Greenbelt is a town known for its communal thinking. From the
community pool to the numerous co-ops formed by townspeople, Greenbelt
is a town that focuses on community. Although, today, such intrasuburban
togetherness is uncommom, this social behavior can still be seen within
families. However, because of changes in architecture and technological
advances, the center of social gatherings have changed.
The thread of town unity that runs through every Greenbelt home can be
traced back to Rexford G. Tugwell. Tugwell, head of Franklin D.
Roosevelt's Resettlement Administration, devised the idea of
Greenbelt in an effort to ease the ravages of the Depression inflicted
upon American citizens.
Houses were built for low-income, urban families and government employees,
and work was given to as many men as possible. According to Greenbelt
docent, Lee Struglia, in order to spread out the work,
two groups of workers were hired, one for the morning shift
and one for the evening shift. Another tactic used to stretch out the
amount of work was to cut down on construction machines (Sies). If the
work
could be done by hand, it was.
Since then, this theme of community has propagated throughout the city.
Co-ops have been formed for just about everything, from the grocery store
to the gas station to elementary school children selling candy and school
supplies. Committees have also been formed for almost every aspect of
life. For example, in order to redesign a house, the owner must get
permission from the architecture committee and his or her neighbors before
starting construction (Struglia). Even when a family leaves Greenbelt,
members still feel a deep connection to the town and her people. If it
were not for former and current citizens of Greenbelt, the museum might
not have been furnished. Since many families still had their furniture
from living in Greenbelt, they donated it to help decorate the museum.
The reason these Greenbelt families still have such strong ties to
their former
neighborhood is because of the environment Greenbelt allowed them to live
in. The
community aspect that Greenbelt is known for is even stronger within its
families. One
story, told by Greenbelt docent Mr. Shields, tells of a 1940s moratorium
against town
meetings during the Christmas season.
Although Greenbelt's communal thread has not changed with passing time,
the same can not be said for other communities. Suburban neighborhoods
have slowly become less neighborly throughout the years. In my
neighborhood, for example, it is rare to see passersby greeting each
other. I do not know my neighbors' names, nor do they know mine. Only
recently, about two years ago, our first neighborhood organization was
formed. Since their inaugural year, neighborhood parties have been
thrown. However, the turnouts have been poor and little cohesion has
formed.
Yet, how is it possible that even with the deterioration of the
community, the family still remains close?
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