This 1920s postcard shows Memorial Green just after the War Memorial, designed by Alfredo Taylor, was built. It was Taylor’s wife Minna who first proposed that a memorial “heroes grove” be planted on the small lot of land known as the Triangle opposite the Catholic Church. The lot had been left empty with the demolition of a two-story frame dwelling. North (Wood) Creek, a branch of the Blackberry River, ran along its northern edge and was spanned by an arched bridge of native stone, creating a picturesque natural setting for the grove. During the course of the war, eight evergreen trees were planted on the Triangle as a living remembrance for each Norfolk boy who died. A cross with name and rank was placed in front of each tree. The Triangle was renamed Memorial Green after the construction of the War Memorial in 1920. Taylor’s 1924 alteration of the Catholic Church, visible just above the trees, complemented the memorial and provided a dramatic backdrop to the green.

-Ann Havemeyer