Parks and Recreation Sites

The area encompassing Holliday Lake State Park and the surrounding state forest was cleared in the 1800s for farmland. In the 1930s, the federal government, through the Resettlement Administration, began buying the farms to return the land to its former productive hardwood forest status. Construction of a dam was begun at Fish Pond Creek; however efforts were relocated to Holliday Creek where a lake could be developed. The park was established in 1939 and acquired in by the state of Virginia 1945. Holliday Lake State Park, formerly Holliday Lake Recreational Area, was renamed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation...

"Holly River State Park retains its rustic style, WPA-built administrative building, which also houses a restaurant."

"Before the HSNF was established, much of the land was abandoned farmland with rapidly eroding soils. These rolling hills are now covered with loblolly and shortleaf pines, and upland hardwoods. The Civilian Conservation Corps used loblolly pine because it was easy to plant, was suitable for the depleted soils of the north central hills, and cast a large load of needles to help prevent further erosion."

Hollywood Bowl Improvements, WP 997, WP 2687, WP 6097, WP 4953, WP 9590, and WP 11052, sponsored by the County of Los Angeles, are designed to increase the beauty, add to the capacity and provide greater safety, convenience and comfort to the many thousand people attending Hollywood Bowl entertainments. The Hollywood Bowl is situated in a natural amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills. Its facilities are in constant demand for concerts, operas, ballets, conventions and many other activities requiring a large seating capacity. The 55 ton steel orchestra shell, built to add to the nearly perfect acoustics of the Bowl, proved to be...

The Annual Report from 1932-33 of the Los Angeles Board of Park Commissioners describes federal involvement in the development of Holmby Park: "Reconstruction Finance Corporation and County Welfare workmen helped install 6100 feet of curbing along the walks as well as completing 100 cubic yards of general grading work and the laying of 50 feet of new water system."

Six rustic style cabins, park landscape, park manager’s residence, lodge, pavilion, and a 525 foot dam forming a 12-acre lake were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps Company 4429 between 1935-1939. Construction utilized cypress timber from the Big Black river swamps. Architect was B. W. Martin. Holmes County park opened in summer of 1939, off highway 51 five miles south of Durant. It comprised 460 acres, although only about 20 acres hold the majority of CCC resources. During January and February 1936, Park Service and the Emergency Conservation Works filmed a motion picture to show the work being done in...

The facility in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was constructed with the support of $94,000 from the New Deal administration funding. The Works Progress Administration hired 150 craftsmen to construct the structures of wood. They were later faced with concrete and native stone to resemble Jerusalem buildings. The site has hosted an annual passion play since 1926, although the large crowds traveling to see the play prompted the building of a permanent facility in 1934-35. It opened in 1936.

The New York Times reported that WPA laborers had begun work in late 1941 on a playground consisting of "two and one-third acres ... The facilities will include a brick comfort station, concrete wading pool, irrigated sandpit and mothers' sitting area, swings, slides, handball court, pipe-frame exercising unit, and areas for skating, basketball and softball." The completion of the project was announced in June 1942.

The Works Progress Administration carried out landscaping and beautification work on a street in the Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, circa 1936.

"Homochitto National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in southwestern Mississippi comprising 191,839 acres (776.34 km2). In the mid-1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began reforestation of the area and developing a system of roadways and recreational areas."

From 1936 to 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Honeyman State Park, just south of Florence, Oregon, under the supervision of the National Park Service (NPS).  The parkland had been purchased by the state from 1930 to 1936. Honeyman Park covers over 500 acres along Highway 101 (the Oregon Coast Highway), tucked behind the Oregon Dunes National Seashore.  It includes two freshwater lakes, Cleawox Lake within the dunes and the much larger Woahink Lake east of the highway. There is a day-use area on the north side of Cleawox Lake, a large campground south of that lake and water sports...

From 1936 to 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Honeyman State Park, just south of Florence, Oregon, under the supervision of the National Park Service (NPS).  The parkland had been purchased by the state from 1930 to 1936. Honeyman Park covers over 500 acres along Highway 101 (the Oregon Coast Highway), tucked behind the Oregon Dunes National Seashore.  It includes two freshwater lakes, Cleawox Lake within the dunes and the much larger Woahink Lake east of the highway. There is a day-use area on the north side of Cleawox Lake, a large campground south of that lake and water sports...

From 1936 to 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Honeyman State Park, just south of Florence, Oregon, under the supervision of the National Park Service (NPS).  The parkland had been purchased by the state from 1930 to 1936. Honeyman Park covers over 500 acres along Highway 101 (the Oregon Coast Highway), tucked behind the Oregon Dunes National Seashore.  It includes two freshwater lakes, Cleawox Lake within the dunes and the much larger Woahink Lake east of the highway. There is a day-use area on the north side of Cleawox Lake, a large campground south of that lake and water sports...

