Sidewalks and Stairs Sites

A local report for the year 1938-1939 describes WPA work in Jonesport: "With the help of W. P. A. funds amounting to $4,363.71 to date, which covers all labor costs, we have been able to do the following work at a total cost to the Town of $593.11. At West Jonesport we have built 320 ft. of cement sidewalk, we have laid a covered stone drainage system 220 ft. long with laterals to pick up water from between and under each store, with two concrete man-holes by which the entire drainage system can be readily cleaned out. We have lowered the culvert at...

The town's municipal report for 1935 described extensive New Deal relief from the PWA and the WPA, as well as from VERA (Vermont Emergency Relief Agency). The mayor said in the report that: "These large amounts received during these past two years have undoubtedly greatly reduced our Charity costs... ...The concrete pavement on Strongs Avenue was widened six feet with standard reinforced concrete from Madison Street to South Main Street. A four foot shoulder and gutter with tar surface was constructed in addition giving ten feet more road width than existed formerly... This project cost $3,675.12 of which Federal WPA funds paid $1,002.36... Ripley...

Extensive work was done in Berlin by a combination of the CWA, FERA, PWA, NYA, CCC and WPA all during the existence of the New Deal when "in 1935, under the leadership of newly-elected Mayor Arthur Bergeron, the Farmer-Labor Party began the process of reorganizing city government and acting as a conduit for federal monies in response to the mass lay-offs in the the Great Northern and Brown paper mills"   (https://www.berlinnh.gov) Road, street, and sidewalk work in Berlin included the following: 1934 CWA work on the Glen Rd. 1935 FERA constructed the Rockingham St wall. 1936 "By far the two largest jobs undertaken by the city were...

A huge amount of road, street, and sidewalk infrastructure work employed hundreds of the unemployed all throughout the life of the New Deal by the CWA, FERA, and WPA. Town reports throughout the 1930s document such work in Nashua, NH. In 1934, 23 projects were "completed in whole or in part by C. W. A. and F. E. R. A. funds, to an amount of many thousands of dollars." This work included projects on North Hollis Road, Bloods Crossing Road, Charlotte Avenue, East Dunstable Road, Ferry Road, East, Conant Road, Hills Ferry Road, Removal of Carbarn on Kinsley Street. In 1935,...

According to Medford, New York's Mid-Island Mail, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in Stony Brook, New York, consisted of the construction of "9,000 lineal feet of sidewalk, 300 lineal feet of curb and gutter, 650 lineal feet of retaining wall and three catch basins ... on Erland road and Cedar street, Christian avenue and Main street" at a cost of $20,300.

According to Medford, New York's Mid-Island Mail, a WPA sidewalk project in Mastic, New York, "consists of 1,200 lineal feet of walk on the north side of Montauk highway, from Fulton avenue to Dana avenue; 1,620 lineal feet of walk on the south side of Montauk highway, from Herkimer street to Mastic road; 1,520 lineal feet of walk on the west side of Herkimer place, from Montauk highway to Mastic road, and along Mastic road to the Long Island railroad. "160 square yards of reinforced concrete pavement and 80 lineal feet of header curb at Herkimer street and Montauk highway" were...

The WPA contributed to an otherwise unspecified "sidewalk job" in Moriches, New York. The project was referenced in passing as part of an article in Medford, New York's Mid-Island Mail newspaper in 1935.

Medford, New York's Mid-Island Mail reported in 1940 that "work is progressing on the construction of the sidewalks along Johnson avenue, Ocean avenue and Erie street" in Ronkonkoma. The project was undertaken with WPA labor.

In July 1937 the WPA embarked on two large sidewalk projects within the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County. One project involved the construction of a "four-foot wide concrete sidewalk along the north side of" Middle Country Road, "from the Brookhaven-Smithtown line eastward to the east line of the Coram school district, a total of 8.06 miles." The project, which cost a total of $95,425, was sponsored by the Town of Brookhaven ($30,540) and the WPA ($64,885).

