Norfolk Botanical Garden hosted its 10th annual Works Progress Administration Garden Heritage Celebration on Saturday.
The event featured Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander, College of Liberal Arts Dean and History Professor at Norfolk State University, as keynote speaker.
The celebration honored community Groundbreaker — The 2003-2005 Scholars Community Problem Solving Team from Ruffner Academy.
The Groundbreaker award is named in honor of the WPA sculpture entitled "Breaking Ground," which recognizes the 220 WPA women and men who significantly impacted our community.
On June 30, 1938, Representative Norman R. Hamilton announced a Works Progress Administration grant project to create Norfolk Botanical Garden.
A group of more than 200 African-American women and 20 African-American men were assigned to the project. The workers cleared dense vegetation and planted the first azaleas around what is now called Mirror Lake. In just one year, thousands of azaleas, rhododendrons, shrubs and trees were planted. Laborers were paid 25 cents an hour.
► Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13News Now App.