Greenbelt Museum's Black American History Lecture to Focus on Norfolk Botanic Garden's WPA Origin

WPA women at the garden. Courtesy Norfolk Botanic Garden

In celebration of Black American History Month, the Greenbelt Museum invites you to join us for a Zoom talk with Martha M. Williams who will dive into the rich history of Norfolk Botanical Garden, Virginia’s largest garden. At the talk which is scheduled for February 20 at 7pm, you'll hear the untold story of how through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s WPA program, 200 African American women and 20 African American men worked to clear swampland and transform it into the stunning garden we enjoy today. To register, click here.

You’ll also learn how a group of local middle schoolers helped identify many of the original gardeners whose legacy was unknown. From there Nate Cody will share with you the Garden that we know today – a garden full of nationally recognized collections that continues to grow and bring people from all walks of life closer to nature.

Many thanks to Susan Harris for bringing the Norfolk Botanic Garden and its history to the Museum's attention!  She visited the garden in November 2024 and wrote about it on her site, Greenbelt Online. In her article she asks if the men (or their descendants) who built Greenbelt might also be found. This is a question the Museum has been asked over and over again, and one we wish we could answer. As of today, however, to the best of our knowledge, the records of who worked on the project have not been found despite researchers efforts. The identity of one Greenbelt laborer who worked on the Defense housing is known, but so far none of the workers on the original project have been found. It's also a topic the Greenbelt Reparations Commission is researching. If you have any information regarding anyone who might have worked on the project, please email info@greenbeltmuseum.org.

This is a virtual event to be held via Zoom. Please register in advance. An email with a Zoom link will be sent prior to the date of talk. This event is free! Sponsored by the Friends of the Greenbelt Museum and the City of Greenbelt.

Also, the Greenbelt Black History and Culture Committee has put together a stunning array of events and programs in celebration of Black American History. Please see the flyer below for details.