Originally constructed in 1921, the Hoosier Gym (best known for its role in the 1986 basketball movie Hoosiers) was improved and expanded the gym in 1936. "The project included an exterior facelift with a new front entrance and lobby, and the creation of basement dressing rooms." No longer used regularly as a gym, the building has been turned into a museum and community center.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Works Progress Administration, and the Civil Works Administration (WPA) funded improvements at the Hoover Playground in Washington DC. The work consisted of the following improvements: CWA and FERA, “Graded, fenced, 3 gates.” (Report of the Government of the District of Columbia 1935) FERA, 1934-1935, “Constructed new shelter 12 by 28 feet with toilet facilities; removed old shelter.” (Report of the Government of the District of Columbia 1936) WPA, 1935-1936, “grading 4,000 cubic yards.” (Report of the Government of the District of Columbia 1936) WPA, 1936-1937, “Completed grading, fencing 1,400 linear feet; three gates.” (Report of the Government of the District of Columbia 1937)

Hoquiam Olympic Stadium is the largest all-wood structure of its kind in the United States, constructed from old growth fir donated by the Polson Logging Company. This stadium houses local football and baseball games, as well as larger events, such as the annual Hoquiam Loggers Playday. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of two sites for the annual Hoquiam and Aberdeen football game, which has been a long-standing rivalry dating back to 1905.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted the following work in Woburn, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: Reforestation, terracing and landscaping of 100 acres of land, including Horn Pond, Woburn's major water shed, has been completed by the Woburn WPA. More than 100 men were employed.

Among the first of their recreation related construction projects, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees from Camp Belknap laid out and built the Horse Creek Campground in 1934. The group campground is located one-and-a-half miles south of McKenzie Bridge on the banks of Horse Creek. The campground can accommodate approximately 100 people and 23 vehicles. An interesting bit of CCC history in the Willamette National Forest (WNF) is associated with Horse Creek Campground. Forest Supervisor Perry Thompson hired landscape architect William Parke as a recreational planner for the WNF, instructing him to prepare site plans for campgrounds, picnic areas and organization camps...

Work consisted of excavation and building masonry rubble walls, 3,000 feet of red rock paths, 600 lineal feet of sewer, a standard convenience station and general renovation of an existing court surrounded by walls of natural floral beauty. This improvement is much appreciated by those who have enjoyed the popular spot for many years in Golden Gate Park. It is suitable for tournaments and competing groups.--Healy, p. 53.

"In the 1930s, workers with the New Deal's Works Progress Administration (WPA) landscaped the area, turning it from "a pile of mud and rocks" into Horseshoe Lake Park."

The Arkansas State Parks Commission acquired the land for Lake Catherine State Park in 1935, now a park of Hot Springs National Park. Several rustic style stone and wood buildings were constructed, including three cabins, a former concessions building (now known as the Nature Cabin), and a stone bridge. Work was completed by the 3777th Company of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

Description of a 1937 W.P.A. project: "Blue Hills Reservation; two baseball diamonds and four tennis courts were built in the sports area south of Hoosicwhisick Pond in Milton." Hoosicwhisick Pond is also known as Houghton's Pond.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the House Park football stadium in Austin. House Park was built between 1938 and 1939 and has served as the home stadium for several Austin Independent School District high schools. The project was part of a larger grant made by the PWA to the City of Austin on October 31, 1938. The grant, up $613,127 under PWA Docket No. Texas-2134-F., was to cover 45% of the costs of construction of school facilities, school repairs and additions, athletic facilities, and land acquisitions. The architects of record were Giesecke & Harris and the contractors were J. R. Blackmore & Sons.

The Houston Federation of Garden Clubs (HFGC) was founded by several Houstonian women in 1936 with the goal of building a garden center to hold their meetings and educational forums. That dream bore fruition five years later when Mayor Oscar Holcombe applied and was approved for fifteen thousand dollars in labor by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Originally, the HFGC ladies raised $1,100 through flower shows, fashion shows, and train trips east. The involvement of the whole city illustrated the extent of manpower for funding the garden center. In 1939, four-hundred volunteer garden club ladies along with sixty-five businessmen from...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded improvements at Howard Playground in Washington DC between 1936-1937. The work included the following improvements: "Demolished pool, filled and graded in preparation for installing wading pool.”

From NYC Parks: "Howard Von Dohlen Playground opened on July 15, 1934, and is one of nine playgrounds built by Parks through the War Memorial Fund. The fund was established in 1921 with $250,000 collected by the New York City Police Department. Until 1934, the money had remained untouched, during which time it had grown in value to $350,000. Seeking additional open spaces for children, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses obtained a legal ruling that permitted the Fund to be spent on several playground developments. The properties were intended to honor the memories of individual soldiers who had given their lives in...

Once the site of Multnomah County's Poor Farm, the city began developing this land in the West Hills of Portland as an arboretum in 1930. In its first six years, much of the labor for tree planting and park development was provided through the Civil Works Administration (CWA), Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the National Youth Administration (NYA). The local newspaper, The Oregonian, gave particular attention to the NYA workers' contribution, noting that nearly 100 young people between the age of 16 and 25 were employed for three months. They began the transformation of what was then a 200-acre, rough, wooded landscape...

