Comfort Stations (Restrooms) Sites

The land for what is now the John Allen Payne Park was acquired in 1940. "It is one of more than a dozen parks and playgrounds that line the highway now known as the Gowanus Expressway" (NYC Parks). The WPA and the Department of Parks announced the beginning of work on a playground at the site in October 1941. The press release explained that, when completed, the playground would contain: Irrigated sand pit Seesaws Slides 1 pipe frame exercise unit 4 shuffleboard courts Brick comfort station Concrete wading pool 1 combination volleyball and basketball court 3 paddle tennis courts with removable posts and nets Roller skating area 6 concrete surfaced handball courts The...

From NYC Parks: "Sauer Park is one of nine playgrounds that were built by the Parks Department through the War Memorial Fund, and were opened simultaneously on July 15, 1934. The War Memorial Fund was established in 1921 with $250,000 collected by the Police Department, and by 1934 the fund—never spent—had grown in value to $350,000. Seeking additional open spaces for children, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses obtained a legal ruling which permitted use of the fund for playground development. The properties were intended to honor the memories of individual soldiers who gave their lives in combat. The Fund was transferred to...

The sign on this park says Josephine Caminiti Playground. The NYC Parks website also refers to it as Alstyne Playground and notes that it was formerly known as Corona Playground. The land for this park was purchased by the City in 1930. The press release announcing its opening in October 1934 described the new facilities: "A new playground for small children will be opened at Corona Avenue and 102nd Street in the Borough of Queens. The area includes a recreational building outdoor play apparatus. A unique feature of this playground is its oval, concrete surfaced roller skating rink around the...

This large park in the Middle Village neighborhood of Queens provides a wealth of leisure and recreational attractions to local residents. Before it became a park, "it was used variously as a farm, a cemetery, a source for peat moss, the property of a racketeer, and a garbage dump...In the early 1930s the City of New York acquired the bog to settle a $225,000 claim in back taxes against the estate of the infamous Arnold Rothstein (1882-1928), who had been accused of fixing the 1919 World Series" (nycgovparks). The WPA greatly transformed the park, first in 1936 and again in...

This park area consists of Kelly Park to the West of the BMT Brighton Beach transit line and the smaller Kelly Playground to the East of the line. Both were developed by the WPA in 1940. Kelly Park was first acquired by Parks in 1924, but expanded and improved by the WPA in 1940 to include "new baseball diamonds and tennis courts (adaptable for ice-skating after flooding and freezing), shuffleboard and volleyball courts, game tables, horseshoe pits, and children’s play structures" (NYC Parks). Kelly Playground, just east of the tracks was first acquired in 1937 and developed as part of...

The extensive Kissena Park was first established in the early 1900s and now forms part of the "Queens Corridor" park system. In addition to building a golf course at the east end of the park in the mid 1930s, in 1941, the WPA completed extensive work on the main section of the park surrounding Kissena Lake in 1941: "Included in the new improvement is a new modern one story brick boat house and boat landing constructed on the east shore of the lake replacing the old outmoded frame boat house and dock formerly located on the south bank adjacent to the...

NYSParks.com: "The park was donated to the State of New York in 1929 by Dr. McRa Livingston with the provision that the lake and park be named Lake Taghkanic. The lake had been previously known as Lake Charlott. In 1933 a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp was established at the park. C.C.C. projects in the park included construction of the East Bathhouse, the East Beach, the camping and cabin areas and the water tower."

In addition to Mosque Point, the CCC completed many other projects at Lake Worth. The pictured National Park Service document lists the many projects built by the CCC from 1934-1937, including: foot and auto bridges, several shelters, picnic and campground facilities, roads, foot trails, landscaping, tree planting, drinking fountains, toilets, water lines, fire protection amenities and more.

During the late 1930s, with funds from various New Deal programs, the Seattle Park Department made significant improvements to Laurelhurst Playfield. The largest of these improvement projects was the construction of a field house near the southern end of the playfield. Workers with the CWA began constructing the field house in January 1934. Work had not yet been completed when the federal government shut down the CWA program at the end of March 1934. The remaining work on the structure was completed in 1935 with assistance from the Washington (State) Emergency Relief Administration. Designed by Seattle architect Lloyd J. Lovegren,...

