Works Progress Administration (WPA) Sites

The New Deal did a great deal of work restoring and improving historic battlefields around the country in the 1930s.  As part of this effort, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) restored Fort Negley in 1937-38.  This was an important Confederate fortification during the Civil War. Using the original plans, 800 relief workers of the WPA reconstructed the limestone fort at a cost of $84,000. Fort Nagley reopened to the public in 1938. It is still an historical attraction in Nashville and has a new visitor's center and informative historical markers.

The WPA performed structural renovation and historic restoration work at this site in 1937.    

Fort Niobrara NWR - Valentine NE Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 by Executive Order.  The principal aim was to protect bison and elk herds which had dwindled almost to extinction under the pressure of market hunting in the 19th century.  It was created out of the old frontier Fort Niobrara and today covers almost 20,000 acres of grasslands and riparian forest in Nebraska. In October 1933, the CCC began work in the refuge. A number of projects were identified, including a big game fence measuring twenty-one miles, a seven mile four-wire stock fence, fire prevention...

Established in 1833, Fort Nisqually was the first European settlement on Puget Sound and was sold to the Du Pont company in 1904. Efforts to preserve the fort were begun in 1933 and taken over by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1940. WPA laborers relocated the fort to Tacoma's Fort Defiance Park and "re-created several others to present Fort Nisqually as it was in 1855." (metroparkstacoma.org)

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 5441 transfered from work done on the Wilderness Battlefield in Virginia to Fort Ord October 12, 1937. "The enrollees are engaged in the improvement and maintenance of the Ord Military Reservation." "In 1937, under reservation status, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed many temporary buildings on the site. None of these structures stand today. In 1939, the US Army upgraded the base to Fort Ord. The Army increased intensity of use again in 1940 when the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a number of structures on East Garrison. The East Garrison currently consists of over seventy-five buildings...

"On 1 July 1940 the 7th Division was activated at what was then known as Camp Ord with General Joseph W. Stilwell (1883 - 1946) in command. Also known as "Vinegar Joe" or "Uncle Joe", depending upon one's station in life, General Stilwell conceived a place where those who were rigorously training to put their lives on the line for our country could find respite. A man of action, General Stilwell bull-dogged this project through. He picked the site and assigned the architects: 1st Lieutenant Savo Stoshitch of the 13th Engineer Division and 2nd Lieutenant Orville Pierce, 74th Field Artillery...

When President Roosevelt authorized the Works Progress Administration construction of the Fort Peck Dam in 1933, the “instant” town with a population of 10,000 created a need for social and recreational diversions in this remote area of Montana. The Army Corps of Engineers designed and constructed this theatre in less than nine months at a cost of nearly $90,000. The theatre opened November 16, 1934, as a movie house. Seating capacity was 1,200 and continuous showings ran twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week during the construction of the Fort Peck Dam. Patrons sometimes braved lines as long as...

WPA photos and captions from the 1930s show that the WPA helped restore the historic Fort Pike site in the 1930s. The 1938 WPA guide to the city of New Orleans describes the site: "Fort Pike, 36.1 m., occupies the site of a fortification built by Spanish Governor Carondelet, in 1793. The present fort was constructed under Andrew Jackson (1814) and later occupied by Confederates, but so far as is known no engagement ever took place here. Massive ramparts and winding passages lend a feudal atmosphere. Fort Pike was rehabilitated in 1935 and is now maintained as a State park." (New...

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted improvement work at the former Fort McKinley on Great Diamond Island in Portland, Maine. Project information: “Rehabilitation of buildings including plumbing, heating, and electrical” Official Project Number: 13‐2‐11‐109 Total project cost: $40,000.00 Sponsor: War Department ‐Q.M.C. “Fts. Williams, McKinley, & Preble: Improve roads” Official Project Number: 165‐2‐11‐8 Total project cost: $189,576.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Fort Williams, U.S. Army

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) rebuilt Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island, site of the first English settlement in North America.  By the 20th century, virtually nothing remained at the site, which was known as "The Lost Colony."   The site, which was a state park at the time of the WPA work, was designated as Fort Raleigh National Historic Site in 1941 and put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. A 1938 inventory of WPA achievements notes that:  "For 350 years all that remained of of Fort Roanoke, site of "The Lost Colony" on Roanoke Island, North Carolina, was...

WPA crews rebuilt historic Fort Recovery between 1935 and 1939. The fort was originally built in 1794 on the site where Army General Arthur St. Clair was roundly defeated by the armies of a confederation of Miami and Shawnee Native Americans. The fort was memorialized in 1910, and a museum opened on the site in 1938. From the National Archives file: “They also built, for use as a museum, a replica of the log cabin occupied by General St. Clair on his arrival there in 1791, and in addition constructed a modern library building.”

