Work Relief Programs Sites

The Works Progress Administration paved alleys in Elkins, Randolph County.

Alliance Municipal Airport was enlarged, with several buildings constructed and the landing field extended, by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA).

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Vermont's Allis State Park during the 1930s. "They built up the access roads, constructed a massive timber picnic shelter, picnic grounds and a campground."

Located in the Snow Mountain Ranger District of the Malheur National Forest (transferred from the Ochoco National Forest in 2003), the Allison Ranger Station can be described as historically  significant given its age and continuous use in the administration of the Forest Service’s responsibility for this relatively remote area in the Ochoco Mountains of eastern Oregon. The timber and summer forage have been important to the local economy’s lumber and stock-raising industries. The Allison Ranger Station served as the administrative headquarters for the district from 1911 until the 1950s when the headquarters was moved to Hines, Oregon. At that time, the...

1883 - 1937 : Dona Ana County Court House 1941 - 1984 : Las Cruces Junior High School or Court Jr. High School 1993 - present : Mesilla Valley Youth Foundation Court Youth Center 2004 - present : Alma d'arte Charter High School 1883 - 1937 : The Dona Ana County Court House on Court Avenue served as the site of all legal matters in the County, including hangings. The building was razed in 1937 when the County received Works Progress Administration funds to build a new court house and a new junior high school.

The original Alms House of Prince George's County on this site dated back to the late 18th century. The Alms House provided a place of shelter for indigents, paupers, disabled and other citizens without financial support. Many of these people were also buried in the Alms House cemetery. In 1935, the WPA built a house for the superintendent of the Alms House. The Alms House, and the surrounding structures no longer exist. One grave marker remains at the site of the former charitable facilities.

Charles Story: "From the beginning, WPA involvement would play a significant role in the creation of Alpine Park (Park). While there is no record of the WPA or any outside agency providing money for the purchase of the park or building materials, the WPA provided all the labor for the outbuildings and the original roads (Park, Morning Star) . The workers also cleared tress and prepared the land. The WPA workers built the small building that faces Alpine Road and the fireplaces and stone bridge that stand along the Alpine Road entrance (Barrie, Park, Morning Star). The original use for the...

The bridge over Alsea Bay (mouth of the Alsea River) in Oregon was constructed with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1934-36.  It was one of five PWA-funded bridges over Alsea Bay, Coos Bay, Siuslaw River, Umpqua River, and  Yaquina River that completed the Oregon Coast Highway. All but the Alsea River bridge still stand. The coast highway was developed after 1914 by the state and county highway departments, but money ran out in the Great Depression before the job could be finished.  With the advent of the New Deal, the PWA offered $1.4 million and a loan of...

The New Deal gave a huge boost to the development of Alta Ski Resort in the 1930s and early 1940s.  The work involved the US Forest Service, the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration. Alta is the second or third oldest downhill ski resort in the United States. It began when the last silver mine closed in the Great Depression and the bankrupt owner deeded land to the U.S. Forest Service in lieu of back taxes. It is not clear who thought of creating a ski resort there, since miners had been skiing the canyon for years. In 1935, the Forest Service hired...

"In 1938, the Alton Cemetery Association made an initial offer to donate land for a national cemetery with a proviso that the government build a rostrum or permanent speaker’s stand for use on Memorial Day. Once the offer was accepted, Works Progress Administration laborers constructed a permanent rostrum. Between 1941 and 1942, the remains of 49 Union soldiers were removed from a nearby, but separate, section of Alton City Cemetery, and were reinterred on the federal land."

The Works Progress Administration completed improvements on Altona Road and vicinity. “At the entrance to the French Village area was a corner that constituted a death trap ever since the large increase in automobile traffic in the island. The danger in this corner was almost entirely eliminated by raising the entire road of the north and south approach, widening the bridge at the corner and removing the old masonry sidewall. It is now possible for drivers to see both ways when approaching the corner.”

