In Norfolk, Virginia, a new conservatory and memorial have been unveiled to honor the African American workers who built the Norfolk Botanical Garden during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The project, part of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) initiative, enlisted 220 Black laborers—200 women and 20 men—to transform 75 acres of swamp land into a thriving garden that continues to attract visitors today.

Construction began in 1938 when city officials sought to create an azalea garden similar to those popular in other cities, turning to the WPA for funding. The federal government provided a grant of $76,278, and the task fell to the racially segregated WPA crew, which received basic hand tools to clear the area. Over four years, the workers cleared dense swampland, removing towering pines, stumps, and hauling the equivalent of 150 truckloads of dirt to build a levee around the garden’s lake. They planted thousands of azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and daffodils, many of which remain today.

Despite their essential contributions, segregation laws prevented the workers from entering the garden once the project was completed. Even after Jim Crow restrictions ended in the mid-1960s, many never visited the site they had helped build. Decades later, efforts to identify and honor these laborers have been hampered by a silence maintained by the original workers, who rarely spoke of their physically demanding, underpaid work during a painful chapter of American history.

This Saturday, the Norfolk Botanical Garden will unveil a new memorial to recognize those workers: a custom chandelier created by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. The installation, suspended within the $50 million Garden of Tomorrow conservatory, incorporates a range of azalea-inspired colors, symbolizing the spirit and dedication of the WPA workers. Chihuly expressed that he considers it an honor for his work to become part of the garden’s permanent collection and legacy.

The remembrance efforts began in earnest in the early 2000s, when a group of middle school students, aided by garden historian Martha Williams, researched the garden’s origins and sought out descendants of the WPA crew. Since then, they have confirmed the identities of 79 of the 220 original workers and located more than 70 descendants, as well as one surviving laborer, Mary Elizabeth Ferguson, whose family recounts her firsthand experiences working in the swamp alongside other women.

Conditions were harsh: workers endured mosquitos, snakes, and cold winters, often standing in water and mud while wearing rubber galoshes and rags for warmth. Facilities such as bathrooms and drinking water were absent, and the daily wage was 25 cents an hour, which, though low, exceeded government relief payments at the time.

Ferguson, who later opened a beauty salon, was initially reluctant to revisit the garden, reflecting the complex emotions tied to that era. She first returned in 2009 for the garden’s inaugural WPA Heritage Day to unveil a bronze sculpture honoring the workers. Until her death in 2017 at age 97, she attended these annual events, often accompanied by extended family members.

The garden continues to hold an annual WPA Heritage Day each September, during which descendants read aloud the names of the known workers. Efforts to locate and acknowledge remaining workers and families persist, with officials inviting people to come forward with any information or photographs. The workers, born between 1885 and 1922 and residents of Norfolk during the Great Depression, played an indispensable role in shaping a cherished local landmark that now serves as a gathering place and symbol of resilience for their families and the wider community.