Description
In 1934, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) furnished the cost of labor for the construction of a playground behind Center School in Hatfield, Massachusetts. The 35-man project cost the Town of Hatfield only the price of materials for the project ($982), while the federal government paid for the labor (3,028).
The Center School itself was constructed as Hatfield’s middle school in 1914. The
building much later became the Western Massachusetts Regional Library and, as of 2016, has been vacant for about 10 years. It appears that the playground was demolished at some point as the aerial view of the site shows no playground and the proposal states that the grounds on this property have since become the town’s playing fields. The building will soon be turned into a condominium complex for seniors.
Source notes
Hatfield Annual Town Report, 1934 Hatfield OKs Center School redevelopment plans, Daily Hampshire Gazette, September 14, 2016 Center School Building Site Assessment & Economic Development Planning Project, HAI Architecture, Inc., June 25, 2014
Project originally submitted by Evan Kalish, Kaitlin Hurley on June 7, 2016.
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