East Providence Sites

The PWA built an addition of several classrooms onto the rear of the original 1920s building. The building is in an abstracted Colonial Revival style. The addition was designed by Traficante & Niebuhr of East Providence. After being retired from school use, in housed administration offices, but is now vacant.

The PWA built a two-story addition to the original 1922 building. Both the addition and original building have been demolished. The addition was designed by East Providence architects Traficante & Niebuhr.

Under the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), "a large drainage system was built along Bourne Avenue" in East Providence.

In 1934 the PWA built this third floor addition to the existing high school building, which was completed in 1908. The Colonial Revival building was later occupied by the junior high, which itself later moved out. It is currently elderly housing known as Taunton Plaza. The architects of the addition were William R. Walker & Son of Providence.

Pierce Memorial Field was constructed as a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression. "The site of the athletic field was an abandoned gravel pit ... had gradually been developing into a public dump, ... taking the honor of perhaps the biggest eyesore in East Providence." After acquiring the land the town council "received the approval of the W.P.A. to construct a football field." The total cost of the project was then $300,000.

The historic East Providence post office was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds in 1936. The building, which houses examples of New Deal artwork, is still in service.

The historic East Providence post office houses examples of New Deal artwork: three Section of Fine Art murals painted by Eugene Kingman in 1939. However, the murals are not in good condition. A third of the mural "East Providence" has fallen off the wall.

The WPA constructed "miles and miles of sidewalks" in East Providence, R.I.

Under the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), "numerous new streets were laid out while others were rebuilt."

James V. Turner Reservoir in East Providence, Rhode Island (with spillover into Seekonk, Massachusetts) was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. "Turner Reservoir was created in 1935 with the building of the Turner Dam, which the City of East Providence used for their drinking supply until the 1960s. Turner Reservoir is now open to the public for recreation." (ExploreRI.org) The PWA supplied a $178,000 loan and $66,781 grant; the total cost of the project was $245,608. Work occurred between May 1934 and June 1935. (PWA Docket No. RI 2003)