“Great Blue Hill has a[n] observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of the New Deal in the 1930’s (The Eliot Tower). The views of the city and Greater Boston Area on a clear day are amazing… read more
From 1933-1937 a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp operated within the Blue Hills Reservation, south of Boston. Over that time the CCC made numerous improvements to the Reservation, including two lookout towers, ski trails, a toboggan run, and any number… read more
“Pakomet Spring. This area was developed by the CCC in 1936 and 1937 as a roadside pull-off, reflecting the increased presence of automobiles in the reservation during the 1930s. It formerly included guard rails, landscaping, tables, and seats. All that… read more
W.P.A. project description: “Blue Hills Headquarters; a 120-foot by 40-foot by 14-foot fieldstone and brick garage with a reinforced concrete slab roof and steel girders and lally columns, was completed at the division’s headquarters on Hillside Avenue, Milton.” “Operations Yard…. read more
Description of a 1937 W.P.A. project: “Blue Hills Reservation; two baseball diamonds and four tennis courts were built in the sports area south of Hoosicwhisick Pond in Milton.” Hoosicwhisick Pond is also known as Houghton’s Pond.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Civil Works Administration (CWA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted extensive development work at Massachusetts’s Blue Hills Reservation. Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission annual reports detail the work of the CCC over time. 1933 report: “In the latter… read more
W.P.A. project description: “Blue Hill River Road and Ponkapoag Trail, Milton; early in 1939 work will be begun on additional improvements at the recreational area adjacent to Hoosicwhisick [Houghton’s] Pond. The project provides for the construction of 3,250 linear feet… read more
W.P.A. project description: “Blue Hills Reservation at Unquity Road and Canton Avenue, Milton; to develop an area of eighteen acres for playground and skating use.” The location and status of these facilities is unknown to Living New Deal.
Check out our latest map and guide to the work of the New Deal in Washington, D.C. It includes 500 New Deal sites in the District alone, highlighting 34 notable sites, and includes an inset map of the area around the National Mall which can be used for self-guided walking tours.
Take a look at our previous guides, equally comprehensive, covering key New Deal sites in San Francisco and New York City.
