Greenbelt cooperator., 1940-01-18
OUR TOWN: The Office
BY Anne Hull

the administrative offices can fail to notice Ell ther
the maps, plans and pictures of Greenbelt which o.
under glass against the east wall. The inner offices
also have their share of diagrams. Some are
factua1 and some are imaginary for there much of
Greenbe1t which never got any further than paper.
The Large aerial photograph hanging the scale
model shows town from altitude of about 1000
feet, with the lake in the foreground housing
units in the distance. 1t taken last october by
Captain A. E. Nesbitt of the Fairchild Aerial
Corporation and is valued at $24. The office will
acquire recent aerial picture taken from
closer range, but has not yet decided where to hang
it.
The model under the photograph made in 1897
at the Resettlement under the super
Vision of Harry Falls, at time Greenbe1t resi-
dent. 1t cannot be trusted guide, however, as
it shows roads which have been put through and
buildings which have been constructed, such
the Greabel Inn. This model was formerly on dis
play for 81 ightseers in shelter the water
er, where it could be compared with actual pano-
ramic view from the top of the hill. This shelter
later moved down the hill to the lake it Is
now known the "picnic houseu. Although the model
is marvel of careful scaling, the sponge trees look
deceptively bushy and shade-producing to
quainted wit the But this is quibbling.
One notices last the regional map of Washington,
Baltimore and vicinity, over the stairway. This
plots "open" land in green nprobler land in yellow
and built-up areas in orange. The "problem" Land
is WORKOUT farming acreage which is not being put
to any constructive use at the present time. Our
crescent-shaped comnri ty is attached to sizable
chunk of green surrounded by yellow, with bull
up areas shown than Bal tmore and Washington
which appear as irregular orange patches.
Upon passing into the inner sanctm of lGr. Bra
denis office, a visitor may notice a water color
which shows group of people down at the lake swim
ming from nonresident beach beside the dam. The
artist Richard Jansen, apparently not told that
swimmers sported from the opposite bank, wi thout
benefit of beach, in the days when swimming in the
lake was permitted. He has depicted in addition
fancy tree planting which is entirely imaginary.
mother of Mr. Jansen's works appears door in
Mr.. Rlner's office, and shows di ifferent stages In
the building of the housing units. founda tions
seen in the fore ground. In the background
parti ally completed units they looked in
their red brick underwear before the top dressing of
cement and paint aid been applied. Mr.. Jansen's
water color Of the Greenbelt Inns jected but
built, is view in the Council Room. A site be-
tween the business center and Parkway surveyed
for it., and numerous plans drawn, but the pro ject
dropped when the Hotel Survey gave its optn-
ion that the Inn wou Id be too Washington to
pay.
Another unrealized project pictured on the walls
of the Council Room is tia t. of "Greenbelt Farms".
At time there plan on foot to build, in
the outskirts of Greenbelt, small houses wi ad-
joining tracts of land suitable for farming. This
idea abandoned for ack of funds.
One of tn maps in M. Vincent's and Mr.. Wal1s'
office indicates units decorated with oil, wi tn
casein, and those with both varieties of pain It
also shows vacant houses and garages and plots the
location of radio aerials.
Whether you prefer fact or fancy, tour Of our
"mulic icipal art gallery" may interest you. 1t Is
over waelming to realize all the careful planning
which went into building Greenbelt, and it is not
surprising that certain jects are, and probably
viii remain, paper only.