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted a development / improvement program at hundreds of military sites across the country. A DoD history document cites works at "Fort Banks" in Hull, Plymouth County, but it is possible these refer to Fort Revere. "Repair, modernize, and improve buildings" Official Project Number: 265‐14‐2007 Total project cost: $7,569.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, U.S. Army "Paint and repair buildings" Official Project Number: 265‐14‐2013 Total project cost: $11,359.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Fort Banks, U.S. Army "Modernize and improve buildings" Official Project Number: 365‐14‐2‐3 Total project cost: $38,612.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Harbor Defense, Fort Banks, U.S. Army "Rehabilitate and modernize buildings and improve grounds." Official Project Number: 165‐2‐14‐251 Total project cost: $132,214.00 Sponsor:...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) began to restore the foundation of Fort Rice and build replica structures on the historic site in 1937.  Located eighteen miles south of Mandan in Morton County, Fort Rice was originally built as an Army post during the Civil War. The WPA mapped out a program of improvement for both the site and the North Dakota State Park system more generally. “No structures remain but there are markers for the site and individual building locations. The main marker is enclosed in a stone shelter. Two replica blockhouses were constructed by the WPA in the 1930s, but they...

The W.P.A. conducted numerous improvements at the former Fort Rodman in New Bedford, Mass. Project details: "Recondition buildings, grounds, and facilities" Official Project Number: 165‐14‐2‐11 Total project cost: $80,540.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Fort Adams, U.S. Army "Improve grounds and recreational areas" Official Project Number: 265‐2‐14‐179 Total project cost: $38,458.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Fort Rodman, U.S. Army "Improve buildings" Official Project Number: 765‐14‐2‐41 Total project cost: $76,327.00 Sponsor: War Department "Construct rifle range" Official Project Number: 765‐14‐3‐7 Total project cost: $2,404.00 Sponsor: War Department

NPS.gov: "A project funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) brought the “southern half” of Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery to near completion by March 1938.  The New Deal labor program, begun in 1935, primarily completed small-scale new construction, rehabilitation, and/or landscape improvement projects that could be completed in a year or less.  An allotment of $30,000 by the WPA funded the construction tasks of filling and grading, as well as the installation of roads, water, and a sprinkler system."

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted improvement work at Fort Ruckman in Nahant, Mass. Project information: "Improve buildings and grounds " Official Project Number: 165‐2‐14‐251 Total project cost: $132,214.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Fort Banks, U.S. Army

The Work projects Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work at the military installation at Fort Scott in Kansas. Description: "Improve and rehabilitate buildings, install plumbing, heating, and electrical facilities." WPA Project No. 213-2-158. Cost: $3,000. Sponsor: War Department, Commanding General

Excavation for basement under barracks buildings Nos. 11 and 12, make apertures in concrete walls and install doors and windows. Install reinforced concrete floor.--Mooser, p. 95.

Construct a basement in Building No. 13 at Fort Scott. This consists of cutting holes for 6 windows and one door, removing 150 cubic yards of dirt and completely finishing the interior. Construct a log cabin complete 50' x 24' x 13'. Construct a glass porch 40' x 18' to the present Officers Club building. Construct a circular band stand 28' in diameter. Construct two sea going targets for artillery fire 25' x 12' x 19'. Tear down four war time Officers Quarters -- remove nails, salvage lumber, and beautify locality.--Mooser, p. 85.

Landscaping and removing fire hazards on 403 acre military reserve adjacent to Fort Scott, San Francisco. Tree trimming and clearing under brush, constructing fire breaks, removing fallen logs and debris, thereby removing a serious fire hazard. And planting ice plant to stop wind erosion of sand dunes.--Mooser, p. 89.

Leveling lower half of Fort Scott Parade Grounds; moving 30,000 cubic yards; plant field with grass. Lower end of field will be a ball diamond with backstop and grandstand.--Mooser, p. 87.

Widen 15,600 linear feet of existing roads from 10 feet to 30 feet; this will involve paving 34,700 square yards with emulsified asphalt. Surface 3,200 linear feet of existing roads; this will involve paving 10,600 square yards with emulsified asphalt. Construct 14,000 linear feet of safety fences to be made of 6' x 6' redwood posts 8' on centers with 2' x 6' railings.--Mooser, p. 88.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted restoration and preservation work at Fort Sewall in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

WPA crews conducted restoration work at the site between 1935 and 1938. From the Library of Congress: "In 1937, the fort was restored as a WPA project. It has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, but today is in great need of additional need of repair and structural work."  

