Poinsett Park – El Cerrito CA

Description

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed two parks in El Cerrito, one of which is Poinsett Park in the Mira Vista section at the north end of the town.  The date of the work is unknown to us.

Poinsett Park occupies a narrow strip along a small creek running downhill for roughly two blocks.  The upper end is riparian vegetation, after which the creek disappears into a large culvert and the park is made up of a series of leveled areas stepping down the steep hillside.  First comes a lawn; then a children’s playground; then a barbecue pit and refreshment stand. At the bottom end, there is a large asphalted area with basketball and kickball courts, carved partly into the hillside, which is held up by rock walls.

While there have been improvements made over the years, the work of the WPA is evident in the leveling, rock walls and barbecue stove.  The refreshment stand (or equipment storage hut?) may well be New Deal in origin, as are two old street light standards along the upper (naturalized) portion of the park.