The Ultimate Plan for Greenbelt, Maryland shows the orientation of the garden city, with residential "Superblocks" surrounding the "Commercial Center" and "Community Building" (which would house a school and public library).
Graphic from Library of Congress / 1936
A snapshot from the summer of 1936 shows that construction at Greenbelt is well underway.
Photo from Library of Congress / Carl Mydans
Officials of the government's Resettlement Administration (RA) pose for a photo at the Greenbelt site in June 1936.
Photo from Library of Congress / Carl Mydans
Rex Tugwell (in white) was head of the Resettlement Administration when this photo was taken, in June 1936. He would resign in December.
Photo from Library of Congress / Carl Mydans
10,600 WPA (Works Progress Administration) laborers were employed in the construction of America's three green suburbs between 1935 and 1940. Here we see a group of Greenbelt workers lined up for paychecks. The going rate was 15 cents per hour, with most workers earning at least $3 per week.
Photo from Library of Congress / Carl Mydans
Laying cinder block in Greenbelt, August 1936.
Photo from Library of Congress / Carl Mydans
A second Greenbelt construction image, this also from August 1936.
Photo from Library of Congress / Carl Mydans
Construction at Ohio's Greenhills site commenced in December 1935. By February 1937, much has been accomplished.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
A laborer is seen laying hardwood floors in a Greenhills housing unit.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
Another February 1937 snapshot shows plumbers installing a boiler in the basement of a Greenhills housing unit. Various home models in Greenhills and Greenbelt had cellars. There were no basements built in Greendale.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
Work got underway at Wisconsin's Greendale site in May 1936. A March 1937 photo shows a group of the city's prospective housing units.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
In an aerial view from January 1938, we see the emerging downtown of Greenhills. The "commercial center" (a.k.a. GREENHILLS CENTER) is seen in the top of the photo.
Photo from Library of Congress
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited the DC-adjacent Greenbelt site at least twice. The first tour took place in November 1936. A subsequent visit was undertaken in February 1937, and is shown in the image above, as well as in the photo that follows.
Photo from Library of Congress
Reputedly, FDR was "very impressed" with the up-and-coming garden city.
Photo from Library of Congress
The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, visited the Greenbelt and Greendale town sites during 1936 and 1937. She was also directly involved in the planning of the Greenbelt project. About Greendale, she was quoted as saying "I wish that every group of architects would have a woman sit at their elbows to give advice on such minor details as the proper placing of things which she uses in daily work."
Photo from Library of Congress
Above we have a circa-1936 floor plan of a three-unit Greenbelt apartment building. On the left is its "Honeymoon Unit," with a single bedroom. The typical rent for such an abode would run from between $18-$25 a month for an apartment, and between $28-$41 a month for an individual house. In 1939, the typical green suburb family were paying around 90 cents per month for water and $3 per month for electricity.
Drawing from Library of Congress
Prospective housing designs for the Greenhills project. In all of the three planned cities, homes had a "service side" (for automobile access, deliveries, utility meters and garbage collection), and "garden side," which would open on a central green space.
Drawing from Library of Congress
In this image we see a "Superblock" and adjoining cul-de-sac units from the Greenhills development. The Superblock was devised for Radburn, New Jersey in the late 1920s. With this concept, all housing faces inward, and surrounds a central green space.
Drawing from Library of Congress
Originally, all pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the green suburbs was to be separated. This would be done using paved foot paths and pedestrian underpasses at major roadway intersections. However, building budgets tightened with various cost overruns. A system of pedestrian underpasses was only built in Greenbelt. The Greenhills and Greendale projects had to settle for guarded crosswalks along their foot path networks.
Photo from Library of Congress / Arthur Rothstein
Exteriors of completed Greenbelt housing units are shown in this image, and the one that follows. The date, November 1936.
Photo from Library of Congress / Arthur Rothstein
Garages were provided for half of the homes built in the three green suburbs.
Photo from Library of Congress / Arthur Rothstein
An image showing the interior of the Greenbelt Model Home, circa-November 1936. One could assume that the canine seen here was included as a homage to "Fala," the Roosevelt's Scottish Terrier. However, this photo was taken 4 years before he was born.
Photo from Library of Congress / Arthur Rothstein
A "Greenbelter" kitchen, also from November 1936.
Photo from Library of Congress / Arthur Rothstein
In this snapshot -and the three that follow- the Greendale Model Home is displayed, circa-March 1937. In the beginning, Scandinavian-style furniture was to be sold along with rental units in Greendale. Budget cuts put a stop to this...but furniture was offered for sale at the other two green suburbs.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
In Greendale abodes, first level floors were tiled. Upstairs, floors were hardwood. As seen here, there were no living room ceilings on the first floor. The bottom side of the upstairs floor was left exposed.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
A "Greendaler" kitchen. A single-bowl sink and electric range were provided.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
A refrigerator also came with each Greendale home. Apparently, it is sitting behind the photographer, out of view of the camera.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
One, two, three and four-bedroom units were available at the Greendale project.
Photo from Library of Congress / Russell Lee
