Municipal Park Improvements – Berlin NH

Description

Extensive work was done in Berlin by a combination of the CWA, FERA, PWA, NYA, CCC and WPA all during the existence of the New Deal when “in 1935, under the leadership of newly-elected Mayor Arthur Bergeron, the Farmer-Labor Party began the process of reorganizing city government and acting as a conduit for federal monies in response to the mass lay-offs in the the Great Northern and Brown paper mills” (https://www.berlinnh.gov)

A municipal report of 1938 explained:

“The park work has been carried on as a WPA Project and work was done on Glen Avenue where the lot was graded, learned and seeded. A street, playground, flower beds, rock garden and fountain were constructed and trees and shrubbery planted. At the end of High Street and near the YMCA bridge a stone seat and flower bed were constructed. This improves the appearance of this spot, and also eliminates a dangerous embankment. The grounds were improved at the two bathing pools and a brick bath house constructed on each lot. Some grading was done at the proposed park at the corner of Willow and Portland Streets. At the corner of Fourth and Alain Streets the old Brown School lot was graded and stone walls and steps constructed. The plans for completion call for flagstone walks, fountain, and planting of shrubbery and flowers. The above jobs are only a start of what has been planned to make Berlin a better appearing city.”

Ski Slope
“This department has been sponsoring a ski slope on city leased land near Cates Hill. This job is not a direct benefit to this department but it employs sixty men furnished by the WPA at a cost of only transportation and tools to the city, thus keeping this number of men off the relief rolls.” The slope was abandoned around 1953.