Greendale Historical Society

Greendale’s history is rich with vital community spaces. However, many of those valuable assets have been lost. The original Community Building is now the Middle School. The old “scout shack” was razed. The Mall area near the Alonzo Hauser Flagpole was divided for a parking lot and it is now largely underused.

Today, community groups meet in a windowless room in the basement of the Public Library. The Greendale Historical Society believes that readaption of the Hose Tower building could restore and fill the need for a community gathering space.

The Historical Society is seeking partners — residents, local elected and government officials, community and business leaders — to work together on this project. We believe in a shared vision and effort to help preserve Greendale’s special sense of community for future generations.

The Historical Society is committed to a readaptation of the Hose Tower and Grounds Building which employs a long-term, sustainable business model. We believe this collaborative, community model best helps ensure longterm success and sustainability. This approach harkens back to the original plans for Greendale in 1936.

Historic properties — like the Hose Tower and Grounds Building —provide substantial links to our past. They contribute to our understanding of the aesthetic, cultural and social values of a particular time period. This is particularly significant for the Village of Greendale.

The Historical Society has completed Phase I of the adaptive restoration of Greendale’s Hose Tower and Grounds Building into a community property designed for use by the residents of Greendale.

Greendale’s planners and founders fostered and designed a special way of life and sense of community that survives nearly 75 years after the original design. It is not on display in a museum — the Village of Greendale is a living museum.

As our community celebrates its 75th Anniversary in 2013, we believe there is a community need and responsibility to put this building to good use before another valuable piece of Greendale’s living museum is lost.