Much work was done by the New Deal in this small town of 1,018 (population 1930) The 1934-35 town report mentions E.R.A. and C.W.A. help on road work projects. Amusingly, the report of the school supervisor complains about all the Federal help for roads but nothing for the schools in town. The 1935-36 town report mentions $150 being raised in connection with a W.P.A. sidewalk project. The school superintendent wrote "On December 27th Mr. Crocker of the School Committee, Mr. Carson of the Board of Selectmen, and myself, went to Augusta and entered a project for school building improvement under the WPA. The project...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks on Munroe St. in Newburyport MA.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers developed recreation improvements at Greenfield's Green River Swimming and Recreation Area and Murphy Park, during the 1930s. WPA Bulletin, 1936: Children of Greenfield have benefited by the WPA construction of a new bath house and other improvements at the Greenfield Swimming Pool. Tennis courts and a soft ball diamond were built in the adjoining public park property. Bulletin, 1937: Greenfield— The crack of bats and the swish of girls' skipping ropes are ushering in the sport season of the 33 acre WPA Recreation Center at the northern end of the city. In three or four months' time the full...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Kentucky's Natural Bridge State Park during the 1930s. The CCC built trails, shelters and stairways.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement and development work at the Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, New Jersey. WPA project details: "Construct and rehabilitate buildings and facilities" Official Project Number: 109‐3‐22‐13 Total project cost: $10,000.00 Sponsor: U.S. Navy Department "Make improvements at Naval Air Station" Official Project Number: 165‐2‐22‐391 Total project cost: $22,758.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Lakehurst Naval Air Station, U.S. Navy "Excavate, clear, and level grounds, and provide bridges, roads, and fences" Official Project Number: 265‐2‐22‐40 Total project cost: $153,464.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Lakehurst Naval Air Station, U.S. Navy "Improvements at Lakehurst NAS" Official Project Number: 709‐2‐44 Total project cost: $16,107.00 Sponsor: U.S. Navy Department "Improvements at Lakehurst NAS" Official Project...

The New Jersey National Guard Armory located near McGinley Square in Jersey City, New Jersey, was constructed during the Great Depression with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The building is still in use and also serves as a recreational facility. "This armory provides quarters for one battalion of infantry, one battalion of engineers, two medical units, and one division of the naval militia. The large drill hall is on the street level and has banks of seats on two sides. Under these seats are eight company rooms and equipment storage rooms, and on two mezzanine floors are four more company...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks on North 9th East in Mountain Home ID, in 1941. A 1941 WPA placard is set in the concrete on the sidewalk at 390 North 9th East.

W.P.A. project description: "The three projects, which were approved and on which work was started late in the year, provide for the reconstruction of: ... Norumbega Road, from River Street to Commonwealth Avenue, Weston, 4,850 linear feet... All these roads will have a width of 30 feet and have a 5-inch bituminous concrete surface on a 12-inch gravel base. Also, an 8-ft. wide, 2-inch bituminous surfaced walk will be constructed adjacent to and for the whole length of each road. Work will include excavation of earth, rock and ledge, installation of drainage systems, filling and grading, loaming and beautification of contiguous areas...

Founded as a town in 1671, Pawtucket, Rhode Island was home to the nation's first cotton-spinning machine at Slater Mill and is called the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America. The Oak Hill neighborhood, which borders Providence and the Seekonk River, is the small city's most affluent residential community. WPA plaques lay embedded in several stretches of these notably rough and pebbled sidewalks at 100-foot intervals, including along the two-block-long Progress Street at the heart of the neighborhood. (It is tempting to connect the naming of Progress Street to WPA activities in and around Oak Hill between 1935 and 1939,...

At a cost of approximately $6,000, "...an extensive arcade system of walkways" was completed at the two schools in Clarksdale (Arcade sidewalks, p. 1).

Numerous New Deal agencies had a tremendous impact on the development of Ocmulgee National Monument, the site of pre-Columbian southeastern settlement dating back millennia. "The largest dig ever conducted in this country occurred here at Ocmulgee and the surrounding area. Between 1933 and 1936, over 800 men in Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA), Civil Works Administration (CWA), Federal Emergency Relief Administration (ERA & FERA) and later the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) excavated under the direction of Dr. Arthur R. Kelly from the Smithsonian Institute. Kelly was the only archaeologist at the Ocmulgee camp and conducted evening training courses for the men....

The heart of today's Greenbelt, Maryland – popularly known as "Old Greenbelt" – is a large, planned community laid out and constructed during the New Deal. It features community facilities such as a school, theater and community center, a large number and variety of housing, basic infrastructure of roads, water and sewers, and extensive landscaping and an attached forest.  Almost all of the original facilities are still intact. Greenbelt was one of four greenbelt towns initiated by Rex Tugwell, head of the Resettlement Administration (RA). Greendale, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee, and Greenhills, Ohio, near Cincinnati, are other surviving greenbelt towns; a fourth,...

The Works Progress Administration built sidewalks on Ordway St. and Posen Ave in Albany CA in 1939.

The Works Progress Administration built sidewalks on Otsego Ave. The plaque embedded in the sidewalk has no date. 

In 1934 F.E.R.A. labor undertook and completed the construction of two sets of concrete steps at the Concord Street Overpass over Worcester Road." Living New Deal believes this project to be no longer extant.

