Parks and Recreation Sites

Concrete foundation, clapboard walls. Hipped roof and asphalt shingles. Difficult to see completely due to plants. Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935.

Stone foundation, stone walls, hipped roof, asphalt shingles, stone chimney. Very similar to Homing Ridge Shelter house at Salamonie State Forest, except only one fireplace. Excellent example of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) mentionable development in a state forest. Exemplify styles’ workmanship. Constructed by CCC Co.1513 in 1936.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) landscaped Fern Spring, creating an attractive, naturalistic rock garden and planting a variety of ferns, wildflowers, and ground covers. A log guardrail was installed to define the parking area and log seats were placed in the woods around the spring to improve the popular spot. The original wooden structures have been replaced or disappeared over time. Fern Spring had been a sacred site for the native people of Yosemite Valley, long before the park was created in 1863. To this day, Fern Spring is a favorite stopping point for Yosemite visitors. It is located just beyond the Pohono Bridge on...

In 1933/4 the federal Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) furnished the labor toward the development of Fernridge Park in West Hartford. A Report of Town Officials from 1934 states: With the aid of ... C. W. A. labor, three additional tennis courts were completed and put to use. Paths from Keeney Avenue and from Whitman Avenue, to the clubhouse were completed. Under the landscape division of the C. W. A., large numbers of trees and shrubs have been planted at this playfield, enhancing the scenic beauty of this park to a great extent. The town's 1935 report cites Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.)...

Ferry Point Park is a large park in the Bronx located at the site of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge on the East River. New York City acquired the land in 1937. It was planned under Robert Moses and constructed by the WPA. A NYC Parks Department press release from August 11, 1941, announced that the park had been completed. The release describes several of the features constructed by the WPA, including: an overlook above the water, "a combination comfort station and storage building," "two baseball diamonds," picnic areas, tree plantings and more. Unfortunately the large portion of the park West of the...

Recently the Scituate Visitors Center, a stone building located at the southeast corner of a parking lot for the North Scituate MBTA station in Scituate, Massachusetts, was constructed as a federal WPA project during the late 1930s. The parking lot is at the southwest corner of Country Way and Gannett Road. Wikipedia: "The WPA Field House and Pump Station is a historic water works facility on Henry Bailey Turner Road in Scituate, Massachusetts. The field house at Bound Brook Park was built ... with funding from the Works Progress Administration, and is a rare historical recreational building in the town. The building...

The WPA worked to improve the conditions at Finns Point National Cemetery near the former Fort Mott, southwest of Pennsville, New Jersey. Project description: "A non‐construction project to improve and rehabilitate buildings, install plumbing, heating, and electrical facilities, realign headstones, landscape, grade, and drain grounds including improvements to roads and walks at the Finns Point National Cemetery" Official Project Number: 713‐2‐202 Total project cost: $150,000.00 Sponsor: War Department

This classic fire lookout tower has the stairway extending to the ground with encircling wire for safety. There are extensive forest service buildings immediately adjacent to the tower. It was completed in 1942 with funds and labor provided by the federal government.

"Galena wanted better fire protection. They also began efforts to get the federal government to build the new station. They would ultimately be successful ... The WPA (Works Progress Administration) began construction on the fire station in 1940."

The Brenham Fire Department established Fireman's Park in 1884.The Fire Department gave the park to the City of Brenham in 1917 "for cancellation of the department's indebtedness to the city." The Works Progress Administration made improvements to the park consisting of a two-story hut, a kitchen, a beer garden, an American Legion Hall and a sixteen-sided building that houses an antique carousel.

In 1941-42, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) made major improvements to the Municipal Park in Ferndale, today known as the Firemen's Park.  According to the WPA project card, the improvements consisted of building a softball field with bleachers, reconstructing a recreation hall, adding picnic tables and fireplaces, and changing the channel of Francis Creek. The baseball field, bleachers and recreation hall are all still in place, though altered through the intervening years.  The ball field is dedicated to local sports hero, Carl Oeschger, who enjoyed success as a pitcher in the major leagues in the 1920s.  The recreation hall appears to...

The Fireplace of States was constructed under the U.S. Federal Works Program, begun by the Civil Works Administration (CWA). The A.P. reported in Aug. 1934: Stones from every State and from many places of historical or unusual interest in other part of the world will be a part of the "Fireplace of States," nearing completion on the shores of Lake Bemidji, in the heart of Minnesota's tourist region.   Started last Winter as a CWA project, the fireplace and a log cabin housing be finished within a few weeks under a special appropriation of the Federal Government.   Stones used include one from Fort McHenry, the birthplace...

