
Greenbelt Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
2940-422: The city election process and are seldom part of candidate campaigns. Regular council meetings are held on Mondays, twice per month except during July, August, and December, when meetings are held once per month. The City Council is supported by 14 advisory boards and committees of citizen volunteers. The council appoints a professional city manager responsible for supervising government operations and implementing
3010-491: The city is located within the Greenbelt Historic District. Greenbelt was the subject of the 1939 documentary film The City . In 2021, the city created a reparations task force to study the issue of whether or not to award reparations to African-Americans in Greenbelt. During the census of 2010, there were 23,068 people, 9,747 households, and 5,367 families residing in the city. The population density
3080-569: The city of Greenbelt. The southern portion was assigned to the National Park Service, thus forming the park, while another section became part of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). Recreational facilities include a 5.3 mile (8.5 km) mile hiking and equestrian trail , several shorter nature trails, numerous campsites , and three picnic areas. The park received its National Park designation in 1950, and
3150-421: The city was $ 25,236. About 6.0% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over. The City of Greenbelt operates under a council-manager government as established by the city charter, the first such arrangement in Maryland. The Council consists of seven members elected by plurality-at-large voting . From their members,
3220-403: The city was 33.7 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 34.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64, and 7.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female. For the census of 2000, there were 21,456 people, 9,368 households, and 4,965 families residing in the city. The population density
3290-420: The city, known locally as Old Greenbelt , was recognized as the Greenbelt Historic District by the Maryland Historical Trust , and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark District . Greenbelt's population, which includes residents of privately built dwellings dating from after the end of the federal government's ownership of the city, was recorded as 23,068 at
3360-454: The ends of rows, initially called "honeymoon units." All units are slab-on-grade , with basements omitted as a result of the high local water table. Central utilities are provided. The concrete block units were built by unskilled labor, with the concrete first floor structure employed as the ceiling finish for the ground floor. Pitched-roof units were built using balloon frame construction. Interiors were highly organized, with few closets and
3430-531: The initial tenants was 29 years. Tenants paid $ 18–25 per month for an apartment, and $ 28–41 for a semidetached house. The town was managed as a cooperative , with a citizens committee to run the commercial center. This arrangement was viewed with considerable skepticism, particularly within Congress. Eventually, by the 1950s, several members of Greenbelt's coops appeared before Congressional subcommittees on charges of communism and monopolistic practices as part of
3500-414: The land south of Greenbelt Road that was designated for town expansion has since been transferred to the National Park Service and is now Greenbelt Park , while other areas became the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center . Within the planned suburban development, 1000 units were designated for white residents, and 250 for African-American residents. A 1,750 acres (710 ha) tract
3570-516: The national economic recovery following the Great Depression . Greenbelt, which provided affordable housing for federal government workers, was one of three Greenbelt Towns conceived in 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's Brain Trust member Rexford Tugwell , who was serving as the president's Undersecretary of Agriculture . The project was officially authorized in May 1935. First, on April 8, 1935,
SECTION 50
#17328523652153640-466: The parklands, cared for by the tenant. On the service side space was provided for trash storage and clothes drying. Landscaping was used to create privacy, and the finished community was notable for the maturity of the plantings. A strategy for group housing was followed, the result of questionnaires distributed to potential inhabitants, as well as considerations of the economy of attached units. Units are typically two stories tall, with one-story units at
3710-533: The policies adopted by the council. The 2021 election selected the current city council: The council selects the City Manager: Of the ten incorporated cities in Prince George's County , Greenbelt is one of three with at-large elections for council and mayor (the others are District Heights and New Carrollton ). The remaining seven use combinations of districts and at-large voting. On February 28, 2008,
3780-656: The primary facades face the street, and feature extensive areas of glass block . The International Style features prominently, with flat roofs and concrete structure. Five residential units were built on Woodland Way as demonstration projects for economical construction. The one story, two-bedroom units featured the use of plywood as a structural material and as a cladding, using a 40 inches (100 cm) module. The only privately constructed houses in Greenbelt are ten units on Forestway Road, known as Parkbelt Homes. The Parkbelt Homes were built by General Houses of Chicago. These were supposed to be followed by another 190 units under
3850-686: The program, the RA was placed under the U.S. Department of Agriculture . In September 1937 it became the Farm Security Administration . By 1938 the greenbelt town was dissolved. The construction cost for Greenbelt was estimated at $ 13,394,400. The government began accepting applications for residence in Greenbelt, basing acceptance on income, health, family size, financial reliability, clean living habits and indications of community spirit. Prospective tenants were interviewed at their homes. Wives were not permitted to work, and were expected to stay home and take care of children. The average age of
3920-532: The project was officially named Greenbelt when the Division of Suburban Resettlement of the Resettlement Administration began construction, on January 13, 1936, about eight miles north of Washington. The complete Greenbelt plans were reviewed at the White House by President Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on April 30, 1936. The first tenants, after selection in a stringent application process, moved in to