Two 'WPA 1940' stampings are located in concrete sidewalks along the NE side of Pacific Terrace. One stamping exists on the the block between Melrose and Portland Streets. An even better-quality WPA stamping can be seen at the corner of Del Moro St and Pacific Terrace which also includes a stamping of 'Pacific Terrace' nearby. Multiple original sections of WPA sidewalks survive along the NE side of Pacific Terrace between Melrose and Van Ness Streets.

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) provided labor to undertake numerous improvements to Grace Sprenger Memorial Park, the park at the spring along Beaver Creek in Amherst, Ohio.

An early Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in Scribner, Nebraska was described as follows: General Improvement program for the Scribner city park. This includes: Construction of a 16 by 24 foot concrete and tile combination band stand and rest rooms: construction of 500 feet of 4 foot sidewalk; laying 550 feet of 1 inch water main to fountain and rest rooms; laying 750 feet of electric conduit and lighting system; removing 45 old tree stumps, and landscaping the 3 acre's on which the park is located. Eleven persons are working on this project.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers constructed a pedestrian underpass at Park Street and Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts. From a W.P.A. Bulletin: Boston's WPA Park Street Subway Project, to relieve congestion in the busy downtown district, is nearing completion. Soon motor traffic will thunder overhead while pedestrians pass safely underground to the subway terminal.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed crushed-stone footpaths around the old Parkway School in Ewing Township, New Jersey in 1936. The project was undertaken to advance the safety of children attending the school.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) laid pavement at the base of the flag pole in front of the Martinez Veterans' Memorial Building. They may have reset the flag pole, as well, and built the curved walkways in front of the building.  There is a WPA stamp in the concrete which is undated. This may have been part of the larger WPA project to improve streets and sidewalks around the city of Martinez, but it is distinctive and visible enough to merit a separate entry.

Starting in the spring of 1938, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) team laid 2,000 square feet of sidewalk and 4,000 linear feet of curbing in downtown Paynesville MN. The St. Cloud Times reported that the Stearns Country WPA projects were wrapping up in June of 1941. Like the rest of the United States, the depression affected Stearns County and Paynesville. In 1938 a WPA project came to Stearns County; according to the St. Cloud Times, on April 16th, 1938, Paynesville was one of five towns to receive WPA sidewalk projects. The job was to build 2,000 square feet of sidewalk and 4,000...

From April to June 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a pedestrian tunnel at Valley Boulevard and 6th Street in Alhambra, CA. It was intended to improve pedestrian safety for Ramona Elementary School students. According to a WPA official, "This tunnel, built of reinforced concrete, is 165 feet long, 8 feet high and seven feet wide; the stair approaches are 22 feet each. The walls are plastered and pebble-dashed and an Auto-Electric Light system installed. The approach walls are stairs are guarded by ornamental iron rails. When excavating, a sand formation was encountered at the North approach which caused considerable...

Built by the WPA in 1936, the pedestrian tunnel provided safe passage under U.S. Highway 66, and was used by children to get to an elementary school on the west side of the highway. The school no longer stands and this section of former Highway 66, now Rock Island Avenue, carries only local traffic.

Located at the intersection of Route 66 (N 4th St) and W Elm St is a pedestrian underpass that acted as a walkway to provide safety from Route 66 traffic in addition to acting as a severe weather shelter. The underpass appears to still be in use based off the photos. A WPA plaque located inside the entrance to the east shelter notes its New Deal connection.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded the labor to construct sidewalks and curbing along Peirce St. in Middleborough, Mass. in 1936.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the entrance steps at the northeast entrance to Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee, at Belle Meade Blvd. "Sumner Trails Chapter of Tennessee Trails will lead a 3.5 mile loop hike on the Warner Woods Trail in Percy Warner Park in Nashville, rated moderate. This hike features the Luke Lea heights overlook and the recently restored iconic steps (originally built by the WPA back in the 1930's) of the beautiful original park entrance."

WPA imprint stamps mark the curb and gutter on the north end of Pine Street: the gutter stamp is located at 605 Pine St., and the curb stamp is one house east.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed improvements to Poplar and Broad St. in Schenectady NY. Pictured WPA curb stamp was originally located near the intersection of Broad and Poplar Streets.

Developed by the CCC, this "trail connected Port Graham and Nanwalek residents to seasonal fishing camps and a cannery, providing an alternative to coastal water travel when the ocean was too rough.” It now serves primarily as an ATV trail.

The Works Progress Administration built sidewalks on several streets in Kingwood. Work on Price Street was completed in 1937.