A site devoted to the history of the park (www.letchworthparkhistory.com) has compiled an extensive list of CCC work done in the park: During the Great Depression, Letchworth Park was the site of several Civilian Conservation Camps. (See the Glimpse of the CCC) The information highlights the work done by the CCC "boys" in the Park, and is taken from Annual Reports of the Genesee State Park Commission during the time period. Great Bend Camp SP-5 (in operation for 30 months) constructed the camp built 6 miles of 18 ft wide gravel road installed 400 ft of 6" under drain constructed 15 concrete...

“Also with Public Works Administration funds, a beach house is being constructed at the government-owned Lindbergh Bay beach, one of the best in the world, where also golf will be available on the links on which Colonel Lindbergh landed his "Spirit of St. Louis" in 1928. On this same esste is reserved a site for another hotel when required, and the botanical garden nearby lends additional attraction to the vicinity.”

The Public Works Administration (PWA) carried out the construction of a pier "at Lindbergh Bay on Government-owned property." The cost of the PWA work—which included a beach house—was $3,230.85.

The Department of Parks announced the opening of this WPA playground in Queens on August 9, 1939: “The land was acquired at the time the Board of Estimate approved the modified plan for the Atlantic Avenue Improvement, the playground was designed by the Department of Parks, and built for the Park Department by the Works Progress Administration. The small children's area in the southerly part of the playground contains various types of play equipment, a wading pool, and a sand pit. The balance of the area is taken up with basketball, volleyball, and handball courts, a softball diamond and a roller skating...

The Works Progress Administration built a Restroom Building for a Municipal Tennis Courts in Long Bay in Charlotte Amalie.

On January 15, 1940, the New York City Department of Parks announced the completion of this "new facility" at Alexander Ave. and 136th St.: "It contains four handball courts, a large, open, biuminous-surfaced play area for group games, small and large swings, see-saws, slides, a jungle gym, a completely equipped playground with sand pit and wading pool for smaller children, and a comfort station. A planting area with shade trees borders the playground. Numerous concrete benches have been provided. ... designed by the Park Department and built by the Work Projects Administration..."   (https://kermitproject.org) The park was renamed for Private Carlos J. Lozada in...

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers constructed a bathing beach at Luther Park at Lake Whittemore in Spencer, Massachusetts. From a W.P.A. Bulletin: Down came an old dance pavilion, 300,000 square feet of scratchy brush was cleared and for replacement the Spencer WPA Luther Park Bathing Beach Project now offers a sanded beach with swimming accessories, a 20 section locker house, fireplaces, tables, chairs, benches and a gravel driveway.

Originally known as Bushwick Park, this land was first developed as a park in the 1890s. During the New Deal, the WPA and the Department of Parks did a major renovation and reconstruction of the park. A press release announcing the park's reopening on August 13, 1941, described what had been accomplished: "The first steps in the modernization of the park to serve the needs of all age groups were taken in 1936 when a one-half acre playground was built in conformity with a development plan for the entire park… The renovation and reconstruction of the remaining six and one-half acres, provide...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Federal Emergency Relief Admn (FERA), and the Civil Works Admn (CWA) built multiple facilities in McClain Rogers Park in Clinton OK. The Highway Patrol Building was one of the structures built with New Deal help. Contributor note: "This building has also been referred to as the Public Restrooms Building, but the National Register application calls it The Highway Patrol building, as it was occupied by the Highway Patrol from 1941 forward. It is located just south of the main entrance to McClain Rogers Park on S. 10th Street. At the current time, because of some papers seen in the...

In 1936, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed a new water system and comfort station at Media Park, a small park at the intersection of Venice Blvd. and Culver Blvd. The lawn area was also renovated, reseeded, and landscaped. Media Park is leased to Culver City by Los Angeles. A theater company, The Actors Gang, is based here at a rebuilt Pacific Electric Railway substation.

The Memorial Field of Flushing opened in November, 1934 in a ceremony attended by Mayor LaGuardia. The press release announcing the event described the extensive work carried out with New Deal support: "The land for the Flushing Memorial Playfield was given to the City by the Memorial Field of Flushing, Inc., for the development of a playground. Labor and material were supplied from Work Relief funds. A one-story field house of Colonial design is located in a corner of the playground. Eight tennis courts, eight handball courts and two basketball courts are provided in addition to swings, seesaws, sand tables and other...

The NYC Parks website explains the provenance of this modest playground in Queens: "Between 1935 and 1938, Parks leased this property from the Gorbess Realty Corporation. In April 1938, the City of New York purchased one parcel of the property for $10,450. A month later, the city acquired the second parcel through condemnation, and Parks assumed jurisdiction over both areas." During the same period, the land was developed by Parks with New Deal support. First, in September 1935, Parks announced the opening of a playground with "two handball courts and the usual children's play facilities." In 1942, after the park had...

