Greendale Historical Society to Receive Public Program Award from Wisconsin Historical Society

“Our Town: Greendale, Wisconsin” recognized as part of the 2024 Board of Curators Awards

GREENDALE, Wis. - The Wisconsin Historical Society is pleased to announce the Greendale Historical Society is the recipient of the 2024 Board of Curators Public Program Award for its dramatic presentation, “Our Town: Greendale, Wisconsin.” The award presentation will take place at the Greendale Historical Society’s annual meeting on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024 at 1 p.m. in the Historic Hose Tower, 5699 Parking St., Greendale, WI.

The dramatic presentation is a reading of the documented memories of Greendale original residents from the village’s founding in 1938. Performed by Greendale Historical Society members in period costumes, they tell the story of Greendale in the “voices” of its first occupants while images from the era illustrate the spoken word. "I've been in Greendale for over 45 years, and seeing this play was such a delight. It taught me things about Greendale I didn't know and made me laugh as I remembered things they talked about," said Sally Chadwick, Greendale resident, former Village of Greendale Board of Trustees.

The annual Board of Curators Awards recognize individuals and organizations across the state for exceptional work aligned with the Wisconsin Historical Society’s mission to connect people to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Board of Curators is the Wisconsin Historical Society’s governing body composed of both elected and appointed members from across Wisconsin.

“The awards are an opportunity to identify and promote some of the wonderful achievements of the past year that have helped Wisconsinites connect with history,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth & Hartley Barker Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “We are excited to recognize the award winners from across our great state for their standout work spanning research, preservation, and community programming that creates the fabric of Wisconsin’s history.”

The Board of Curators received 40 nominations this year. The Oct. 20 presentation will feature an excerpt from the play and is free and open to the public. To schedule an interview, please contact Greendale Historical Society President Marge Hill, (414) 881-0084 or [email protected].

Greendale was originally developed in 1936 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal in the wake of the Great Depression. Greendale was one of just three Greenbelt communities in the country built to demonstrate a new kind of suburban living. Visit this article for more information and a gallery of historical images of Greendale.

About the Greendale Historical Society

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. For more information, visit greendalehistoricalsociety.org.

About the Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. The Wisconsin Historical Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, receives grants and private contributions benefitting the Wisconsin Historical Society and administers the membership program. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.