Work Relief Programs Sites

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) undertook a project "painting the building on Delaware street wharf"—a city-owned facility—in New Castle, Delaware, starting Jan. 1934. The facility appears to be no longer extant.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor constructed a water main along Wharf Rd. in Rockport, Mass.

Between World War I and World War II, the economy of New Bedford changed dramatically. The city’s whaling industry disappeared and textile manufacturing plummeted. In 1937, the city’s unemployment rate was a staggering 32.5 percent. New Bedford was down and out, with many families struggling to survive. The WPA's intervention in New Bedford was intended to boost the city's fishing industry. In 1925, New Bedford fishermen still had to sell their catches at Fulton Fish Market in New York because New Bedford did not have its own fish auction house. Eventually buyers began to come to New Bedford to buy...

"The road improvement project in Whatcom County calls for an investment of $9,955 by the WPA, $7,963 by the Whatcom County Commissioners and will put the roads in the vicinity of Ferndale in the best of condition. Fifteen WPA workers are slated to start clearing, grubbing, grading and surfacing the road the day following Armistice Day anQd will complete the pork in about two months."

The Works Progress Administration built a bridge and walls in Whatcom Falls Park, in the vicinity of Bellingham. The bridge is in good condition and is located 100 yards from the park entrance.

The federal Works Progress Administration constructed a fieldhouse at what is now Wheeler Athletic Complex, in (West) Duluth, Minnesota.

The federal Work Projects Administration worked to improve the Wheeler Avenue School in Valley Stream, NY during the 1930s. One modest project in 1938 involved painting the interior and exterior of the building. WPA Official Project No. 685-21-2-21.

The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (WNWR) covers 35,000 acres  along the Tennessee River near Decatur, Alabama.  The Wheeler Migratory Bird Refuge was established by Executive Order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 to provide habitat for wintering and migrating birds in the eastern  United States (the name was changed to the present NWR in 1940). The refuge was made possible by the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) construction of Wheeler dam (1933-1936) and the creation of Wheeler Lake.  It became the first National Wildlife Refuge associated with a multi-purpose reservoir, which provides for navigation over the Muscle Shoals area, flood control, electricity production, and...

WPA crews built the Wheeler Street fire hall in Tonawanda in 1938 for Niagara Hose Company #3.

The Works Progress Administration built walls around Wheeling Stadium in Wheeling, Ohio County. The WPA-built structure replaced the old wall damaged by the 1936 spring flood.

In 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) created Wheelwright Park trails in Cohasset, Massachusetts. The area was already a public park but the WPA greatly improved the accessibility. The trails that were cleared are about 4,000 feet or .7 miles long and traverse an area of 232 acres of land known as Wheelwright Park. The trails were constructed of gravel but have since become covered in leaves and pine needles. The park has trails that have natural rock formations in the midst of them as well as beside them. At parts there are natural rocks carved to be stairs in...

The CCC operated in the Whipple Dam area from 1933 to 1941. In addition to other improvements throughout Whipple Dam State Park, "in 1935, the CCC dismantled the old dam and constructed the existing dam and bridge."

"Between 1933 and 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a work camp at Owl’s Gap (S-60-PA), east of the park. The corps members built pavilions, roads, beach and restrooms during this period. In 1935, the CCC dismantled the old dam and constructed the existing dam and bridge. In 1987, the 32-acre park day use area was designated the Whipple Dam National Historic District. This entry on the National Register of Historic Places recognizes, protects, and preserves the work site of one of the Depression-Era's most important relief programs, the CCC. The CCC work was performed to guidelines embraced by the...

Whitaker Park, located four blocks west of the University of Nevada, Reno , was improved by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937.  It is one of the few parks that had work done to it during the New Deal that still has its original tennis courts. The New Deal brick restrooms are gone, but the trees that were planted are still standing.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor conducted sewer and drainage work in Fall River, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: Inadequate drainage resulting in flooded conditions about Bedford and Stinzo Streets. Fall River, will be remedied with the replacement of this new WPA White Brook drain from Bedford Street to Quequchan River. This area has been heavily redeveloped since the Depression era.

White Lake campground is located on a National Natural Landmark of 72 acre Pitch Pine Stand, surrounding a glacier formed lake. The 117th Co. S53, CCC based out of Tamworth NH, was involved in the building of bath houses, beach improvements, and camp ground development.

"In 1934, Wylie Apte accepted their offer and became the manager of the airport operations at the White Mountain Airport. Wylie persuaded the White Mountain Airport Corporation to clear away the trees so that he could taxi near the highway, and in 1935 a WPA project cleared off the stumps and enlarged the runway to 1,500 feet (460 m)." The WPA also constructed a hangar at the airport. No longer in operation, the airport is no longer extant.