First Park playground, named for its location at the intersection of East First St. and First Ave. opened in 1935. The New York City Parks Department calls the park a "typical product of the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) initiative to create recreational areas in the City." This was just one of hundreds of playgrounds built by the New Deal in New York City. Based on press releases in the New York City Parks Department archives, researcher Frank da Cruz explains here that almost all New York City Parks Department projects were constructed with New Deal funds and/or labor.  Federal funding for...

"Fischer Field Stadium is the signature athletic field in Newton, Kansas, and is located in Athletic Park. The stadium is used for athletic events — including high school football and soccer, competitive leagues, and semi-pro football — concerts, Newton High School graduation and a variety of community events and festivals. The stadium is listed on both the Kansas Register and National Register of Historic Places. It can seat up to 5,000 people... In 1935, the City of Newton was granted funds by the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program for recovery from the Great Depression, to build a football stadium...

The CCC and WPA were involved in the creation of a fish hatchery at American Falls in 1934. From the Idaho Museum of Natural History: "The Hatchery was built circa 1934 in a cooperative effort by the State of Idaho and the Civilian Conservation Corps, a federal program; and is maintained by the State of Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Three full time employees live year round at the hatchery providing 24 hour on call services to prevent fatal catastrophes. Both state and private sources provide funding via fishing license revenues and donations. This module provides information about the...

The Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery was first developed as a New Deal project. It was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938.

The WPA conducted work at Hagerman Fish Hatchery. The extent of the WPA's involvement in the site is not clear.

The WPA was involved in building this fish hatchery in Sandpoint.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work, ca. 1936, at what is now known as the Essex County Fish Hatchery in Crown, Point, New York.

"The men of the Civilian Conservation Corps completed many worthwhile projects... cleaning out of springs, installation of water troughs, repair of buildings at the Verdi Fish Hatchery and the construction of a new rearing pond."

By constructing several buildings and the necessary facilities for management of mules and horses, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers played an integral role in  transforming the Fish Lake Guard Station into the Fish Lake Remount Depot. To operate in the rough terrain of the surrounding national forest and nearby wilderness areas, the Forest Service depended on pack animals. The CCC located a side camp at Fish Lake from 1934 - 1939 to improve the Depot for this purpose while assisting in fire fighting and development of recreation opportunities in the Willamette National Forest as well. In 2016, the Fish Lake Remount...

The "rustic"-style Fish Lake Shelter, or "community kitchen" was constructed as part of a larger forest Service campground complex by Company 1682 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (headquartered at Camp South Fork, near Butte Falls) in the summer of 1936. Over sixty men worked on the campground development over a four-month period. (Brown 1971, Review of CCC work projects, 1936). The picnic shelter served the increasing number of people who traveled to Fish Lake during the summer months.

These two fish marooning ponds, located in Yellowwood State Forest, were completed in 1938 with funds and labor provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was active in Rocky Mountain National Park during the whole of the program's lifetime, 1933 to 1942.  There were four main camps in the park. The CCC participated in a fish-restocking program, which the National Park Service had initiated in 1931 to deal with depleted lakes and streams due to years of unregulated fishing.  The main contribution of the CCC was to build four fish-rearing ponds, at Horseshoe Park, near Endovalley campground, at Hollowell Park, and near Grand Lake. The ponds were roughly 200 x 100 feet and 10 feet deep. (Brock, p 42). Fry from the Estes...

"This lighthouse stands on an island approximately 750 by 190 feet in size and Is midway between Stephens Passage and Frederick Sound. The tower, surmounted by a lantern, rises from a rectangular base which contains a combination living room and kitchen, four bedrooms, a bath, a radio room, an engine room, battery room, boiler room, and the necessary storage space. On the island are also a hoist house, a boathouse, and a short stretch of sea wall. All construction is fireproof and is reinforced concrete. The station is equipped with fog signals, and its 7,100 candlepower lamp has a range...

Civilian Conservation Corps Company 2896 resided at White Rock Lake in Dallas from 1935 to 1942. The CCC Company also built neighboring Flag Pole Hill between 1936 and 1937. Improvements constructed by the CCC included a picturesque overlook surmounted by a tall flag pole and accessible by sixteen wide stone steps from a newly-paved parking area. They also constructed an 81-foot long open-air picnic shelter, a small stone latrine, and an all-purpose stone building that was afterward used for many years to house transmitting equipment for city-owned radio station WRR. At the bottom of the hill, the CCC built a...