On September 29, 1941, the Parks Department announced the completion of a reconstructed playground in the northeast corner of Morningside Park: "Two bench-lined tree shaded malls extend along the entire north and east sides of the playground connecting the park entrances with the resurfaced park walks. Sloping ground necessitated the construction of the various subdivisions on different levels retained by high curbs and interconnected by short stairways. The following equipment is provided: Brick comfort station 2 handball courts Wading pool 3 shuffleboard courts 3 basketball courts with removable backstops Pipe frame exercise unit Swings 2 slides Kindergarten Apparatus Area: 2 irrigated sand pits and sitting areas Swings 3 slides 8 seesaws The balance of the work...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made extensive improvements Morro Bay State Park, as it did throughout California's new state park system.  These included picnic areas, an entrance road, comfort staton, ranger lodge, and stone walls.  The work was continued by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and state relief workers. As Engbeck (2002) explains: "CCC Company 1916-V, made up of World War I veterans, moved into Camp Morro Bay on May 11, 1934.... Check dams were constructed on Chorro Creek above Morro Bay in order to prevent flooding of the 're-claimed lands' that were to be 'utilized as beach areas and scenic...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Vermont's Mt. Ascutney State Park starting in 1935.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built several campgrounds in Mount Diablo State Park.  Live Oak, Junction, and Juniper campgrounds come with individual campsites, while the five Group Camps – Buckeye, Barbecue Terrace, Wildcat, Stagecoach and Boundary – provide larger areas without individual sites.  Barbecue Terrace is equipped for equestrian use. Camp sites usually come with tables and stoves done in rustic style – wood planking on stone or concrete pillars and stone fireplaces or metal ring fire pits. The stone stoves built by the CCC were dubbed "Diablo Stoves" and their design was copied all over California. The campgrounds were part of...

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked at Mount Diablo State Park for nine years, 1933-1942. Along with such notable features as the Summit Building, campgrounds and picnic areas (see linked project pages), the CCC 'boys' made many other improvements to the park.  These include hiking trails, entrance gates, retaining walls, drinking fountains, comfort stations, turn-outs and observation areas, residences for park staff, barracks for fire crews, a mess hall and other service buildings, and a water supply system.  The State Parks Department is quite cognizant of its debt to the New Deal for improving all the parks existing in the 1930s, as noted...

"The newly established Department of Conservation and Development...immediately requested a CCC work camp for Mount Mitchell... ...the upper reaches of the East's highest mountain underwent a remarkable transformation. Fire prevention crews fanned out along the trails and parking areas, clearing away brush and standing dead timber. Other workers took charge of trail maintenance, refurbishing all the footpaths, including the well-worn and badly eroded trail to the summit. The CCC briefly revived reforestation in the park, planting addition Fraser fir and Norway spruce. Just below the summit workers cut and hewed red spruce logs for a new concession stand, a rain shelter,...

Mount Rainier was the nation's fifth National Park, established 1899. During the Great Depression the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps greatly aided the park's development. NPS.gov: "The Civilian Conservation Corps was busily building and repairing park lands and structures from 1933 to 1941. In addition to landscape work, they helped plant over 10,000,000 trout in the lakes and streams." "Five Emergency Conservation Work Camps are authorized for the park. They are manned by newly recruited Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) men from various parts of the United States. Training is provided by park service personnel. The CCC use inexpensive skills to build and repair...

This land was first developed as a playground in 1903 and has been known by several names over the years, including the John J. Murphy Playground and Murphy Park, and now, according to NYC Parks, the Murphy's Brother's Playground. In June 1941, Parks announced the completion of improvements to the park: "This improvement included the demolition and removal of the old wooden pavilion and comfort station and the complete redesign of an outmoded facility, to which a small area has been added because of the alignment of the new East River Drive. Situated in an intensively developed neighborhood, adjacent to the East...

In Sept. 1941 the New York Times described a playground being constructed by the WPA in Queens at "Forty-Fifth Avenue and Twenty-first Street." This site, Murray Playground, is still in use today. New York City's Parks Department writes: "The City of New York acquired the land that constitutes Murray Playground in four parts by purchase and condemnation between 1941 and 1945. The park stretches from 11th to 21st Street, and is bounded by 45th Avenue and 45th Road." A 1942 Department of Parks press release announcing the park's opening describes the work done by the WPA: "A wide mall, lined with benches and...