3990-566: The public sides facing the communal "garden" space. A central town common includes the original commercial district, community center and school, linked to the residential areas by pedestrian underpasses. A recreation area, 27 acres (11 ha) lake, and allotment gardens are located beyond the common. The architecture is modernist in style. The historic district includes more than 400 structures, as well as three pre-existing family cemeteries. The original center of Greenbelt has since been surrounded by newer development, causing it to be compared with
4060-424: The town on September 30, 1937. The construction consisted of structures built in the Art Deco , Streamline Moderne , and Bauhaus architectural styles . Greenbelt is credited as a historic milestone in urban development because it was the initial model for the privately constructed suburban Washington, D.C., planned cities of Reston, Virginia , and Columbia, Maryland . The original federally built core of
4130-454: Was Charles W. Yost . The two other Greenbelt Towns are Greendale, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee ) and Greenhills, Ohio (near Cincinnati ). A fourth town, Roosevelt, New Jersey (originally called Homestead), was planned but was not fully developed on the same large scale as Greenbelt. Eleanor Roosevelt , wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt , helped Tugwell lay out the Maryland town on
4200-474: Was 3,586.6 people per square mile (1,385.3/km ). There were 10,180 housing units at an average density of 1,701.7 per square mile (657.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 39.7% White , 41.4% African American , 0.2% Native American , 12.1% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 3.1% from other races , and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5% of the population. There were 11,202 households, out of which 26.9% had children under
4270-474: Was 3,673.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,418.2/km ). There were 10,433 housing units at an average density of 1,661.3 per square mile (641.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 30.1% White , 47.8% African American , 0.3% Native American , 9.7% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 8.6% from other races , and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.3% of the population. There were 9,747 households, of which 31.0% had children under
SECTION 60
#17328523652154340-543: Was acquired along with the land that would form the Baltimore-Washington Parkway , which divides the park in a roughly north–south direction. Nearly all of the park's facilities are located within the larger western portion (the eastern portion has one fire road ). Greenbelt, Maryland Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland , United States, and a suburb of Washington, D.C. At
4410-530: Was also charged with resettling farm workers who were leaving agriculture in search of industrial work. New towns were seen as a solution to this problem, to be built outside urban areas and surrounded by healthful green belts of preserved land. As many as 3000 of these towns were initially envisioned. 100 cities were studied for new towns, eventually narrowing to 25. Four sites were picked for the first trials: Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Wisconsin , Cincinnati , Ohio and New Brunswick, New Jersey . The Washington site
4480-400: Was associate principal architect, Hale Walker was the town planner, and Harold Bursley was the engineering designer. The design team described areas for group housing, single-family residences, light and heavy industry, businesses, schools and parks. beyond the original town area, planned for 4000 families, two more areas were reserved for 3000 families each, with capacity for 50% growth. Much of
4550-608: Was designated the Rossville Rural Development, and was apparently meant to be an area of 50 farms for African-Americans, based on the old African-American community of Rossville. Both Rossville and the suburban housing for African-Americans were eventually dropped from the plan. Construction involved the transport of as many a 5000 men by rail to the Branchville railroad halt each day. Roosevelt visited on November 13, 1936. However, politics intervened, and amid criticism of
4620-492: Was intended to be a "new town" that would start with a clean slate to do away with problems of urbanism in favor of a suburban ideal. Along with the never-commenced town of Greenbrook, New Jersey , the new towns were part of the New Deal public works programs. Greenbelt's center has survived with few alterations compared with its sister towns. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997. In April 1935 Congress passed
4690-499: Was planned for 1000 families, to be expanded later to 3000. The initial facilities comprised a school/community center, a fire/police station and automobile repair shop, two commercial buildings and a gasoline station. An administration building and a hotel were planned, but remained unbuilt. The school is a noteworthy example of Art Deco design. The commercial buildings use Streamline Moderne motifs, including rounded corners, ribbon windows and flat roofs. The commercial area focuses on
4760-476: Was scheduled to open in fall 1976. The new Greenbelt Middle School opened on August 20, 2012. Greenbelt is served by the Greenbelt Branch of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System . According to Greenbelt's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were: Note that data was taken from only employers who made information available, and the list does not include
4830-420: Was settled on September 30, 1937, as a public cooperative community in the New Deal era. The concept was at the same time both eminently practical and idealistically utopian: the federal government would foster an "ideal" self-sufficient cooperative community that would also ease the pressing housing shortage near the nation's capital. Construction of the new town would also create jobs and thus help stimulate
4900-574: Was to be near Berwyn, Maryland , on land depleted by tobacco farming. 12,000 acres (49 km ) were purchased, and work began in late 1935, using 1000 laborers. Architects and planners were hired in June 1935, site construction began in December 1935, and Roosevelt was briefed on the plans in April 1936. Wallace Richards was the RA regional coordinator, Douglas Ellington was the principal architect, Reginald Wadsworth
#214785