Forest Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the nation, just larger than Central Park in NYC. It was the site of the 1904 Worlds Fair and the WPA projects in the park transformed it and brought it… read more
The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted substantial development work at the former Fort Hancock. Numerous projects undertaken by the New Deal agency, totaling more than two million dollars [not adjusted for inflation], included utility and infrastructure overhauls, building new military facilities, reconstructing docks, erecting… read more
The Department of Parks announced the opening of what is now the Frederick Johnson Park on March 31, 1939. The press release explained: “The 150 Street and Seventh Avenue area obtained by the Department of Parks from the Board of… read more
The Garfield Playground was one of a limited number of Seattle park facilities to receive upgrades through the New Deal’s Civil Works Administration (CWA) program. The main CWA project at the playground involved the construction of a retaining wall along… read more
With the help of Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor, the Seattle Park Department made improvements to the Georgetown Playground at South Homer Street and Corson Avenue. In 1936, WPA workers built a reinforced concrete wading pool along the eastern edge… read more
The Works Progress Administration built tennis courts for the Gilbert High School in Gilbert, Maricopa County.
“In 1939, the WPA constructed tennis courts (no longer in existence), rock retaining walls, concrete footbridges, and stone drainage ditches. The retaining wall has vertical piers at the top, which served as parking ‘curbs’ for street level parking.” There… read more
Construction of tennis courts in Golden Gate Park and at 38th Ave. and Fulton Street.–Mooser, p. 87. note–this reference is both to the Tennis Courts at the South East end of Golden Gate Park and to a separate set of… read more
“A major park that African Americans on the west side frequented was Grant Park, located at 3rd Avenue and Grant Street. Grant Park existed as an empty lot with grass and trees until the city Parks and Recreation Department renovated… read more
On May 25, 1942 the Parks Department announced the completion of a major reconstruction of the Gravesend Park Playground in Brooklyn. After removing much outdated equipment, the WPA constructed significant new facilities: “The new development permits greater utilization of space… read more
The CWA or the RFC (which early on in the New Deal directly hired temporary day labor) constructed a 12 court tennis complex in Griffith Park. Rubble wall construction typifies work done by the ND throughout the park.
“The Works Progress Administration, an agency of the Federal Government, adopted as one of its projects the improvement of Hanes Park, which is a public park and playground owned by the city of Winston-Salem. Within the park is located an… read more
According to the National Park Service: “Within Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, as well as many other parks and forests, much of the work that the CCC did is still evident and still in use. From the research offices to the… read more
The park contains four concrete WPA tennis courts. New nets and a fence have been added.
In 1942, the Washington Post reported the approval of $40,270 in funding for the Federal Works Administration (FWA) to build and/or make improvements to the Hillcrest Recreation Center. This was the largest sum appropriated for parks work in the Lanham… read more
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.
Fourteen boys of the federal National Youth Administration (NYA) built a tennis court and graded a baseball field at Trenton, New Jersey’s old Immaculate Conception High School. The exact location of this former school is unknown to Living New Deal,… read more
The New Deal constructed tennis courts for what was then Jordan High School and is now the Jordan-Elbridge Middle School. The agency in charge was almost surely the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which built thousands of recreational facilities at schools across… read more
Constructed tennis courts and basketball court. This work will be complete when a Field House is built. The location was an ordinary sand lot.–Healy, p. 64.
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,… read more
The former City Park and Athletic Field (now the Ken Lindley Park) originated in 1908, but major improvements were made with relief labor provided by the Civil Works Administration (CWA) in the winter of 1933-34. It is likely that after… read more
The Seattle Park Department acquired the site for Laurelhurst Playfield along NE 41st Street between 45th Avenue NE and 48th Avenue NE in 1927. Although a few improvements to the site were completed between 1929 and 1932, a series of… read more
Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor constructed numerous facilities at Bridgewater’s Legions Field. The facility was located at WPA Bulletin: WPA is completing construction of a Playground and Athletic Field, Bed- ford Street, Bridgewater. Work includes the building of a football… read more
Lowman Beach Park, a small park property that provides access to Puget Sound in a primarily residential area of southwest Seattle, was the site of two Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects. The first project involved the construction of a cement… read more
The Works Progress Administration built tennis courts in Lyons Park in Mobile. The park is still in service today under the name Lyons Park Tennis Center.
Madison Park, located at the eastern end of Madison Streeet, next to Lake Washington, was the site of several small Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects. The first of these projects involved the replacement of the park’s clay tennis courts near… read more
In 1935, the Works Progress Administration built a club house and tennis court, along with picnic structures. The club house survives in near original condition. The tennis court picnic structures have been updated over the years.
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
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
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 federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed San Francisco’s Mission Playground, located at 19th and (what was then known as) Angelica Streets, during the Great Depression. The park is still in use today. Painted swimming pool and dressing rooms, repaired… read more
The seven-acre Montclair Park in Oakland was built with the aid of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938-39. This gem of a park lies just north of Montclair Village in the Oakland hills and below Montclair Elementary School. The… read more
By 1935, FERA had done significant work at Moore Park, including installing a sprinkler system, 11 tennis courts and a fence. Moore Park remains a popular tennis spot.
The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to develop San Francisco’s Mountain Lake Park during the Great Depression. Examples: Repairs like Lombard, consisting of landscaping, building 2 new tennis courts and walks and horseshoe courts; also provided a shelter for… read more
The Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory Nomination for WPA properties lists this city park as constructed by the WPA in 1935: “This city park was developed by the WPA. A small ditch was constructed and runs through the middle of the park…. read more
Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers developed recreation improvements at Greenfield’s Green River Swimming and Recreation Area and Murphy Park, during the 1930s. WPA Bulletin, 1936: Children of Greenfield have benefited by the WPA construction of a new bath house and… read more
The New Deal carried out a major renovation of the National Mall, the green centerpiece of Washington DC. Funding was provided by the Public Works Administration (PWA), labor power by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and supervision of the work… read more
Constructed playground, 3 tennis courts and convenience station and built retaining walls to hold the ground in place because of steep slope. Fenced the entire area. This was an unsightly lot.–Healy, p. 63.
“During the 1930s numerous improvement projects were carried out through federal relief programs. A Civilian Conservation Corps Camp of about 200 young men was located in the beech woods where the former Caddy Camp building stands. Gift and loans were… read more