NYC Parks describes the origins of this playground in Queens: "This public space was acquired by the City of New York by consolidation on January 1, 1898, and transferred to the Department of Parks in 1917. It was not developed as a playground until 1934-35. The playground opened on August 9, 1935 with slides, swings, sandbox, seesaws, benches, comfort station, tool house, and cherry and hawthorn trees." On April 3, 1937, the Department of Parks announced the further completion at this site of "a new recreation building of brick construction," containing "a boys and girls' comfort station, a mother's room and...

"Nichols Park is a municipal park developed between 1938 and 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the National Park Service (NPS). The park is located two miles south of downtown Henryetta in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma... Beginning in October 1938, the CCC constructed a handful of buildings, as well as a number of smaller resources including culverts, picnic tables, water faucets and fire pits in the park. With the 1910 dam on the west side, the CCC concentrated their construction efforts on the long sides of the lake with development occurring on nearly opposite sides of the lake... The...

A Department of Parks press release from December 4, 1939 describes the completion of WPA work on Noble Playground, along with three other playgrounds: "At East 177th Street and Noble Avenue the 3.6 acre area contains a children's playground and a separate regulation baseball diamond with concrete bleachers accommodating 150 spectators. The children's area is divided into two parts separated by a high, natural rock outcrop. One part contains a children's playground with combination wading pool and volley ball court, kindergarten apparatus, a large shaded sandpit, slides, swings, jungle gym and a brick comfort station. The other part is paved and...

From 1934-1936 the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed North Lake Park, including Lake Garnett. "The project included a 48-acre (840 acre-feet) man-made lake with dam and spillway, a road, and the planting of over 300 cedar trees, lilac bushes, rose bushes and shrubs." Other construction included roads, plantings, two shelter houses, restrooms, a football stadium, and a swimming pool.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed comfort stations (restrooms)  and, Living New Deal believes, picnic areas in Oakdale Park. According to a Salina Parks and Recreation Master Plan Overview, the city is looking to replace the comfort stations, as the "current 1930's WPA restrooms are not ADA, and are deteriorating."

Although the history of this park is difficult to pin down, researcher Frank da Cruz makes a compelling argument that this is one of many WPA playgrounds built during the New Deal. First, it is located at the North end of Bronx Park, where all the development was done by the WPA. As da Cruz explains, "The timing is right too; the Parks Department says, 'Parks obtained the land for Olinville Playground in conjunction with the construction of the Bronx River Parkway extension in 1938'" - a period in which literally hundreds of municipal parks were developed by the WPA....

"Orchard Beach State Park is located on the shore of Lake Michigan, two miles north of the center of Manistee. The park's 211 acres are split by M-110 and it is the portion west of the highway, comprising 57 acres, that is included in this nomination. This section is one-quarter of a mile wide at its widest point, one-half of a mile long and has 3000 feet of shoreline. The park's terrain is gently rolling and sparsely wooded with a steep bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. Many trees and shrubs planted by the CCC are still growing within the park, as...

Acquired by the City of Portland in 1930, the ten-acre Overlook Park required improvements during the Depression years if it were to serve adequately the north Portland Overlook neighborhood, which had reached full development during the 1920s real estate boom. The site sits in a ravine and on  a former garbage dump; additional fill was added over several years to level the area. By 1937, the process of settling was complete and the park was prepared for more extensive development. In 1938, Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers undertook the largest and most significant part of the park plan – the Shelter...

The New York Times reported in 1941 that, as part of WPA efforts, Brooklyn would receive six new playgrounds, located at: "Third Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street, Second Avenue and Fifty-fifth Street, Fort Hamilton Parkway and Fifty-second Street, Albany and Foster Avenues, Park and Nostrand Avenues and Eastern Parkway Extension and Fulton Street." Paerdegat Park is the fourth site described. New York City's Parks Department website writes: "The land for Paerdegat Park was acquired by purchase and condemnation in 1941 and became a park that same year." Construction on the park was completed in January 1943. A press release announcing the opening...

Paris Mountain State Park was developed in large part by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). "CCC structures, including the Camp Buckhorn lodge, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places." The state park on Paris Mountain was built in the 1930s by the Depression-era CCC. Sixteen other parks in the state of South Carolina were also created due to the work of the CCC. The land for the park was acquired in 1935 from the city of Greenville." CCC work included the development of the entrance, road construction, a bathhouse and an office, picnic facilities, staff residences, a gazebo, the development...