The Bluebell-Baird Trail, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1933 and 1935, connects "the mouth of Gregory Canyon (Baird Park) with Bluebell Canyon and the Bluebell Shelter."  It lies within the present City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks.

The Green Mountain Lodge, located a half-mile's hike from Flagstaff Mountain Road, was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934. The Green Mountain Lodge was built in the classic "park rustic" style of the early 20th century.  Boulder Open Space and Mountain Park's website provides more details: "The roof truss structure was constructed from West Coast heartwood pinned with oak dowels.  Paving flags for the patio terrace and the interior floor were brought from the quarries of Lyons.  The stones that form the walls are local.  The shingles are in shades of 12 colors and sizes and are arranged on the...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) renovated the Halfway House, located halfway up the Flagstaff Mountain Road, in 1933.  It includes a room, patio, picnic area and restroom. The Halfway House was originally built in 1919 by the Lion's Club of Boulder. Exactly what work was done by the CCC is uncertain to us. Halfway House was built in the "park rustic" style of the early 20th century, with massive stones and heavy timbers.  The rock is local golden sandstone. The building belongs to the City of Boulder and is rented for wedding and other events.

The Morse Well, named for the head of the Boulder Parks, was originally built in 1929. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) reinforced the well and built a set of retaining walls that set off the site. Morse Well lies near the top of Flagstaff Mountain, within the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks.

The Sunrise Circle amphitheater was built between September 1933 and March 1934. It was constructed in a “natural amphitheatre” at the top of Flagstaff Mountain, which had been cleared of debris during the spring of 1933 as part of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) work relief program. The CCC work features beautiful stone terrracing and a small stage. It remains a popular attraction used regularly for events. It lies within the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks.   “The amphitheater consists of a circular central arena around which a semicircular stage and two tiers of bench seating have been constructed....

“Between July 1933 and May 1935 the Civilian Conservation Corps made a number of improvements to the summit of  mountain, including a trail between Realization Point (referred to at the time as Inspiration Point) and the Morse Well.” This area today lies within the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks.

In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) planted 30,000 saplings on Flagstaff Mountain, which today lies within the City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks.

Flamingo Park, also known as Flamingo Field, was a ballpark built in 1925. In 1935, new grandstands were built by FERA. The ballpark served a number of professional baseball teams for many years, but eventually became rundown, and was replaced by a new ballpark on the same site in 1967.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the WPA built several stone structures that visitors can still enjoy today. The Wikipedia page for Flandrau State Park indicates that both the WPA and CCC engaged in extensive work in the park, e.g., creating trails, planting trees, and building a dam.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Flatirons Golf Course for the city of Boulder, from 1936 to 1938.  It was then called the Boulder Municipal Sports Center. Flatirons Golf Course began as the Boulder Country Club, located at 28th and Iris.  In 1933, course architect William H. Tucker was commissioned to design a new course, and the club and city turned to the WPA to build the new design as a municipal course at the current location at 57th and Arapahoe Streets. 

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Flomaton High School Athletic Field in Flomaton. Sponsored by the Escambia County Board of Education, the field spans five acres. The approximate cost was $3,263.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) landscaped and beautified the grounds of the Flomaton High School. The project was sponsored by the Town of Flomaton.

Flood park "was added in the 1930s. Under the direction of San Mateo Counter Planner Ronald Campbell, WPA (Works Progress Administration) workers transformed a windswept grainfield into a beautiful urban park. Campbell designed Flood Park in the style of early California ranch buildings, using adobe brick to create the caretakers cottage,restrooms, and administrative office building. This park soon became a popular place for locals to picnic and play." Includes: "WPA-built adobe building using native soils and redwood timbers from Memorial Park" from "Teachers' Guide to San Mateo County Parks"

The Florida Caverns Golf Course is located on the grounds of the Florida Caverns State Park near the city of Marianna in Jackson County. In February 1938, State Forester and Park Executive Harry Lee Baker brought in golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. who, upon inspection, indicated he was pleased with the location in the state park.In August of 1938, $50,000 was approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the construction of an 18-hole golf course on property adjoining the newly constructed Florida Caverns State Park. The State provided an additional $48,700 bring the project to Marianna, at no...