Alum Rock Park is California's oldest municipal park and occupies 720 acres within Alum Rock Canyon just east of downtown San Jose. Though in the late 1800s it held many commercial attractions, including an aviary, a restaurant, a carousel and a zoo, today the park has been returned to a more natural state and most of these man-made structures are gone. Much of the evidence of mankind that remains dates to the extensive work in Alum Rock Park undertaken by the WPA and the CCC in the 1930s. These agencies improved park trails, removed railroad tracks and built stone bridges,...

The New Deal had a large impact on Maynard's Alumni Field. In 1933 the Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) surfaced the running track, built a concrete foundation for bleachers, graded a field next to the highway, and surfaced tennis courts. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (E.R.A.) constructed a field house, bleachers, and a hockey rink on site the next two years. Work was continued by the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.).

Built by the WPA in 1940. The library flooded during Katrina, but has since reopened.

The New Deal made major improvements to the former Alvarado Park on the east side of Richmond CA, where Wildcat Creek tumbles out of the East Bay hills. Alvarado Park was transferred by the city of Richmond to the East Bay Regional Park District in 1985 and is now the "Alvarado Area" of Wildcat Canyon Park.     The park is known for its New Deal stonework, done chiefly by Italian immigrant masons, including a massive stone arch bridge across Wildcat Creek, stone light standards along roads and paths, and picnic facilities and stone stoves. The stonework is remarkable enough for the park...

The New Deal made major improvements to the former Alvarado Park on the east side of Richmond CA, where Wildcat Creek tumbles out of the East Bay hills. Alvarado Park was transferred by the city of Richmond to the East Bay Regional Park District in 1985 and is now the "Alvarado Area" of Wildcat Canyon Park. The park is known for its New Deal stonework, done chiefly by Italian immigrant masons, including a massive stone arch bridge across Wildcat Creek, stone light standards along roads and paths, and picnic facilities and stone stoves. The stonework is remarkable enough for the park to...

The New Deal made major improvements to the former Alvarado Park on the east side of Richmond CA, where Wildcat Creek tumbles out of the East Bay hills. Alvarado Park was transferred by the city of Richmond to the East Bay Regional Park District in 1985 and is now the "Alvarado Area" of Wildcat Canyon Park.     The park is known for its New Deal stonework, done chiefly by Italian immigrant masons, including a stone bridge across Wildcat Creek, stone light standards along roads and paths, and picnic facilities and stone stoves. The stonework is remarkable enough for the park to have...

The New Deal made major improvements to the former Alvarado Park on the east side of Richmond CA, where Wildcat Creek tumbles out of the East Bay hills. Alvarado Park was transferred by the city of Richmond to the East Bay Regional Park District in 1985 and is now the "Alvarado Area" of Wildcat Canyon Park.     The park is known for its New Deal stonework, done chiefly by Italian immigrant masons, including a massive stone arch bridge across Wildcat Creek, stone light standards along roads and paths, and picnic facilities and stone stoves. The stonework is remarkable enough for the park...

The Amador County courthouse and Hall of Records in Jackson CA was rebuilt in 1939-40 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).  The previous courthouse and Hall of Records on the site, built side by side in 1863, were completely remodeled and joined into a single building.   The architect was George Sellon, who turned brick Romanesque structures into a fine example of Art Moderne design.  There is a plaque in the foyer that credits everyone but the WPA for the 1940 remodel. This courthouse was replaced by a new superior court building across town in 2007 and has been sitting empty ever...

The Works Progress Administration built tennis courts and completed landscaping at the American School in American Fork, Alpine School District. Docket # 2799-R (Utah).

WPA-funded animal sculptures have been moved from the CCC camp on American Island to Main Street in Chamberlain. A squirrel and coyote were placed outside the Chamberlain Swimming Pool, and two eagles sit on either side of the Avenue of Flags where it intersects Main St. Godakota.com and americanislanddays.com make this note about the camp and sculptures: "There was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp located on American Island near Chamberlain, South Dakota. The camp workers were responsible for many of the improvements on the island and around Chamberlain in the 1930s and 40s. A photo taken by Orrion Barger seen in...

