Monuments and Memorials Sites

Located in Straus Park on the Upper West Side is "a bronze 1913 statue by American artist Augustus Lukeman of a nymph gazing over a calm expanse of water in memory of Ida and Isidor Straus, a United States congressman and co-owner of Macy’s, who perished on the RMS Titanic" (wikipedia). In the 1930s, it was restored with federal funding under Karl Gruppe, "chief sculptor of the Monument Restoration Project of the New York City Parks Department, from 1934 to 1937." The program was initially supported by federal funding from the Public Works of Art Project (Lowrey, 2008), and later by...

The Jefferson Memorial was built to honor the author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Such a memorial had long been proposed, but it was only realized under the New Deal, 1939-1943.  It remains one of America's most beloved monuments to this day.   The design is based on the Roman Pantheon and Jefferson's own love of classical architecture, as shown in his design of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. It is built of white Danby marble from Vermont and is elevated on a circular platform of granite and marble, with steps...

The Timothy Ahearn Memorial in New Haven, Connecticut was created under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project in 1937.

“By the spring of 1936, the CCC continued where they left off in 1934. Crews built a water system for the Kyle Canyon Campground, the Rainbow Canyon summer-home area, the Kyle Canyon Guard Station, and the Air Force Base Rest Camp. Considerable time was also spent cleaning up collapsed CCC barracks destroyed by devastating storms during the previous winter…Once the camp was operational, the CCC began constructing Deer Creek Road into Lee Canyon and building trails to Little Falls and Mount Baldy.” --The Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada

This small stone obelisk marks the point where Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri meet. It was erected by the National Youth Administration in 1938. It is located at the coordinates marked here, south of the Route 166 round-about at the entrance to an Oklahoma Casino, just south of the main entrance on a dirt road.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to restore the equestrian George Washington monument in Union Square during the mid-1930s.

The NYC Parks Department website explains that: "Although this flagstaff commemorates the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is also known as the Charles F. Murphy Memorial Flagpole. The intricate bas-reliefs and plaques were completed in 1926 by sculptor Anthony De Francisci (1887–1964), and feature a procession of allegorical figures representing democracy and tyranny, the text of the Declaration of Independence, and emblems from the original 13 colonies. The enormous flagpole, said to be one of the largest in New York State, is capped with a gilded sunburst." In the 1930s, the sculpture was restored with...

W.P.A. Bulletin, 1937: "he Memorial Athletic Field in the rear of King's Highway School is rapidly nearing completion. Last April the field was rather ugly, idle land. Now there is a quarter-mile cinder track, circling a seeded oval, portable bleachers, a memorial plot of war veterans with flagpole, a driveway from the highway to the field, a football field, a drainage system and a fence enclosing the athletic field."

The Veterans Memorial building in San Leandro was constructed in 1934 by the county of Alameda with the aide of funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA).  The building dedication was held on September 23, 1934.  The site was purchased by the city of San Leandro in 1933 for $65,000 and the building cost $80,000. It was designed by Henry Meyer, Mildred Meyer and George Klinkhardt and the contractor was George Peterson. A new wing was added on the south side of the building, with a cornerstone that says "1950" -- which is confusing since there is no other cornerstone or plaque giving...

The WPA built these two stone memorials in 1936. Whether they were both originally at this site is unclear, but they are now both on the lawn of the American Legion hall. The listed date is for the smaller of the two monuments.

According to National Park Service photograph records at Antietam National Battlefield, PWA project number FP 420 (probably occurring between 1934 and 1936) was the repair of the War Correspondents Memorial Arch--a national historic monument--at what is now Gathland State Park. This appears to be one of several PWA-funded repairs of Civil War-related structures and sites in Frederick and Washington counties during the Great Depression. A wayside marker near the Arch describes its origin and unique design: “This stone Arch, the culmination of (George) Townsend’s architectural endeavors, was built in 1896 a permanent memorial to newspaper correspondents, artists, and photographers of the Civil...

West New York's War Memorial was constructed as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1937. The New York Times wrote: "A triangular monument, with thirteen steps on each side representing the twenty-six residents of this place who lost their lives in the World War, was dedicated this afternoon at exercises attended by 5,000 persons." The $7,000 monument, which the Times reported as being on "Boulevard East near Tenth Street," (these days, J. F. Kennedy Blvd. north of 54th Street) "was built by the township with labor provided by the WPA. According to Township Commissioner Leo Honore ... 90 per cent of...

