Bernal Recreation Center – San Francisco CA

City:
San Francisco, CA

Site Type:
Playgrounds, Parks and Recreation, Rock Walls

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

Started:
1939

Completed:
1940

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Marked:
No

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Bernal Recreation Center in San Francisco in 1939-1940.  It sits just behind and below the Bernal Heights Public Library.

Work consisted of excavating and grading 1,492 cubic yards of rock and soil, building 75 feet of rubble wall (18 inches by 4 feet), and paving 16,000 square feet of playgr0und area.

Notably, the report on WPA work in San Francisco made a point that the combination of the library and playground on the same property was .”… combining the benefits of physical and mental recreation.(Healy, p. 64).

The WPA built rock walls are still visible above and below the playground.

Source notes

Healy, Clyde E.,  San Francisco Improved: Report of Clyde E. Healy, Assistant City Engineer - City of San Francisco and Coordinator of W.P.A. Projects, Period October 10, 1935 to August 31, 1939. San Francisco : [s.n.]., 1939.

William Mooser, Jr., Report on Progress of the Works Program in San Francisco. January, 1938. Works Progress Administration. [San Francisco 1938]

Site originally submitted by Gray Brechin on June 17, 2010.
Additional contributions by Richard Walker.

Location Info


500 Moultrie Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
San Francisco County

Location notes: near Cortland Ave

Coordinates: 37.738400, -122.416000

Site Details

Total Cost
$12,797.00

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.