Hoyt Park - Madison WI - Living New Deal

City:: Madison, WI
Site Type:: Parks and Recreation
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA), Civil Works Administration (CWA)
Quality of Information:: Very Good
Marked:: Yes
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

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 New Deal, the Works Progress Administration and Civil Works Administration hired unemployed and destitute men to work on creating Hoyt Park to what it is today. Italian masons from a nearby neighborhood were hired to construct the stone tables and fireplaces throughout the park. They used stone and other materials left over from when the land was a quarry. Eventually money for the projects ran out, yet the masons continued their work without pay, because they wanted to finish what they had set out to accomplish. They ended up making a total of 12 stone fireplaces that are scattered about the park.

The group Friends of Hoyt Park was founded in 1995 and to this day serves to reinvigorate, restore, and preserve the historic park that has seen harsh winters, vandalism, and decades of time. One of their main accomplishments was restoring all 12 fireplaces back to their original condition.

On October 2nd, 1995, Hoyt Park was recognized as a City of Madison Landmark.

Hoyt Park was originally created to serve as a recreational area for community members to gather, and that is exactly what it has stayed as. Today it is home to a playground set, a full-sized basketball court, a softball field, a vast grassy area often used for soccer, football, and other games, as well as a one mile long hiking trail throughout the woods. There are also two shelters located throughout the park that serve as great places for a picnic or other social events.”