Turkey Thicket Recreation Center Tennis Courts – Washington DC

State:
WASHINGTON-DC

Site Type:
Parks and Recreation, Tennis Courts

New Deal Agencies:
Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Started:
1942

Completed:
1943

Quality of Information:
Good

Site Survival:
Unknown

Description

Works Progress Administration (WPA) project cards at the National Archives show that the WPA was charged with another round of improvement of recreational facilities in the city of Washington, DC in the early 1940s.  This followed on a major program of parks improvement by the WPA in 1935-36.

The approved works included: building tennis courts at Palisades Playground, Edgewood Playground, and Reservation “C” on the Mall; grading, filling, and constructing tennis courts at Turkey Thicket playground; excavating cinders from west parking area and surfacing east parking lot at Takoma Recreation Center; spreading topsoil on south field at Banneker Recreation Center; and grading at Randall Recreation Center.

The Washington Post reported the approval of these projects in October 1942. It is presumed that the work was carried out before the WPA was shut down in 1943 as the country was engaged in World War II.

Tennis courts still exist at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, but have undoubtedly been redone over the years.

Source notes

National Archives, Record Group 69, “Microfilmed Index to WPA Projects.”

“Lanham Act projects are approved,” Washington Post, October 15, 1942, p. B1

Site originally submitted by Brent McKee - wpatoday.org on June 18, 2013.
Additional contributions by Richard A Walker.

Location Info


Turkey Thicket Playground
Washington, DC 20017

Coordinates: 38.9389, -76.9917

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