Sidewalks and Stairs Sites

The WPA built sidewalks in the town of Stoughton, Mass. "The sidewalk project is expected to be completed about October 1 . The sidewalk crew has 14 men and as soon as the Sumer Street sidewalk is finished they will build a new sidewalk on the southerly side of Winter Street from Summer to Water Streets, a distance of 840 feet. From Winter Street they will go to Prospect Street, where they will put in a new sidewalk on the westerly side of the street from Boylston to Seaver Streets, a distance of 1,930 feet."

According to the index of WPA projects at the National Archives, WPA crews both helped improve the water system and constructed sidewalks in the Woodside Park subdivision.  

The Works Progress Administration built sidewalks on Baldwin Avenue in front of Komoda Store and Bakery.

The curb and gutter in front of the PWA former William Travis Elementary School still have a WPA concrete stamp.

The WPA built the sidewalks and gutters along 41st Street between Broadway and Telegraph in North Oakland.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks all over the city of Oakland, including here at 51st Avenue and East 12th Street.  Two sidewalk stamps at this location, one in the street next to the curb and one on the sidewalk, are marked "W.P.A. 1940".

The WPA built the sidewalk in front of the Children's Hospital of Oakland in North Oakland.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built long stretches of sidewalk, as well as curbs, gutters and driveway aprons along 62nd Avenue in East Oakland near Mills College. 

This WPA sidewalk stamp is in the gutter at the southwest corner of Clay and 9th Streets.

A Works Progress Administration (WPA) allotment of $118,232 was approved in July 1939 for street improvements and additional sidewalks and gutter construction. A large sidewalk was constructed to access the Weatherford Municipal Power and Light plant, completed in 1940. The city had applied for PWA funding to construct the new electric plant, however, the plant was not approved due to lack of funds for a high number of projects submitted by Texas. The city constructed the new plant with revenue bond funds. The sidewalks leading to the building were stamped with Works Progress Administration. Both the sidewalks and the former...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed several sidewalks in Albany CA, which can be identified by distinctive WPA 'sidewalk stamps'. Such markers were commonly impressed into wet concrete to show the name of sidewalk contractors in the first half of the 20th century.  A group of WPA stamps can be found at 1301 Dartmouth St., 1054 Santa Fe Ave.(corner of Francis St.), and 1159 Santa Fe Ave.(corner of Pomona), south of Marin Ave and east of the BART tracks.  Another pair of WPA sidewalks stamps can be seen at 1509 and 1511 Sonoma Ave.  One stamp on Garfield just off San...

Sayville's Suffolk County News reported in 1936: "The men of the WPA are at work laying a cement sidewalk along the north side of Merrick road** between Sylvan and Snedecor avenues. This is a much needed improvement, several people have been hurt while walking in the street there." **The road in question, given the cross streets, is most likely what is now known as Middle Road.

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 states: "a project scheduled to begin December 20 calls for construction of sidewalks and curbs along public thoroughfares throughout the city. A WPA allotment of $9,049 augmented by $5,952 in city funds will finance the work, sponsored by the City of Camas."

The concrete sidewalks that surround and lead up to the historic Denton County Courthouse are considered to be contributing structures in this historic district, and they were built by the Works Progress Administration between 1934 and 1935. The registration form for the Denton County Courthouse Square Historic District explains: "The source of funding is inscribed within the outer sidewalk at regular intervals. These sidewalks are a contributing structure within the district as they represent an important feature of the courthouse grounds and are representative of the type of federal projects utilized during the Depression in Denton." Some repairs have been done to...

Sayville's Suffolk County News reported that the construction of "approximately two miles of sidewalks at East Moriches," New York, was a town-sponsored WPA project. The Federal government was expected to contribute about $18,000 toward the project. The project included sidewalk construction along Montauk Highway.

The WPA allocated $14,707 toward a project begun in May 1938 to construct sidewalks and conduct a handful of other improvements along certain roads in East Patchogue, N.Y. The project was said to provide labor for 50 men. According to The Suffolk County News, sidewalks were to be built "on the east side of Dunton avenue" between South Country Road and Robinson Blvd. and "about a mile and a quarter along the north side of Robinson boulevard," roughly centered about Dunton Ave. "600 feet of curb and gutter where needed" were to be constructed on Robinson Blvd. as well. Note: It is probable...

