Michigan Sites

"The Ada Covered Bridge is a 125-foot (38 m) span Brown truss covered bridge erected in 1867 in Ada, Michigan, United States. Carrying Bronson Street across the Thornapple River, it is located just south of where the Thornapple enters the Grand River, in turn just south of M-21. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places... In 1941 the Kent County Road Commission and the Works Progress Administration made extensive restorations, re-roofing the bridge with new protective creosote shingles and replacing many of its decayed underlying supports with new beams. The Road Commission purchased a nearby barn to supply wood...

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) developed Mackinac Island's airport, originally a "simple grass runway."

"Cooperating with the PWA which provided 45 percent of the cost ... construction work was started on additions to the Ann J. Kellogg school ...," in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Barnes Hall on the campus of Central Michigan University was constructed during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $119,250 grant. Construction occurred between October 1938 and 1939. "Barnes Hall started life as the dormitory wing of the new Student Union, known then as Keeler Union, which is now Powers Hall. Grounbreaking for the new student union occurred on October 31, 1938 when President Warriner turned the first shovel of earth. The building was funded through a Public Works Administration Grant, one of the programs of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal. The...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the Palmer Lodge at Bertha Brock Park.  The park benefited from the work of 94 CCC enrollees working two overlapping 15 hour shifts.

This historic Depression-era bridge was built in 1938-9 and reconstructed in 1968. Bridgemeister: It was a WPA and CCC effort. The CCC Camp discipline and logistics were provided by the US Army, but the construction supervision was provided by the WPA. About 200 Men from the Norrie CCC camp (Ironwood, Michigan) participated in the construction of the bridge and surrounding park. They worked during the cold of winter and rode to and from Camp Norrie in open trucks. Each trip took 1 1/2 hours. The architect of the bridge was 'Oakey' Johnson. The WPA construction foreman was 'Charlie' Johnson. Tom Haapoja provided...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was responsible for construction of the Board of Water and Light Dye Conditioning Plant in Lansing, Michigan. "The Dye Conditioning Plant at 148 South Cedar Street was designed by Lansing architects Lee and Kenneth Black and constructed in 1938-39 by the WPA in a severe, geometric style. It is decorated by WPA/FAP artworks in various media. Appropriate to the building's function, the theme of all of these works is water. This is the best local ensemble of government-sponsored art planned as a unity of architecture, sculpture and painting."

The Board of Water and Light Dye Conditioning Plant in Lansing, Michigan contains multiple examples of New Deal artwork, including a ceramic fountain in the building's main lobby. "The grand two-story lobby of the Board of Water and Light houses a ceramic fountain by Clivia Calder. This sculptural group shows two girls grooming themselves. The flanking stairs with streamlined metal railings are graceful interpretations of machines, also found elsewhere in the plant."

The Board of Water and Light Dye Conditioning Plant in Lansing, Michigan contains multiple examples of New Deal artwork, including: "Aquarius," a limestone relief created in 1938-39 by Samuel Cashwan. The massive work is located above the building's front entrance.

The Board of Water and Light Dye Conditioning Plant in Lansing, Michigan contains multiple examples of New Deal artwork, including: "Water As Destructive Element" and " Beneficial Force of Water," two murals created in 1940 by Frank Cassara. "The upper lobby features three large panels, of which the outer two are by Frank Cassara. Water as Destructive Element (on the right) depicts flooding and Beneficial Force of Water (on the left) shows water's advantages for health, cleanliness and recreation."  

The Board of Water and Light Dye Conditioning Plant in Lansing, Michigan contains multiple examples of New Deal artwork, including: "Water as Hydro-Electric Power," a 1941 mural by Charles Pollock. "Charles Pollock's 1941 mural in the center shows man's control over nature and the importance of water as hydro-electric power. The figures represent agriculture and industry, and the use of plastics and agricultural chemistry, refer to the research and work activities undertaken in this building"

The Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects (officially named the Frederick Douglass Homes, and alternately named Frederick Douglass Projects, Frederick Douglass Apartments, Brewster-Douglass Homes, and Brewster-Douglass Projects) were the largest residential housing project owned by the city of Detroit. It was one of 50 slum clearance, low income housing projects financed by the Public Works Administration nationwide in 1936. The Brewster Homes were 791 living units over 28 acres, at a cost of $5,500,000. Construction began in 1935, when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt broke ground for the 701-unit development; the first phase, consisting of low-rise apartment blocks, was completed in 1938. An expansion of the...

