The Tugwell Room Opens for Curiosity

Whether you want to browse through photo albums of past Labor Day Festivals, look up blueprints showing how your home looked at its start, or discover stories of early Greenbelters who helped shape the town, the Tugwell Room is open to your curiosity on Saturday.

It's part of Greenbelt's 75th Anniversary celebration. And on Saturday, Librarian Elizabeth Wilkins will be on hand from 10 a.m. until noon to help you as you browse through the Tugwell Room's collections. She'll also give informal orientations on its holdings at 10 a.m. and again at 2 p.m.

Wilkins told Patch on Friday that people drop by the room for various reasons. She recalled a man who stopped in recently looking for information about his father—who had been the first pharmacist in town. The visitor told Wilkins that he had helped his dad by delivering items to people's homes, at first on foot, then on a bicycle.

But individuals aren't the only ones who are curious about Greenbelt's past. Groups have also come to the room and dug into its holdings, according to Wilkins. Several Japanese students visited in small clusters and studied Greenbelt and its architecture. Residents from Greenbelt's two sister cities in Greenhills, OH and Greendale, WI, have also dropped by to find information on their histories.

Items in the collections include photographs, maps, blueprints, memorabilia, past Greenbelt New Reviews, and more than 500 books and periodicals, Wilkins explained.

She wants people to know that although they have the opportunity to get assistance from a dedicated staff member on Saturday, they are also free to drop by the Tugwell Room anytime during the library's regular business hours.

In addition, there is a nice display of books in front of the library that point to Greenbelt's history, Wilkins said. They include biographies of "FDR and Eleanor," she added, dropping the formalities, in a town where most folks instantly know who she's talking about and why.