In 1936, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted cleanup efforts at Fort Slocum Park, on the site of a Civil War-era fort, in the district's northeastern quadrant. Crews removed underbrush, poisonous plants, and dead trees to make the rustic park more salubrious for public use. The outline of the old earthworks of Fort Slocum are clearly visible in satellite view.

The fort dates back the early nineteenth century, when it was used to “promote and protext the interests of the United States in the region’s fur trade” (historicfortsnelling.org). Between 1938 and 1940, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) performed structural renovation and historic restoration work at this site, including sidewalks, sewers, porches, and garages. National Park Service: "Fort Snelling benefited from New Deal programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The programs provided funding for a general reconditioning of the fort, including landscaping and infrastructure. Workers graded and resurfaced existing roads, built new sidewalks and curbs and...

"When the first allotment of Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds became available in summer 1937, workers broke ground on the new cemetery. The New Deal labor program, begun in 1935, primarily completed small-scale new construction, rehabilitation, and/or landscape improvement projects that could be completed in a year or less. WPA laborers worked on the grading, filling and landscaping of the grounds while the construction of the buildings and main entrance was hired out under contract."

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted improvement work at Fort Standish on Lovells Island in Boston, Mass. Project information: "Improve buildings and grounds " Official Project Number: 165‐2‐14‐251 Total project cost: $132,214.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Fort Banks, U.S. Army

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted improvement work at Fort Quincy on Long Island in Boston, Mass. Project information: "Improve buildings and grounds " Official Project Number: 165‐2‐14‐251 Total project cost: $132,214.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Fort Banks, U.S. Army

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the walls and entry of the Fort Sumner Cemetery.

The WPA undertook several projects to improve Bayside, New York's Fort Totten during the 1930s and early 1940s. One project called for the WPA to repair and reconstruct buildings; improve the "water and lighting installations" as well as "sewer installation and other utilities;" and "improve the roads and grounds" at the base. Much of the grounds now serves as a city park.

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted the following work at what was then Fort Trumbull: "Improve buildings, grounds, and facilities" Official Project Number: 112‐3‐15‐4 Total project cost: $15,666.00 Sponsor: Treasury Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Fort Trumbull Training Station "Paint interior and exterior of building" Official Project Number: 165‐15‐2019 Total project cost: $652.00 Sponsor: Quartermaster General's Department

In 1934, Coconino county used federal funds to help widen, surface and oil three miles of dirt road from the north end of Beaver Street in Flagstaff to the city's reservoirs.  This was the first county road to be paved.  It fostered bigger ideas from Flagstaff's city fathers, who had long wanted a more direct route to the Grand Canyon around the west side of the San Francisco Peaks. In 1936, county engineer Clyde Etter proposed improving the old forest road through Fort Valley and extending it 50 miles to the Williams-Grand Canyon road (today's Highway 64).  The Works Progress Administration (WPA) agreed to...

"Louis Vasquez and Andrew Sublette built an adobe fort on this site about 1835 as part of their fur trading enterprise. The two sold the fort in 1841 and it was abandoned a year later. In the late 1930s, the Works Progress Administration reconstructed the adobe fort using the small portions of the remaining walls and the limited information available regarding the size and plan of the original. The Colorado Historical Society operates the property as a museum."   (www.historycolorado.org)

The WPA undertook several projects to improve Staten Island's Fort Wadsworth during the 1930s and early 1940s. One project called for the WPA to repair and reconstruct buildings; improve the "water and lighting installations" as well as "sewer installation and other utilities" at; and "improve the roads and grounds" at the base.

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted improvement work at Fort Warren on Georges Island in Boston, Mass. Project information: "Improve buildings and grounds " Official Project Number: 165‐2‐14‐251 Total project cost: $132,214.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Fort Banks, U.S. Army

The W.P.A. conducted restoration and preservation work at Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted multiple improvement and development projects at Fort Wetherill in Jamestown, Rhode Island. The projects included road construction, painting, the repair of a wharf, and building improvements.

The Works Progress Administration built an armory in Mobile, circa 1937. The structure still serves as the Alabama National Guard Armory.

Established in 1844 to protect the government's interests in the region's "Copper Boom," Fort Wilkinson was permanently abandoned by the U.S. Army in 1870 and became a state park in 1923. Beginning in 1938, renovation of the park began under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The improvements "included a 200 car parking area, upgraded campsites, water and sewer systems, a park store and campground shower building," as well as historic preservation work that today instruct visitors about conditions on the mid-19th-century frontier. (fortwilkinsha.org.)