"Brockway Mountain Drive is a 8.883-mile (14.296 km) scenic highway just west of Copper Harbor in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. Drivers can access the road from state highway M-26 on either end near Eagle Harbor to the west or Copper Harbor to the east in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The drive runs along the ridge of Brockway Mountain on the Keweenaw Fault and climbs to 1,320 feet (402 m) above sea level, 720 feet (220 m) above the surface of Lake Superior. Several viewpoints along the route allow for panoramas of Copper Harbor, Lake Superior, and undeveloped woodland. On...

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted substantial improvement work to what was known as Butler School in Riverton Township, Michigan. The school was located on the "east side of Morton Road, between Chauvez and Kinney roads." The project was detailed in the attached article. The location and status of the school are presently unknown to Living New Deal.

North Higgins Lake State Park near Roscommon MI is built on what was once the world's largest seedling nursery, established by the Michigan State Forester in 1903.   December 5, 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established a camp at Higgins Lake, briefly on the Hanson Military Reservation and then on US-27 midway between Roscommon and Grayling. The camp operated from 1933-42, and a big part of the CCC activities was forest-related, planting trees and fighting forest fires across the northern part of the state.  The Higgins Lake tree nursery and CCC camp were central to this effort. By 1942, when the CCC ended,...

This two story brick high school building was constructed with funding from the PWA in 1936. It was designed by architects Knecht, McCarty, and Thebaud, Inc. of Grand Rapids, and Ralph L. Bauer, Architect of Traverse City. It now houses Central Grade School.

The City Hall for Clare, Michigan, was begun in 1933 under the auspices of the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and led by architect R. V. Gay. Details of the project's origins can be found in the 1933 document, General Construction Specifications.

Gladstone, Michigan's historic City Hall was constructed in 1936. The building features six stone reliefs above its main entrance. A local source states that construction involved work relief labor, implying Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) involvement.

"This city hall occupies the site of a former building which was destroyed by fire on April 9, 1933. It is approximately 120 by 140 feet over-all in plan and is two stories and a basement in height. As it is on sloping ground, the basement windows are above grade on the rear. The basement provides space for the public-welfare department and for a small courtroom. On the first floor are most of the city offices and space for record storage. The council chamber, the mayor's offices, and the department of public works are on the second floor. The building is fireproof,...

Battle Creek, Michigan's city hall received a new electric elevator as part of a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied a $5,535 grant for the project, whose total cost was $12,441. Construction occurred between Nov. 1938 and Mar. 1939. According to local officials the elevator was replaced in 1985. PWA Docket No. MI 1662

There are four large (about 20' tall), vertically-oriented murals in the auditorium of the Clare Middle School, originally the Clare High School, on the north wall of the auditorium. The outer murals are dominated by a woman on the left, and a man on the right, both with sheets behind scenes of prosperous agriculture in front of the woman and oil wells and buildings in front of the man. The right of two center panels depicts scientists in front of classical thinkers. The left of the center panels depicts farmers and agricultural goods in the foreground with athletes, musicians, children,...

Sculpted by Samuel Cashwan in 1938 for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), "Pioneer Mother" is a deco modern-style sculpture on the south side of the Clare High School, now the Clare Middle School. It has the appearance of a madonna and child, with the mother's face elongated and the child clinging to her breast. It was recently conserved and remains outside the school.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) was developed and improved during the Great Depression with New Deal work relief funds and labor. The groundbreaking for Wayne County Airport occurred April 1929. On September 4, 1930, Wayne County Airport opens at the corner of Middlebelt Road and Wick Road in Romulus, Michigan. The Detroit City Airport improvement project began under the Civil Works Administration (CWA). "With a total appropriation of $160,000.00 the entire interior of the huge hangar was painted; underground gasoline tanks were removed to less hazardous locations; obstructions bordering on the field were repainted to conform with Bureau of Aeronautics...

"The new armory opened in 1930, and was used as both a training facility and civic event site. The indoor drill floor was used for dances, USO mixers, auto shows, and political and sporting events. In 1932, future heavyweight champion Joe Louis fought his first career bout. With the onset of the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration funded numerous artistic additions to the armory, including three murals, plaster carvings, and extensive wood carvings; this collection of WPA art is the largest collection of federally-funded Depression-era artwork of any building in the state... The Detroit Naval Armory is a limestone structure...

