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Greendale, Wisconsin a Historic Greenbelt Planned Community
History Comes to Life in Our 1930s Village - Come Experience It!
The Greendale Historical Society was founded in 1976 to collect, preserve and make available materials relating to the history of Greendale. It is the mission of the Greendale Historical Society to preserve and promote the buildings, landmarks, and artifacts that illustrate the history of Greendale, Wisconsin; to increase awareness, understanding and appreciation of the Village’s founding, growth and designation as a National Historic Landmark; and to strengthen the current and future historic character of the Village.
The Village of Greendale is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated by the United States Department of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark, its most prestigious designation.
Eleanor Roosevelt
visited the construction site in 1938
Greendale's Beginnings
Greendale was originally developed in 1936 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal in the wake of the Great Depression.
With the purchase of 3,400 acres of farmland southwest of Milwaukee’s city limits, the federal government’s Resettlement Administration had three main objectives: to demonstrate a new kind of suburban community which combined both city and country life, to provide good housing at reasonable rents, and to provide jobs to unemployed workers.
In 2023 Greendale celebrated 85 Years!
Happy 85th Birthday to Greendale! Enjoy a gander at an informative edition of Life in the Village magazine celebrating Greendale's 85th. Check out the Greendale Historical Society article on pages 34-45.
Summer 2023 Life in the Village Magazine - View Here
Historical Society Article - View Here
Greendale History in Pictures
Take a further look at Greendale with these images from the Greendale Historical Society's archives. Click on any image to view it in more detail.
Please note, these images are property of the Greendale Historical Society and permission must be given to be reproduced or edited.
Still, looking for more Greendale in pictures? Visit this Wisconsin Historical Society article for more historical images of Greendale.
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