The main purpose of these dams (and others) on the Muddy River is flood control and protection of downstream decreed agricultural land owned by the Moapa Indian Reservation and/or private water users in Moapa Valley. The White Narrows Dam No. 1 also impounds water during wetter years and/or off-season useage. Dam No. 2 is located within the Reservation while Dam No. 1 and its reservoir are at the edge but mostly outside of the Reservation boundary. Dam No. 2 was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps - Indian Division (CCC-ID) in 1935 under supervision of the Office Indian Affairs and...

The WPA constructed this gymnasium for the White Oak School in 1942. A 1985 Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory described the building in detail: "The White Oak gymnasium is a rectangular (100' x 55') addition to a pre-existing school building constructed of brick which has been painted white. The roof is arched with stepped parapets. The main entryway is recessed and framed by pilasters; the latter decorates the side of the gym as well... The school still serves as an economic resource for the community as teachers salaries and workers wages are infused back into the local business community."

Municipal reports for the town of Concord document extensive New Deal improvements in White Park. In 1935, the entrance to White Park at the corner of Center and High streets was remodeled. In 1936, the PWA completed a cement bathing pool in White Park. In June of 1937, the WPA completed a new administration building for the park, "furnished and equipped so at the end of the year the City of Concord has the foundation for one of the best service bureaus in tree surgery, insect control, tree and flower preservation and propagation in this section of the country. The new...

White Pines State Park on Ogle County, Illinois, contains several CCC structures: "In 1933, with the Great Depression in full swing, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) sought to relieve the work needs of unemployed Americans. The National Park Service sought to work with state governments in an effort to meet those ends. Many of the projects the CCC was involved with were construction projects. The project at White Pines was originally meant to be the construction of a lodge building. From 1933 to 1939, two hundred men, many of them World War I veterans, worked on the State Park construction...

A June 1936 press release announced the opening of a new playground at Lexington and 106th. It was equipped with "horseshoe pitching courts as well as an open play area for adult children." The NYC Parks site expands on the history of this park: "This small playground has been a part of the Harlem community since the early part of the twentieth century. The Italian Benevolent Institute was the first organization to operate a playground on this site. In 1936, the City of New York acquired a 0.52-acre plot of land from the Institute and transferred jurisdiction over the property to Parks....

Between 1935 and 1937, a six-mile long sewer tunnel was constructed between the Los Angeles County Sanitation District's former Joint Disposal Plant in Carson, CA, and an ocean outfall at White Point on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The project received funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). According to an October 1933 article in the Los Angeles Illustrated Daily News: "Definite action toward construction of a main outfall sewer, generally known as the White Point outfall project, to drain the district south of Los Angeles, was taken yesterday when an application for $2,820,000 was filed with the state advisory board of...

The Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) supplied labor for Maynard town projects White Pond in 1934. In addition to planting trees, workers cleaned its banks of brush and dead wood, and cut wood for other purposes. White Pond, an important component of Maynard's water supply system, is physically split among Hudson and Stow townships. Work was continued by the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.).

"The White River Mess Hall and Dormitory is the only remaining Civilian Conservation Corps camp structure remaining in Mount Rainier National Park. The wood-framed building was built in 1933, and comprises 2185 square feet, originally containing a kitchen dining room, living room, two bathrooms, a bedroom and a bunkroom, as well as a service porch. The building no longer serves as a residence and is used for storage. It is located at the White River entrance to the park, part of a complex of service buildings." (Wikipedia)

Construction on White Rock Lake began in 1910 in response to a water shortage in Dallas. The City of Dallas dammed White Rock Creek in 1911 and built a water processing plant. White Rock Lake was the city’s main source of drinking water until a bigger lake was built in Lewisville, Texas in 1929. The City of Dallas transferred ownership of the land surrounding White Rock Lake to the Park and Recreation Department. The Park and Recreation Department started developing the 1,254 acre White Rock Lake Park in 1930. One of the first projects was stone picnic tables. Next to these...

"Built in 1935, this WPA building is still a thriving school in this rural community... White Rock School is located eight miles west of the town of Meeker, and three miles north on White Rock Road. The school is addressed in the town of Mcloud. This is a rectangular building constructed of native sandstone. It was an early WPA project in 1935 with an appropriation of $12,792. The main entrance faces east and has a raised pediment. The double doors are slightly recessed with a pair of windows to either side. The building is constructed of coursed native sandstone. The wood-framed windows...

