• Municipal Improvements - Portsmouth NH
    A significant amount of useful employment was provided thanks to the New Deal in this port city which dates back to the original settlements in the early 1600's and whose shipyards have played a key part in every conflict our nations history. Only 1933 to '36 and 1942 town reports were available. 1933 "The City received funds from the local Unemployment Committee, the State of N. H. Highway Department, the State of N. H. Relief Administration, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation via the State of N. H., the Civil Works Administration via the State of N. H., the Unemployment Relief Construction, and various...
  • Pierce Island Outdoor Pool - Portsmouth NH
    "The Peirce Island Outdoor Pool in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (population 21,000), is a Great Depression–era municipal facility that has served several generations during its 69-year history. The pool’s unique location, storied past, and status as a beloved recreational asset make it distinctive. The pool sits on a 27-acre municipally-owned island adjacent to Portsmouth’s downtown. Purchased in 1923 for $11,000, Peirce Island is a popular recreation asset that also offers a boat launch, a network of walking trails, shore access for fishing, a playground, a sand volleyball court, and picnic areas. Built in 1937 by the federal Works Progress Administration, the pool...
  • Portsmouth Middle School Murals (missing) - Portsmouth NH
    Four murals depicting pivotal scenes from the history of Portsmouth, New Hampshire were commissioned by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) and painted by artist Gladys Brannigan. They were installed in the auditorium of Portsmouth Middle School (on Parrott Avenue) in 1936. The current location or status of the murals is unknown.
  • Sarah Mildred Long Bridge (replaced) - Portsmouth NH to Kittery ME
    The original Sarah Mildred Long Bridge was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project. It was a "lift bridge that carries the US 1 Bypass over the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine. The bridge a double deck truss bridge, with the U.S. 1 Bypass road deck above and a railroad bed below ... Completed in 1940, the bridge the second to carry motor vehicle traffic between Maine and New Hampshire at Portsmouth, and replaced a river crossing dating from 1822. The bridge was the direct result of the work of the Maine-New...
  • Sewer System Construction - Portsmouth NH
    According to limited annual town reports available, major improvements were constructed to the sewer system with the help of the New Deal in this historical port town and maritime manufacturing center that begins from the early 1600's up to it's crucial role in every single war that this nation has been involved in. The former system, built in the 1800's, simply dumped raw sewage into the bay. 1933 In November an application for a United States Government loan and/or grant was filed with the Public Works Administration for a Sewer Project for the amount of $132,000.00, Subsequently, approval of this application was made subject...