In 1939 Suffolk County News reported multiple WPA sidewalk projects that were approved ‘by a vote of members of the Brookhaven Town Board.’ The projects were estimated to cost a total of $33,441, “of which the town’s share would be … $16,384.” The jobs were “aimed principally at the protection of children walking to and from local schools.” Medford's Mid-Island Mail described the scope of the project completed on October 30, 1939: "On Coates avenue the sidewalks extend from the Lutheran church to Lexington avenue, a distance of 300 feet, and on the hospital side of Coates avenue from Shelby avenue to Pauline...

In 1939 Sayville's Suffolk County News reported multiple WPA sidewalk projects that were approved ‘by a vote of members of the Brookhaven Town Board.’ The projects were estimated to cost a total of $33,441, “of which the town’s share would be … $16,384.” The jobs were “aimed principally at the protection of children walking to and from local schools.” “The Holtsville proposal calls for 1.6 miles of sidewalk extending along the east side of Waverly avenue from the north side of the railroad tracks northward to the farm-to-market road .” In October the newspaper reported the completion of the project.

The WPA allocated $19,445 for 'sidewalks and curbs' within Kalispell, Montana in August 1938.

The WPA allotted $8,483 in Oct. 1935 for the construction of sidewalks in Kings Park, NY.

These three Work Projects Administration stamps are set into the sidewalk along Central St. in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 reported that "Two Poulsbo projects, one for sidewalks and the other for water system improvement," received $5,919 in WPA assistance.

"Other notable WPA projects in Placer County include a sewage treatment plant in Auburn and sidewalks in Roseville. In fact, the WPA stamp still graces some sidewalks in Roseville. The WPA always left a marker or a stamp in fresh concrete to identify its projects. This wasnt done for pride of work alone, but was an effective marketing tool. People saw WPA as they moved through their daily lives and it assured them that the program had a measurable effect on their community."

The federal Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed sidewalks along Elsie Ave. and Bancroft Ave. in San Leandro, California: "WPA 1939" is stamped into the sidewalk in several places along Elsie Avenue. "WPA 1940" is stamped along Bancroft Avenue. Elsie Avenue may have also been paved as a WPA project; the street appears unpaved on a 1938 city map.

A WPA project in Sandwich, Massachusetts approved in late 1938 involved the construction of sidewalks "in the thickly populated sections of the town."

The WPA constructed sidewalks along the west side of Candee Avenue in Sayville, N.Y., in 1940. Neighboring Greene Avenue was improved by a WPA "gutter project." The town's Suffolk County News reported: "Other projects include a walk on North Main street, from Foster extension west, and on Hamilton and Hiddink streets."

The WPA allotted $13,724 in Oct. 1935 for the construction of sidewalks in Smithtown, NY.

During 1935 WPA labor was responsible for the laying of sidewalks “on the west side of Cherry avenue from street, to the end of the present walks, north of Union street,” in in West Sayville, N.Y.  In 1936 the WPA undertook a similar project one block over, "on the west side of Tyler avenue, extending north from Union street to the alley connecting Tyler and Cherry avenues and also along the north side of this short alley."  Further WPA sidewalks were built one block west, on Division Avenue. ** Articles in this newspaper differ with respect to this detail, but...

"The City of Wishek benefited from several WPA projects. The city park, community swimming pool, Wishek Civic Center, and many of the sidewalks in town were all built by WPA workers." (ndstudies.gov)

"Memorial Park is located between Classen Blvd. and Western Avenue, just south of N.W. 36th Street. It was established in 1908 and is a beautiful, historic park. Winding through this area are numerous concrete walking paths, and every 10-15 ft. you will find etched in the concrete, the WPA shield with the inscription WPA 1941. The walkways are in surprisingly good condition after all these years. We have noticed many buildings in Oklahoma built by the WPA, but this was the first etched sidewalks we've come across. A pleasant surprise."   (https://www.waymarking.com)

The concrete staircase connecting Hoover Avenue and Oakview Drive was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939.

"Zimmerman Playground, a block east of Bronx Park on the south side of Britton Street between Barker and Olinville Avenues. One of nine War Memorial Playgrounds opened by Mayor LaGuardia on July 15, 1934. The Parks Department press release credits the 'Works Division of the Department of Public Welfare' for some of the labor. Beyond that, there is no mention of how the playgrounds were designed and built. But by the reasoning laid out here, it's almost inconceivable that federally-funded work relief was not involved. But in any case, the playground was expanded a few years later, as described in a...