New Deal agencies undertook a variety of improvements at the Detroit Zoological Park in Royal Oak, Michigan. Between 1933 and 1937, the Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded and built exhibits, service facilities, and buildings at the park. “The Federal Government, as means of alleviating the distressful unemployment condition in Detroit, appropriated funds in 1933-1934 under the CWA and the FERA for construction work at the Detroit Zoological Park. As a result, an extensive program was carried out which practically completed the western end of the park and comprised the...

New Deal agencies undertook a variety of improvements at the Detroit Zoological Park in Royal Oak, Michigan. Between 1933 and 1937, the Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded and built exhibits, service facilities, and buildings at the park. The WPA carried out construction and landscaping in the park between 1935 and 1937. This investment resulted in the completion of an animal hospital and administration building.  (Detroit Zoo website)  

Battle Creek, Michigan received a water disposal facility as part of a large Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied a $368,000 loan and $144,832 grant for the project, whose total cost was $517,726. Construction occurred between 1934 and 1936. The exact location and status of the project is presently unknown to Living New Deal. PWA Docket No. MI 2808

Gladstone, Michigan received a water disposal facility as part of a large Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied a $35,170 grant for the project, whose total cost was $78,420. Construction occurred in 1936. The exact location and status of the project is presently unknown to Living New Deal. PWA Docket No. MI 1150

Michigan Technological University's Douglass Houghton Hall was constructed during the Great Depression with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) grant money (PWA Docket No. 1732). The PWA supplied a grant of $178,601; the total cost of the project was $398,713. Construction occurred between December 1938 and September 1939.

The University of Michigan's East Quadrangle was constructed during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. "Professor Lewis M. Gram, Director of Physical Plant Extension, submitted a communication to the Regents on August 22, 1938, proposing the construction of the Health Service, a women's dormitory (Stockwell Hall), and an addition of two floors to the University Hospital. The Regents acted favorably on this proposal and added a fourth project for a men's dormitory to accommodate 410 men and to make an addition to the University Power Plant. Application to Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works...

"The Ann Arbor Farmers Market began in 1919 in front of the old courthouse and moved to its current site (formerly a lumber yard) in 1931. Permanent sheds were designed and built by the WPA between 1938 and 1940. Today the market has nearly 100 permanent spaces under the original sheds and adjacent areas."

Constructed by the Treasury Department as a federal post office and courthouse in 1938-39. The building is still a functioning courthouse.

A combined fire and police station in Niles, Michigan was constructed as a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied an $40,050 grant for the project, whose total cost was $94,463. Construction occurred in 1938-9. Sources suggest the building has since been demolished. The exact site of the building is unknown to Living New Deal. PWA Docket No. MI 1524

The fire station in Munising, Michigan was constructed as a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied an $11,124 grant for the project, whose total cost was $24,920. Construction occurred in 1938-9. The building also housed the Department of Public Works. Firefighting operations may have been relocated. PWA Docket No. MI 1537

The Paris Fish Hatchery was the second Michigan fish hatchery. Opened in 1881, it supplied salmon and brown trout fingerlings to the state. It was expanded and renovated by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the mid-193o's and operated until 1964. After closing, it was acquired by the Mecosta County Park Commission and reopened as a park in 1976.

"The Huron-Manistee National Forests are two national forests combined in 1945 for administration purposes and which comprise 978,906 acres (3,960 km2) of public lands, including 5,786 acres (23 km2) of wetlands, extending across the northern lower peninsula of Michigan." (wikipedia.org) "There were 11 CCC camps on the Huron National Forest and 25 on the Manistee National Forest. The Manistee men built the Chittenden Nursery at Wellston to supply seedlings for planting." (www.foresthistory.org)

The WPA conducted extensive restoration work on this site. According to Frank Straus: “The second cycle began in the summer of 1936, when the Works Progress Administration rebuilt Fort Holmes, using an 1817 engineer’s detailed drawing and elevation of the original redoubt. The federal agency, operating with a workforce encamped on the northern side of the Island at the site of the current solid waste transfer station, raised a new blockhouse, re-dug the ditch, piled up soil for a new embankment, and lined the outward walls of the embankment with cedar logs to rebuild the palisade.”

The Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) restored "several historic buildings in Fort Mackinac."

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) landscaped the Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery on Mackinac Island.

The W.P.A. conducted restoration and preservation work at Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan.