Greendale, Wisconsin

Greendale, Wisconsin. . , ...had its beginnings in 1936, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture began construction of three new communities known as the Greenbelt towns. Besides Greendale, the other two towns are Greenbelt, Maryland and Greenhills, Ohio. , , In the center is the business district, nearby at the end of the wide center thoroughfare, is the Village Hall, just as when the Village was opened for business on May 1, 1938. , , Greendale was originally developed by the government with the intent to provide homes for families of an income level that would preclude their living in a suburban setting. The requirements for renting included an annual income within the range of $1,200 and $2,700 annually, a housing need, reliability in financial matters, cleanliness in living habits and suitable size of family for available living units. When the size of a family changed, they had to move to the appropriate living unit. , , There were 572 living units in 366 buildings when the Village opened for occupancy. Nearly all were two stories, except for the so-called "honeymooners". All homes had concrete foundations, cincrete (a type of cinder) block walls, and either lightweight tile or slate shingle roofs. A utility room, containing the coal-fired furnace and laundry facilities, took the place of a basement. The first floor was finished with asphalt tile on a 2-1/2 inch concrete slab, supported by pre-cast concrete joists. The second floor was of 7/8 inch oak or maple. The living room had a beamed ceiling of 8 inch ponderosa pine, with the wood sub-floor of the floor above serving as its ceiling finish. , , An elected general committee was formed to coordinate activities and initially govern Greendale. It was incorporated as a Village on November 1, 1938, and the present council-manager system of government was adopted. , , In 1949, the public Housing Administration was given approval to dispose of the Greenbelt towns. Occupants of Greendale's original 572 units were given the first right to purchase and in nearly all cases, the residents exercised this option. Vacant lands were either given or sold to public agencies or offered with conditions to private purchasers or developers. This transfer of ownersip from the Federal Government was largely completed at the end of 1952. , , Funded by the Village of Greendale and Community Development Block Grant Funds , Illustration by Jim Sibilski of Reiman Publications. Text written by Quentin Zillig.