"The Historic District at White Sands National Monument (WSNM) consists of eight Pueblo Revival buildings constructed in the late 1930s by Civil Works Administration workers as a Recreation Demonstration and Emergency Conservation Work Project. It is understood to have been done at the cost of $31,000. The centerpiece of the district is the Monument Administration and Museum Building, constructed in 1936-37. This two-story building with patios and portals was beautifully finished inside with exposed viga and latilla ceilings, a corner fireplace, tinwork fixtures, and Colonial Style furnishings created by CCC workers and Girl Scouts. This district was also landscaped with...

"The Visitor Center building complex at White Sands National Monument is an excellent example of Spanish pueblo-adobe ('Pueblo-Revival') architecture constructed during the years of the Great Depression. Construction was begun in 1936 and completed in 1938 by various government agencies including the Works Progress Administration (WPA) at a cost of $31,600. Wall construction of the Visitor Center is of adobe mud bricks throughout. Adobe bricks are usually sixteen inches long, ten inches wide and four inches thick. Ordinarily, two men can mix and mold over one hundred bricks in a day, sufficient to build about one foot of wall. There are...

Believed to be presently abandoned, this historic rural school is located at the intersection of County roads 191 and 30, southwest of Kim, Colorado. "Built in 1921 and expanded in 1936 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the school exemplifies oneroom schools constructed in eastern Las Animas County during the homesteading boom of the 1910s and 1920s. The school addition and its adjacent WPA-constructed barn, intended to store coal and shelter student’s horses, reflect Depression era New Deal efforts to improve rural education facilities in eastern Las Animas County. The WPA constructed new schools and barns for several rural school districts...

The Works Progress Administration built the Whitebead Gymnasium in Pauls Valley OK. Contributor note: "The Whitebead School is located about five miles west of Pauls Valley on County Road 3200 (Kimberlin Road) - (two miles west of Interstate 35). The oldest school building on the property is a two-story brick school built in 1919. To the north of this school is the WPA-built gymnasium. The gym is a one-story concrete block building with a gabled roof. It measures 60 x 79 feet, and is painted white. The gym has a small maintenance building added on the north, and is attached on the south...

The course and clubhouse were constructed by the WPA in 1937. The course was originally 9 holes and was designated as both the golf course and airfield.  Planes landed regularly, but became a hazard and in the 40’s the course became the emergency air field for the area.  The clubhouse included the 2 gables, but not the structure to the left in the most recent photo as in the reference. The golf course website describes the course construction as follows: "The property owners, golfers, donated the land to the County on October 29, 1933 which then transferred it to the City...

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) expanded the water system in Amesbury in the Whitehall St. area.

The Work Projects Administration worked to "improve and alter" the old U.S. Army Building, located at 39 Whitehall Street, during the early 1940s. The building was demolished in 1983.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) improved a segment of Whitehaven Parkway NW, from Thirty-fifth Place to Thirty-seventh Street. The WPA graded this road, and also prepared it for pavement by putting in a foundation of recycled road material (e.g., concrete, rock, macadam).

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Whitestone Playground in New York. The playground was dedicated in April 1940. The construction of Whitestone Playground was one of many recreation projects pursued by the WPA in New York. “Two thirds of this new twenty-one acre playground was formerly property of the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity, and was known as the Whitestone Pumping Station…Here recreation facilities have been provided for all age groups.” Whitestone Playground, “designed by the Park Department and Built by the Works Progress Administration,” contributed to “a total of 323 new or reconstructed playgrounds completed by the New...

Along with a dam, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed a shelter and bathhouse in Whitewater State Park. The design of these quartzite  structures “reflects the area’s German heritage.”  

The main classroom building of the Whitfield Line Vocational High School was constructed in 1936 by the WPA. It was demolished in 2005.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers rebuilt the road around Whiting Reservoir in Holyoke, Massachusetts. From a W.P.A. Bulletin: Whiting Reservoir, Holyoke, a rippling splash set in a beautiful green countryside, is bordered by a narrow, dangerously curved road, lacking gutters, retaining banks and culverts. A Holyoke WPA Project is making this roadway a safe and modern thoroughfare.

The Works Progress Administration built a library in Drumright, OK. Contributor note: "Whitlock Park is located southwest of the downtown area and is bounded on the west by S. Jones Avenue, on the north by W. 2nd Street and on the south by Lou Allard Drive. The entrance on the south has a drive-through, flanked by stone pillars. A portion of the park boundary on this side has small stone pillars and pipe railing. The park has a nice selection of newer playground equipment, a skatepark and a splash pad. The WPA-constructed swimming pool has been replaced by the splash pad. A nice piece...