Hartford Waterworks

Hartford Waterworks Municipal Water Report Info

In October 2012, Greendale was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The recognition acknowledges Greendale as one of three government-sponsored "greenbelt" communities constructed during the Great Depression, representing the federal response to severe unemployment and the urgent need for housing reform for urban working-class families.

Today, Greendale continues to serve as a model planned community with its network of pathways, abundant green spaces, distinctive homes, and historic civic buildings. It stands among fewer than 2,500 historic landmarks nationwide.

Greendale, along with Greenbelt, Maryland and Greenhills, Ohio, was developed as part of the Resettlement Administration under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Greendale's location was selected for its proximity to Milwaukee and sufficient space to develop a comprehensive village center with retail establishments, community facilities, and administrative offices. Residential areas were designed around this center to promote walkability.

The Resettlement Administration had three primary objectives for this Depression-era program:

• To demonstrate innovative suburban community planning that combined urban and rural living benefits
• To provide quality housing at affordable rates for moderate-income households
• To create employment for thousands of jobless workers on projects that would deliver lasting economic and social benefits

To accomplish these goals, the government purchased 3,400 acres of farmland located three miles southwest of Milwaukee's city limits. The community was designed with a "Greenbelt" of parkland, gardens, and farms encircling the urban development area. The business district occupies the central area, with administrative offices situated at the end of the main thoroughfare, maintaining the original layout from 1938.