WPA-built American Legion building in Moorhead, MN. "The American Legion Melvin E. Hearl Post No. 21 was completed in 1936 with grant assistance from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is significant as an example of a public works project which was a source of community pride during a period of great economic adversity. It also reflects an unusual, handwork-intensive construction technology which exploited local materials and local labor."

"The American Legion Hall represents the success of local residents and federal relief programs administered on Colorado’s eastern plains during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Providing much-needed employment in Kiowa County, local workers constructed the building between 1937 and 1938 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The hall is a rare surviving example of a simple, vernacular building built by the New Deal agency. The building exemplifies the efforts of the WPA to boost moral during the Depression through the construction of buildings that could be enjoyed by the entire community. The building provides a venue for community gatherings,...

"This American Legion hut is a one-story native stone building, constructed in the Craftsman style. It is located at the SW corner of Stephenson Park, and was a WPA project in 1936. It was constructed at a cost of $7,000 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The building faces 5th Street to the south and has a front facing gable with a smaller gable over the entrance. There are wide overhangs and open eaves, with exposed wood rafters. The windows are four-over-four double hung. The interior has three rooms, a large meeting hall as you enter...

"Located in Tahlequah City Park, on the southeast corner of N. Brookside Avenue and E. Shawnee Street, this Hut is also known as the Rhodes Pritchett American Legion Post 50 and is currently active. It is a rectangular building constructed of native sandstone in a typical WPA Standardized style. The building has a native stone foundation, with a covered porch entrance under a side facing gable. The roof is slightly pitched and covered with shingles.   "The porch front opening, as well as each of the paired window units has a soldier-stone header with a large keystone. The windows are one-over-one wood-framed...

The 17,000-seat stadium was built in the Elizabeth community of Charlotte in 1936. The stadium recently underwent a renovation following structural issues and had its capacity reduced following the removal of the east end stands, and a downsizing of the visitors side. "Memorial Stadium is mainly used for high school sporting events and also serves as a public venue. Prior to the construction of nearby Bank of America Stadium, Memorial Stadium was Charlotte's largest outdoor venue, and is still the largest municipal venue in the city. Ground was broken on the stadium in 1934 and the gates were officially opened two years...

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) constructed a field house at American Legion Field in Boston, Mass. WPA Bulletin: WPA workmen have erected a modern field house, essential for the health and convenience of those who use the recreational facilities at the American Legion Field, East Boston.

"According to A Review of Work Relief Activities in Arkansas, April 1st, 1934 to July 1st 1935, this structure, referred to as a 'community hall,' was part of Projects 42-B15-2 and 42-B3-4 that operated from April 26th to October 13, 1934, utilizing 43 workers and entailing 9,122 man hours of work" (as cited in Arkansas Historic Preservation Program). "In addition to the community hall/American Legion Post Building, the WPA constructed a recreational park with Boy and Girl Scout cabins, stone walls, and a stone stepped path 'from the base to the top of the cliff,' which is also known as Pine...

"American Legion Post #127 (also known as the Wilson Burnett American Legion Post #127 was first chartered on April 9, 1920, though this structure was not erected until 1934, when it was constructed by the Works Progress Administration.  The onset of the Great Depression in 1929 and the subsequent advent of such federal public works programs as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) first brought such public buildings as, schools, community halls and American Legion posts to the Eudora area in 1934...Among its various other projects, the WPA constructed or repaired a number of rural school buildings throughout the state, and...

The facility that now serves as American Legion Post 105, in Fayetteville, Georgia, was constructed as a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1935. "Lastly, I'd like to highlight the fact that we're rapidly approaching our 100th birthday. You might have noticed in my video, my home post, which I've got a couple of post members here, was built in 1935 by the WPA, and it's a log cabin. We're awful proud of what we do in Post 105 in Fayette, Georgia. We have a culture of growth. Since I've been a member, we've grown from 81 members to 307...