The WPA and CWA conducted extensive work throughout the park, building stone shelters and fireplaces. From contributor Erin Brown: "Hoyt Park is located on the west side of Madison, and is slightly off the beaten path of busy roads and traffic. The City of Madison first bought the land in 1890 as stone quarries. In 1933, the land was officially deemed a state park. It was named after Frank W. Hoyt, the leader of the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association, which was a volunteer group that fought to open and maintain recreational areas and parks in and around Madison. Under FDR’s...

"Later in 1936, the regional planning department prepared plans for the new pool and bathhouse that was then constructed by the WPA. The new facility opened in 1939. The pool had a capacity of one million gallons."

Hoyt Park already appears in The Living New Deal site data. However, most New Deal structures at this cherished park are not represented. Therefore, this submission adds five photos of New Deal structures at this beautiful park. Additional photos could be added in the future.

"Hualapai Mountain Park contains both modern and historic recreational facilities. A CCC camp, SP8A, arrived at Hualapai Mountain Park in 1935. Enrollees began to reconstruct Hualapai Mountain Road, widening it, straightening curves, and improving drainage. In 1937 the enrollees began to develop the park itself. They built retaining walls, trails, roadways, and stone bridges. They also built 17 rustic cabins; some are constructed with large-sized, rubble stone, others with wooden slab siding. Each has a stone fireplace and chimney and is set off in its own portion of the park, complete with picnic table and grill. These beautiful cabins are...

Montpelier Annual Report, 1937: "In the early summer of 1933 the C. C. C. started improvement work at Hubbard Park under the direction of the Vermont Forest Service cooperating with the Montpelier Park Board. From that time until the fall of 1936, they have accomplished projects which have materially enhanced and made more usable our beautiful park. All of the interior park roads have been regraded, widened, drained, and graveled. Many of the crooks and formerly muddy spots have been eliminated and all roads are now usable during all of the seasons. The entrance road from Clarendon Avenue to the Tower road...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Hubbard Park Lodge in Shorewood WI. the structure was built for use by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. WPA crews also graded the land, built pathways and a spring-fed pool and fountain.  The records indicate that two buildings in Hubbard Park in Shorewood, WI, were built by the WPA in 1936: Hubbard Park Lodge (originally called Scout Craft Cabin) and Shorewood River Club (originally called Hubbard Park Community Lodge). The two venues, at present, are under the same management. According to one history, "Hubbard Park saw a lull in activity until the 1930s when Shorewood secured...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed two parks in El Cerrito, Poinsett and Huber.  WPA improvements at 2.6-acre Huber park include leveling portions of the hillside site, building extensive rubble stone support walls, and constructing recreational facilities.  The latter include a lower area with paved basketball and kickball courts, a large cement slide, a play area with swings for children, and a picnic area with a large brick fireplace.  There is also a small clubhouse (apparently closed), bathrooms, and trails. The date May 1939 is inscribed on the brick fireplace, which is probably the year when the WPA worked at the park.

The Works Progress Administration built bleachers for a baseball diamond in Cleburne. Corsicana Daily Sun mentioned the construction of the bleaches in 1938: "Cleburne, Johnson county—Con- truct soft ball field, bleachers, bowling green, walks and parkway and landscape in city park; federal funds $6,381; sponsor's funds $2,773; workers 59." They are now in front of tennis courts. Five tiers of rock bleachers with cement seating on lower four. Bleachers are on the corner of Hillsboro Street and Country Club Road.  

In 1939, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) approved several improvements at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds on the north edge of Ferndale CA. According to the WPA project card, the work entailed moving the pavilion and stock buildings, improving the grandstand and other miscellaneous tasks. In 1941, the WPA returned to build an exhibition hall. We could not confirm which buildings at the fairgrounds today are the ones worked on by the WPA relief teams, there are several likely candidates for the pavilion, stock buildings and exhibition hall that appear to date from the mid 20th century. Further information is needed.

  In 1934, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) initiated the development of Humbug Mountain State Park. From their camp, located on park property, the CCC enrollees undertook construction of roads and a trail to the top of Humbug Mountain, benches and fireplaces, park buildings, and provision of a water system. At the time, the trail to the top of the 1750-foot-tall Humbug Mountain distinguished the park and the CCC enrollees' accomplishments there.    

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed facilities in Linton, Indiana's Humphreys Park in 1938.

Hunt Recreation Center in Concord, Massachusetts was constructed as a New Deal project. It was built in part with federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The P.W.A. supplied a grant of $27,653 for the project, whose total cost was $61,494. Construction occurred between Nov. 1935 and Aug. 1936. PWA Docket No. MA W1028.

"Hunting Island is a 5,000-acre (20 km2) secluded semitropical barrier island located about 15 miles (24 km) east of Beaufort, South Carolina. It is the most-visited state park in South Carolina and is a part of the ACE Basin estuarine reserve area. It is one of the Sea Islands. Among the various natural activities, the park is also known for its 19th century lighthouse which bears its name... In the 1930s, the island was developed into a state park by the Civilian Conservation Corps as bridges were constructed to connect the outer Sea Islands with Beaufort. Despite the limited human development, the island...