Greenbelt Museum

The Greenbelt Museum house opened on October 10, 1987, as part of the City of Greenbelt's 50th anniversary celebration. At approximately 836 square feet, this unit is one of the smallest of the original homes. When Greenbelt was first built, it contained 887 units in two main construction styles: cinder block with flat roofs and frame construction with brick veneer and peaked slate roofs. Federal government designers originally painted the houses white or off-white with bright pastel-colored trim, and the windows were multi-paned steel casements. In 1941, the government built nearly 1000 more units for military personnel and civilians involved in defense efforts; these homes were frame construction with clapboard siding. Greenbelt's planned elements included many conveniences for families with children. The original town consists of five super blocks designed to provide residents with a park-like setting with cars limited to the peripheral streets. A system of inner walkways allows residents to travel by foot throughout the original town, and pedestrian underpasses beneath Crescent Road allowed children to travel to school without crossing a busy street. Each home has a public service side facing the street for trash pickup and access to parking, and a more private garden side with a path connecting to inner walkways and playgrounds.

Greenbelt, Maryland · United States