Conference on Madison’s Greenbush neighborhood set for May 2

The public is invited to take part in a free community conference, “The Greenbush: Past, Present, Future,” from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, at the Italian Workmen’s Club, 914 Regent St.

The event will explore the rich life experiences, changes and continuity in what historically was Madison’s most diverse community.

Participants will hear stories of former African-American residents, histories of the Jewish settlement and of Neighborhood House, perspectives on the contemporary community, research presented by fifth-graders from Randall Elementary School, UW–Madison students envisioning the role of the new Smith Hall in the community, and a panel of former residents who regularly keep in touch. Panelists will include Billy McDonald and Joe “Buffo” Cerniglia.

There will be 3-D models of historical buildings, a model for a proposed community museum, landscape designs for open space created by UW–Madison landscape architecture students, and videos featuring present residents. The demonstration of the “Greenbush Cultural Tour” Web site will feature a searchable database of images and writings about the neighborhood.

There also will be an opportunity to play the ancient game of bocce ball and learn about the development of a hand-held computer “Greenbush Game.”

Many immigrants settled in Greenbush in the early 20th century. The largest groups of residents — Italians/Sicilians, Jews and African Americans — were often unwelcome elsewhere in the city. By the early 1960s, the tightly knit community had been bulldozed down as part of Triangle urban renewal project and its residents were scattered throughout new neighborhoods.

Today, the Triangle is home to some of the city’s most recent immigrants and people with disabilities.

Organizers of the conference say that the success of the Greenbush community, the pain caused by its destruction, and the new developments that replaced it need serious consideration as the city makes plans to develop South Madison and the Park Street corridor.

The Greenbush conference has been made possible through the support of the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission and is a collaboration among many individuals and organizations, including UW–Madison’s Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures, Department of Landscape Architecture and Chadbourne Residential College.