The Art Moderne building was Public Works Administration (PWA) Project Miss. 1279. Along with principal architect E. L. Malvaney, there were 8 architects, the builder/contractor, foundation contractor, and a sculptor who worked on the building.

Park City's War Veterans Memorial Building (and Public Auditorium) was a federal New Deal project funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA supplied a $57,225 grant toward the project, which was matched by local funds.  There is conflicting information in PWA records and on the plaques on the building whether it was built in 1938-39 or 1939-40; the former seems more likely, but, in any case, it opened in 1940. The War Memorial Building originally contained an auditorium, bowling alley, game rooms, meeting rooms and kitchen and dining room.  It is a handsome example of "Pueblo Revival" popular in the 1920s and 30s...

The Washington at Valley Forge memorial is an equestrian statue of George Washington   (1732–1799), Commander in Chief and first President of the United States (1789–97), sculpted by Henry Merwin Shrady in 1901.  It is the centerpiece of Brooklyn’s Continental Army Plaza. In the 1930s, the memorial was restored with New Deal funding, initially from the Public Works of Art Project and later by the WPA.  The work was overseen by Karl Gruppe, chief sculptor of the Monument Restoration Project of the New York City Parks Department from 1934 to 1937.  The restoration work was filmed and can be found here. The sculpture and...

The Washington Channel is a two-mile long body of water that sits between East Potomac Park and the Southwest Waterfront. There had been a decades-long attempt to improve and modernize the area, but little had been done before the New Deal redeveloped the entire place from 1935 to 1943. Several pieces of New Deal legislation were needed for this massive project, including the River and Harbor Act of 1935 and the War Department Civil Appropriations Act of 1939.  These granted approval and provided initial and supplemental funding for a grand modernization and beautification of the Washington Channel and Southwest Waterfront. This...

This bust of Washington Irving has an interesting history: "In the late 1800s to early 1900s, a large bronze bust of Washington Irving, mounted on a granite pedestal, stood in the south side of Bryant Park. The author of “Sleepy Hollow” and many other works, Irving was one of the first American writers to gain international acclaim. The statue was donated to the City of New York in 1885 by Joseph Weiner, a German physician and admirer of Irving’s. Sculpted by artist Friedrich Beers, the bust was originally intended for placement in Central Park. Upon completion some members of the NYC...

The Washington Monument, one of the most beloved memorials in the country, was completely renovated during the New Deal. No repair work had been done since the monument was finished in 1884 and the exterior had cracked and spalled, resulting in leaching of mortar and leaking through the walls. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a grant for the work in 1934. Soon, a tubular steel scaffold was erected, which completely covered the shaft of the monument. Workers repointed, repaired and cleaned the entire shaft from top to bottom. The work was completed in February 1935. The cleaning, pointing, and repair...

Washington Monument State Park was first developed by the CCC, circa 1934-1936. The CCC built a number of structures in the park, but the most well-known is the Washington Monument, the first completed monument to honor George Washington. The monument was first built in 1827, by the townspeople of nearby Boonsboro; but by 1934 it was in near-complete ruin. The CCC demolished what was left, and rebuilt the monument to its original specifications. This relatively small park is a good location for hiking (the park’s hiking trail is part of the Appalachian Trail), picnicking, and is “an ideal site for spotting...

This large bronze and marble memorial in Bryant Park commemorates the 19th c. poet and journalist William Cullen Bryant. The statue was created by Herbert Adams in 1911. In the 1930s, the it was restored with federal funding under Karl Gruppe, "chief sculptor of the Monument Restoration Project of the New York City Parks Department, from 1934 to 1937." The program was initially supported by federal funding from the Public Works of Art Project (Lowrey, 2008), and later by the WPA.

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) commissioned, constructed, and cut the historic World War Memorial at Draper Memorial Park in Milford, Mass. It was dedicated Nov. 11, 1939.

The World War Memorial Building was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Construction largely occurred during 1935 though the building was completed in 1936. The PWA provided a grant of $33,086 for the building's construction, which was completed at a cost of $120,240. (PWA Docket No. SC 5732)

The World War Memorial Building, which houses the Alabama Department of Archives and History, "was completed in 1940 with the aid of WPA funds". The Greek Revival-style building, designed by Warren, Knight, and Davis of Birmingham, is still in service.