This article is sponsored by Blank Kim Injury Law, the car accident injury attorneys of Greenbelt. Explore the historic community of Greenbelt and see what it has to offer its residents
Planned and built by the Federal government, Greenbelt is a suburb of Washington D.C. and a city in Prince George's County, MD. Incorporated on June 1, 1937, Greenbelt was the first and largest – there were two others – experimental and controversial New Deal Greenbelt Towns, which was conceived in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Undersecretary of Agriculture Rexford Tugwell.
Construction of the community began on January 13, 1936, by the Division of Suburban Resettlement of the United States Resettlement Administration. Structures were designed in the Art Deco, Bauhaus, and Streamline Moderne architectural styles and consisted of a school or community center, a fire or police station, two commercial buildings, a gas station and an auto repair shop. On September 30, 1937, the first tenant of Greenbelt officially moved in.
Greenbelt has been credited as a historic milestone for urban development. In the 2010 census, the community recorded a total population of 23,068 people.
Known locally as Old Greenbelt, Greenbelt Historic District is the original federally-built portion of the city. It is the core of the community and an example of the Garden city movement in the U.S. Being the best-preserved out of the three greenbelt towns, Greenbelt has been a model for planned communities like Kitimat in British Columbia, Vallingby in Sweden, Chandigarh in India, Columbia in Maryland, and Reston in Virginia.
The Greenbelt Historic District comprises over 400 buildings and three family cemeteries. On November 25, 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. On February 18, 1997, the national historic district was designated as a National Historic Landmark. Continue learning about another historic landmark and the town of Parole, MD.
Built between 1937 and 1938, the Old Greenbelt Theatre is a historic single-screen movie theater within the Greenbelt Historic District. It is located in the Roosevelt Center and seats 363 guests. Opened on September 21, 1938, Little Miss Broadway was the first film to be screened at the theater. In 2015, the City of Greenbelt awarded the nonprofit organization Friends of Greenbelt Theatre a contract to operate the theater. Today, it is one of the only nonprofit and single-screen movie theaters in Maryland.
Part of the Greenbelt Historic District, Roosevelt Center is located in the Centerway on Crescent Rd. Besides the Old Greenbelt Theatre, the shopping mall consists of a Cedars of Lebanon, Beijing of Greenbelt, Blush Lush Beauty, Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket and Pharmacy, Bee Yoga Fusion, solar Nails Spa, LightPlace international Ministries and DMV Pizza.
Opened every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the Greenbelt Community Center sits adjacent to the Roosevelt Center. It features amenities such as adult health fitness programs, senior programs, a ceramic art program, a visual arts program, a performing arts program, summer camp programs, a basketball court, a volleyball court, and a playground.
Operated and owned by the City of Greenbelt, the Greenbelt Museum was opened in October 1987 by a group of volunteers. It features tours of the Greenbelt Museum's Historic House, walking tours of the historical community, the Lenore Thomas Straus Exhibit, public and education programs, and quarterly lecture series.
Tours for the historic home are held every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 per person or $3 per student and senior. Walking tours can also be scheduled throughout the week for $10 per person.
Operated by the U.S. National Park Service, Greenbelt Park is a national park in the community of Greenbelt. It was established in the 1950s and is situated within the Capital Beltway. A portion of the park is part of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Recreational amenities included in the park are a 5.3 mile hiking and equestrian trail, a 174 site campground, a playground and three picnic areas. Opened from dawn to dusk year-round, Greenbelt Park is free for locals and visitors alike. However, for those who want to camp at the campground, a campsite is $20.
Contact our Greenbelt car accident injury lawyers if you or a loved one have been severely injured. We'll help you secure the compensation you deserve. Schedule your free consultation today.
Blank Kim Injury Law
4201 Northview Dr #101-A,
Bowie, MD 20716
(240) 273-4500