The American Legion building is a Colonial Revival-style stone building that was built by the Works Progress Administration from 1936 to 1937 as a meeting hall for Post 28 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It still serves that function today. The American Legion Post 28 building is in the Duncan Park area Spartanburg.  It is up a hill from West Park Drive, with a loop driveway around the building.  The building faces northeast.  The building has a large lawn in front of it, which includes a Civil War monument (built in 1910, moved to the site from elsewhere in 1966).

The American Red Cross Building in San Juan was built in 1935 by PRERA (the Puerto Rico Emergency Relief Administration; as opposed to PRRA, the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration). “In accordance to Law No. 3 of June 26, 1929, the Government of Puerto Rico sold to the American Red Cross, Puerto Rico Chapter, a plot of 563.25 square meters, located in the Puerta de Tierra neighborhood of San Juan, for the sum of one dollar. Law 3 required that the Chapter build a structure within five years at the cost of no less than $15,000. Another condition was that the structure...

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted improvement work on Ames Avenue in Omaha, Nebraska. "Omaha's first completed CWA project is now ready for use ... It is the repaved south half of Ames avenue, west of Twenty-fourth street."

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor painted and repaired Ames School in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Mississippi’s oldest courthouse was enlarged, modernized and renovated with a Works Progress Administration project of more than $30,000. The red brick two-story Federal style building was originally constructed 1839-1840. The project added two-story wings on the east and west ends of the building, and two-story porches across the back and front elevations, adding six new offices to the existing building. Indoor lavatories and rest rooms were installed for the first time, and a steel fire-proof records vault installed. The remodeling and repair was authorized as a Civil Works Administration project in February, 1934, however, was discontinued prior to completion. An...

This was one of five monumental senior high schools built in Fort Worth with the aid of New Deal programs. It was designed by Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick in an eclectic Spanish Baroque style and features yellow brick and a clay tile roof. Funding for the building came through the Public Works Administration (PWA). The grounds of the school were landscaped by Hare & Hare of Kansas City, Missouri, with the work implemented by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The heavily-treed campus includes a band shelter with stage that was built by the WPA.  The school has been...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was very active in the Coronado National Forest during the 1930s. Coronado National Forest is discontinuous across southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico because the forested areas occur only on isolated mountain ranges called "Sky Islands" – a type of landscape similar to the Basin and Range in Nevada. CCC camp F-30 was located in Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains (we are not sure exactly where or for how long).  The CCC 'boys' (enrollees) did extensive work in the canyon, including a campground, picnic area, amphitheater, trails and erosion works. The amphitheater is located about...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) erected an amphitheater in Mineral Wells, Texas during the Great Depression. The natural rock, earth, and grass amphitheater behind the Lillian Peek Home Economics building in Mineral Wells was constructed in 1937. Both projects were recently renovated by the 50 Year Club of Mineral Wells.

The federal Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed an amphitheater on the campus of what is now Eastern Tennessee State University (ETSU). The amphitheater is located between the University Center and Roy S. Nicks Hall. Waymarking: "Once known as "the passion pit," this area was completed by Works Progress Administration workers in 1941. The amphitheater is used for student assemblies and staff picnics and is still a wonderful place to enjoy the sunshine with friends."

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built an amphitheater as a recreational facility for the old Utah State Training School for the disabled.  The school has grown and changed its name to the Utah State Development Center and the part of the grounds  with the amphitheater have passed to the City of American Fork at Quail Cove Park. The magnificent amphitheater, built of local stone (no doubt from Rock Canyon), is banked into a hillside landscaped with pines. In front of the amphitheater are a stone wall and graceful curved steps leading to a large lawn bordered with trees and shrubs. The...