Start Year: 1936

The Leominster State Forest area was purchased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1922. The area was the site of many historic settlements and cellar holes from the 1800s. With the implementation of the New Deal, Leominster State Forest was selected for a number of improvements by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). In particular, Crow Hill Pond, a ten-acre pond located on state Route 31 on the western side of the forest, was the site of many projects. Crow Hill Pond was the work site of the 197th company of the CCC during the years 1936-1938. Captain Dixon led the 197th...

Fort Wootton in Trinidad, Colorado "is a giant war memorial that takes up about half a city block. It was once described as the most complete war memorial in the nation. Nine veterans’ groups teamed up with the WPA to have it built in 1936-7. It has an auditorium and meeting spaces inside." Fort Wootton was from its "inception a veterans' gathering place evocative of their military training and posts, somewhat patterned after the regional historic site Bent's Fort. Further, and fortunately, in 2018 the county deeded the property to the Las Animas County Veterans' Council, an organization now seeking to...

Formerly the Westfield State Sanatorium, what is now Western Massachusetts Hospital was constructed as a New Deal project with Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) assistance. The P.W.A. supplied a $364,275 grant for the project, whose total cost was $1,002,217. Construction occurred between Jan. 1936 and Dec. 1937. PWA Docket No. MA W1155.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) helped fund a Community Building in Richmond, Utah in 1936-1937. The building cost $45,000, of which $18,000 was furnished by a PWA grant and the rest provide by the City of Richmond.  It is a single-story brick building which has had many lives.  As the Richmond Encyclopedia website recounts: "The building's purpose in its early years was to be used by the citizens of Richmond as a community building and theater. Once you entered the building, after visiting the ticket booth to your left, you were welcomed to a furnished building. Directly ahead was a ballroom with a...

Lee, Massachusetts's former Hyde School was enlarged in 1936 by an addition constructed with federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The P.W.A. supplied a grant of $56,244 to the project, whose total cost was $124,999. Construction occurred between April 1936 and Jan. 1937. PWA Docket No. MA W1326. The school is now a senior living complex and senior center.

Wareham Town Hall was constructed as a New Deal Public Works Administration (PWA) project. The PWA provided a grant of $72,000 to the town for the project, whose total cost was $194,982. Construction occurred between Feb. 1938 and Jan. 1939. PWA Docket No. MA W1360

The historic former police station for Weymouth, Massachusetts—now the Weymouth Teen Center—was constructed with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds in 1936. The building housed law enforcement operations until 1996. The PWA provided a $12,735 grant for the project, whose total cost was $38,769. PWA Docket No. MA W1236

The city of Fall River was originally home to the Wampanoag Native American tribe, but this group was displaced relatively rapidly in the 1600s with the establishment of colonies in modern day Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The city of Fall River grew during the colonial era, but reached its heyday in the 1800s with the expansion of the textile industry. The fast moving Quequechan River provided an excellent source of water power that helped the city to become known as the "Queen City of the Cotton Industry" in the United States. This rich history was the inspiration for the...

In 1929, the developer of the future Warner Mountain Ski Area, Henry Cairns, purchased the area from a man named James Strike. Cairns, having owned a farm in the area, decided to carve slopes into this mountain, located on the eastern side of East Mountain State Forest in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The trails emptied out into Cairns farm, which became known as the G-Bar-S Dude Ranch; this stood for the nearby Great Barrington Sports. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was employed in the area to carve two trails into the slopes: the more advanced and difficult Taconic Trail and the more...

Lynn Woods Reservation was founded in 1881 by local residents and remains under jurisdiction of the city of Lynn. Lynn Woods contains over 30 miles of trails for hiking, biking, running, and horseback riding. Three active reservoirs exist in the forest and create pond-like scenery and a nice feel for those looking to enjoy the outdoors. It is the second largest municipal park in the United States, with over 2,200 acres of forest. In the center of the park, Burrill Hill is elevated at 285 feet above sea level and Stone Tower sits on top of the hill at 48...