Presidents Day, Greenbelt Style

Presidents Day, it turns out, technically belongs to just one president, George Washington. But nowadays, many tend to observe Washington’s Birthday as one of reverence to all of our nation’s 44 presidents — that, or a welcomed three-day weekend and plenty of shopping.

Whatever the case, on this federal holiday in Old Greenbelt, it would seem remiss not to ponder one, Franklin D. Roosevelt, our 32nd president whose New Deal policies helped shape and create the city in the 1930s. That much you can’t ignore, given Old Greenbelt’s many tributes to a man who led Americans through two crises — the Great Depression and World War II.

Ruth Carole, who has lived in Greenbelt since 1965, said that while many Greenbelters may not think twice about a holiday celebrating the American president, Roosevelt will always share a special place in this community.

“There’s a definite reverence here for Roosevelt,” she said. “He’s everywhere.”

Carole’s not kidding, as a short tour around Old Greenbelt reveals:

• A bronze monument located along Crescent Road dedicated to Roosevelt’s wife, Anna Eleanor: “First Lady of the land — First Lady of the World,” the monument reads. “From this point she surveyed the site and spurred the work of building Greenbelt — the first garden community in the land planned for the uplift and unfolding of the human spirit.”
• Old Greenbelt’s city center and mall, named after Roosevelt in 1982. Before the mid 1950s, all of the mall’s businesses — a gas station, drug store, barber shop and more — remained the exclusive property of the community’s residents. Today, Greenbelt’s Co-op grocery store and community newspaper remain publicly owned, among other ventures.
• The New Deal Café, a popular mainstay of Roosevelt nostalgia, including photographs of the Roosevelts, a Rosie the Riveter “We-can-do-it!” poster and an inviting atmosphere for family and friends to congregate over drinks, food and live music.
• The housing cooperative known as Greenbelt Homes Inc. remains a 75-year byproduct of Roosevelt’s New Deal initiatives. At one time, these homes — subsidized by the federal government — housed many World War II veterans, at least one of whom was the subject of a Hollywood film.
• Eleanor Roosevelt High School, which remains among the most distinguished public schools in Prince George’s County.

While Presidents Day may have prompted a three-day getaway for some, not all businesses are closed on this federal holiday. In fact, when asked of her plans for Presidents Day, Carole chuckled, then said “Oh, I’ve got to go to the dentist.”