Norfolk Botanical Garden Seeks to Identify Black Workers Who Built Original Azalea Gardens

Nearly 90 years later, the garden is working to honor the 220 African American workers who cleared the land in the 1930s.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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In the 1930s, the city of Norfolk, Virginia set out to create the Azalea Gardens, now known as the Norfolk Botanical Garden. The project employed 200 African American women and 20 African American men through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to clear the land, which was described as being full of trees and marshy. However, the identities of most of these workers were not recorded, and the garden was segregated at the time, preventing them from visiting their own work. Now, nearly 90 years later, the Norfolk Botanical Garden is working to identify and honor these original builders, with the help of the daughter of one of the last known surviving workers.

Why it matters

This story highlights the important but often overlooked contributions of African Americans to the development of public spaces and infrastructure in the United States, even during the era of segregation. It also raises questions about historical record-keeping and the barriers that prevented marginalized communities from accessing and enjoying the fruits of their own labor.

The details

The Azalea Gardens project, which would eventually become the Norfolk Botanical Garden, employed 200 African American women and 20 African American men through the WPA in the late 1930s to clear the land and prepare it for the garden's creation. The work was described as difficult, with the workers having to dig, cut down trees, and plant azaleas in a marshy, tree-filled area. They were paid only 25 cents per day, but the income helped support their families during the Great Depression. However, the workers were not allowed to visit the garden they had built due to segregation policies at the time.

  • The Azalea Gardens project began in 1938.
  • In 2009, the last known living WPA worker, Mary Elizabeth Ferguson, helped the city of Norfolk unveil a statue honoring the original gardeners.
  • Mary Elizabeth Ferguson died in 2017 at the age of 97.

The players

Mary Elizabeth Ferguson

The last known living WPA worker who helped build the original Azalea Gardens, now the Norfolk Botanical Garden.

Helen Ferguson Williams

The daughter of Mary Elizabeth Ferguson, who is now sharing the stories of her mother and others who worked on the garden.

Norfolk Botanical Garden

The 175-acre public garden in Norfolk, Virginia that was originally created as the Azalea Gardens in the 1930s.

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What they’re saying

“It was a lot of trees, it was marshy and…it was scary.”

— Mary Elizabeth Ferguson, Former WPA worker (City of Norfolk)

“I walk around with my head up and I smile all the time because when I come through here, I say 'oh, mama's walking with me.'”

— Helen Ferguson Williams, Daughter of Mary Elizabeth Ferguson (News 3)

“They were working 12 to 14 hour days. It wasn't an eight hour job.”

— Helen Ferguson Williams, Daughter of Mary Elizabeth Ferguson (News 3)

What’s next

The Norfolk Botanical Garden is hoping that people will come forward with information about their ancestors who worked on the original Azalea Gardens project, so that the garden can identify and honor all 220 of the African American workers who cleared the land nearly 90 years ago.

The takeaway

This story highlights the important but often overlooked contributions of African Americans to the development of public spaces and infrastructure in the United States, even during the era of segregation. It also raises questions about historical record-keeping and the barriers that prevented marginalized communities from accessing and enjoying the fruits of their own labor.