The NYC Parks website explains that: “In May 1934, after closing P.S. 38, the Board of Education transferred the property to Parks. Parks opened Laurelton Playground on August 23, 1935 in service of the local community. Parks acquired two small… read more
On July 28, 1937, the Department of Parks announced the opening of “five playgrounds, constructed by the Department of Parks with relief labor and funds,” noting that “These playgrounds are five of the twenty-four sites in neglected areas selected by… read more
Leif Ericson Park is a long, narrow park in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, which “features a Norse theme in honor of Leif Ericson and the local Scandinavian-American community” (NYC Parks). By the turn of the 20th century, the… read more
“A new concrete stadium and playground at Leon High School in Tallahassee was completed through the combined efforts of the WPA, the City of Tallahassee, Leon County, and the local Junior Chamber of Commerce.”
Levy Playground is a small plot in the Richmond district of Staten Island. It was one of five “model playgrounds” designed as templates for further playground development by Robert Moses and his team after Moses assumed control of the New… read more
W.P.A. Bulletin, 1937: “At the southern end of the marsh that was in the center of Winthrop, WPA has created a skating area and rendezvous for aquatic sports out of the formerly ugly Lewis Lake. A dump on one side… read more
All 17 schoolhouses in Framingham, Massachusetts were painted, remodeled, and/or repaired with federally funded labor during the Great Depression. At the former Lincoln School the Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) painted classrooms and repaired ceilings in 1933. Heating facilities and floors… read more
This large, tiered park in Brooklyn was acquired by the City in stages between 1916 and 1935. In 1939-1940, the WPA constructed a brand new playground on the lower level of the park and then completely redesigned the upper levels… read more
The Department of Parks announced the opening of this playground on August 30, 1935 and noted that it contained a wading pool and playground apparatus. Although federal involvement is not explicitly mentioned, federal funding for laborers, materials, architects, landscapers and… read more
“This playground, formerly La Guardia Houses Park, refers to the popular nickname of New York City mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia (1882-1947), Little Flower. The nickname is a literal translation of the Italian mayor’s first name and an allusion to… read more
The Works Progress Administration, and the Civil Works Administration (WPA) funded improvements at the Logan Playground in Washington DC. The work consisted of the following improvements: WPA, 1935-1936, “grading 1,000 cubic yards.” (Report of the Government of the District of Columbia 1936)… read more
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… read more
1939: “An area of 1 1/2 acres which moved into Millville ownership through tax title foreclosure, adjacent to the Longfellow School property, is in the process of development as a playground and recreational center. The work is being carried out… read more
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, bi[t]uminous-surfaced play area for group games, small and… read more
An August 1935 Parks Department press release lists what is now the Lt. Joseph Petrosino Park as one of seventy-three play areas developed in the preceding year with “city, state and federal relief funds.” The release describes this park as having… read more
Located in College Point, this green space on the East River is built on the grounds of an old mansion. It was originally known as Chisolm Park: “In 1930 the City of New York acquired the mansion and its grounds… read more
The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) funded improvements at the Macomb Playground in Washington DC between 1935 and 1936. The crews graded 1,500 cubic yards.
The New York City Parks Department Press Release for October 14, 1935 announces the opening of a new playground at the site of what was later called Macombs Dam Park, with some or all of the following amenities: wading pools,… read more
In 1927, the Seattle Park Department acquired the site for Madrona Playground at East Spring Street and 34th Avenue. The playground site received a few improvements during the late 1920s and early 1930s, including the grading of the playfield and… read more
The land for Mahoney Playground was acquired in two parts in 1933 and in 1961. Parks announced the opening of a new playground on the first half in 1937, with “a fully equipped small children’s section besides facilities for handball,… read more
Parks acquired what is now Marconi Park “on February 15, 1938, for the benefit of the adjacent P.S. 40 (William Wordsworth School) and the South Jamaica community. The playground opened on June 26, 1939, under the administration of Mayor Fiorello… read more
“Marcus Garvey Park is one of the oldest public squares in Manhattan. Central to the life of Harlem for more than 150 years, it has served as a meeting place for neighbors, a front yard and play area for schoolchildren,… read more
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… read more
Marine Park is the largest public park in Brooklyn. It surrounds the westernmost inlet of Jamaica Bay. The City acquired the first parcels of land in Marine Park in the 1920s and expanded the area in the 1930s. This park… read more
An August 1935 Parks Department press release lists Mariners Harbor Playground as one of seventy-three play areas developed in the preceding year with “city, state and federal relief funds.” The release describes this park as having play areas designed for… read more
WPA Bulletin, 1937: “Picnic Cave Unusual Feature of Playground Lunenburg — An underground cave equipped with a fireplace and picnic facilities for 40 persons is the outstanding feature of Lunenburg’s WPA-built recreation centre at Marshall Field. The grounds also boasts… read more
NYC Parks states that this small park was acquired by the City in 1936-1938. It opened to the public on April 16, 1937. The press release announcing the opening explained: “the new playground has see-saws, swings, jungle gym, garden swings,… read more
Maurice Park, also known as the Frank Principe Park, was constructed by the Department of Parks and the WPA in 1940. The November 1940 press release announcing the opening of the new Park described the WPA’s work in detail: “Every… read more
The sizeable McCarren Park in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) dates to the early 20th century, but received several additions in the 1930s with New Deal support. The best known of these is the WPA pool that opened in 1936. But the Department… read more
A June 1936 press release from the Department of Parks announced the opening of a newly reconstructed playground at the site of what is now McLaughlin Park. It contained a girl’s playground “fully equipped with play apparatus, basketball, volley ball… read more
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) contributed to the improvement of Oklahoma City’s McMechan Park in 1940. “McMechan Park at Oklahoma City, Okla., will be expanded to a 17-acre development,” a reporter noted in January 1940, “according to plans disclosed by… read more
The Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded improvements at the McMillan Playground in Washington DC. Completed between 1935 and 1938, the work consisted of “Fencing (2,400 feet, 8-foot); completed installation of drainage system.” The WPA completed… read more
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… read more
The former Mercer Playground at 2nd Avenue North and Harrison Street in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood was the site of several small WPA maintenance and improvement projects. In 1938, WPA workers painted the playground shelter house, as part of a… read more
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… read more
The NYC Parks site explains the origins of this playground: “In 1934 Board of Transportation granted the Department of Parks a permit to develop this parcel as a playground which opened the following year.” The November 1935 press release announcing… read more
The Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), and the Works Progress Administration funded improvements at the Monroe Playground in Washington DC in 1934-1935. The work consisted of the following improvements: “Graded, moved and remodeled shelter-house, relocated equipment.”… read more
The seven-acre Montclair Park in Oakland was built with the aid of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938-40. This gem of a park lies just north of Montclair Village in the Oakland hills and below Montclair Elementary School. … read more
The Federal Emergency Relief Administration funded improvements at the Montrose Park Playground in Washington DC between, 1934-1935. The work consisted of “[r]egraded basketball and volley ball courts.”
The playground in Morningside Park located at Morningside Avenue, between W 113th and 114th Streets, was one of seven Works Progress Administration (WPA) playgrounds opened in New York City on November 22, 1935.