Marked Sites

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a sidewalk at West Richmond Avenue and Martina Street (erroneously marked Martino St. in the cement) in Point Richmond, California, in 1940. The WPA date stamp is still quite visible in the old pavement. The WPA undoubtedly built other sidewalks in Point Richmond and Richmond as part of general street improvements being done around the city in the late 1930s, but the old date stamps have disappeared over the years with sidewalk replacements.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks all around Prescott AZ, including one on West Gurley Street in front of the Sharlot Hall Museum.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a sidewalk in 1939 at Auburn and Harwood Avenues in Oakland's Rockridge District.  It was one of many sidewalks constructed by the WPA around the city of Oakland.   Date stamps in sidewalks were a common practice in the first half of the 20th century.  Many are documented at oaklandunderfoot.com.

The Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed sidewalks in Arlington, Massachusetts, including at the intersection of Renfrew St and Hillside Ave. A WPA plaque is embedded on the "left" side of the street at the corner if one is looking towards State Route 2/Belmont. Given as the plaque says "Work Projects Administration," as opposed to "Works Progress Administration," this dates the sidewalk to 1939 or later. Many of sidewalks in this neighborhood look similar and seem to be from the same time period.

The Works Progress Administration constructed curbs / sidewalks around the Medina County Courthouse between 1938-1940. A WPA plaque is located on the 16th Street side of the courthouse.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was active in Jerome, a mining town hit hard by the Great Depression.  The WPA hired out-of-work miners for several projects in Jerome and nearby towns. One of those projects was building concrete sidewalks.  One local resident told us, "Oh, they are everywhere," but in our brief time in Jerome we found only one example of the telltale WPA stamps in the sidewalk along School Street. There are several stairways between streets in town because Jerome was built on the side of mountain next to its copper mine.  These certainly look like WPA, but there are no...

The Works Progress Administration built sidewalks and/or completed improvements on Tyndall Avenue in Tucson. WPA sidewalk stamps are located along Tyndall Ave. between First and Second Streets. The sidewalk may seem a minor project, but it is in front of a lovely old row of adobe style craftsman cottages that have been converted to "marginal" academic uses (public policy, global sustainability, women's studies). But that lovely scale and architecture are being obliterated by high rise upscale student housing.  

Valley Falls is a densely packed village in Cumberland, Rhode Island. Although for years much of Cumberland was rural, Valley Falls played a key part in the Industrial revolution. The sidewalk at the northwest corner of the intersection of Myrtle and Mill Streets is marked by a "Works Progress Administration 1935 - 1937" shield stamp. The site is located near Happy Hollow Pond.

The Works Progress Administration built sidewalks in Woodland in 1938. The sidewalks are located in the neighborhood west of the Douglass Middle School. Several “WPA 1938” can be found on site.

The W.P.A. constructed curbs and sidewalks in Columbus, Texas. There are at least six instances of "Work Progress Administration" stamped in the sidewalks, and one example of a similarly stamped curb. These locations are all within a mile and a half of the courthouse.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks and driveways on 56th Street in Oakland, California in 1940-41.  The work was marked with typical WPA date stamps in the concrete in the 700 and 800-850 blocks of 56th Street. This work was part of a much larger program of improving streets, curbs and sidewalks throughout Oakland in those years.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks, gutters, curbs and other streets improvements throughout the city of Martinez.  There were two main projects, one starting in 1938 and the other in 1941, according to WPA project cards in the National Archives.   The total funding was around $375,000, a considerable sum for the WPA, so there must have been a large amount of street work, as well, but this was not marked and cannot be identified.  WPA sidewalk stamps can still be found here and there around the older parts of town. Many have been lost to curb cuts and sidewalk replacements...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks on both sides of North Arizona Street where it runs through Ken Lindley Park and in front of the Museum of Indigenous People in what is now the Prescott Armory Historic District.  There are several WPA sidewalk stamps dating from 1936 to 1938. Curiously, these sidewalks are not mentioned in the Historic American Landscape Survey report on the historic district done in 2014.  There is also a 1937 WPA stamp on the narrow sidewalk along the north side of Ken Lindley park on E. Willis Street and another on the west side on S....

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks all around Prescott AZ, including on the 300 block of South Washington Street, between 1936 and 1938. The WPA sidewalks on S. Washington are in good condition after eight decades. The contributors notes: "These WPA-marked sidewalks located in a "historical" district, and we would like to keep them. The city wants to rip them up."

The Works Projects Administration (WPA) did extensive sidewalk construction along Oakland's Lakeshore Ave. There are still many stamps in the pavement reading "WPA 1940" and "WPA 1941" for a long two blocks stretch from Walavista to Rosal to Prince Streets.  The pavement stamps are mostly in driveways, but other can be seen on the sidewalks and gutters along both sides of Lakeshore. By 1940, the WPA had come under the direction of the Federal Works Administration (FWA) in a government reorganization of 1939 and its name was slightly altered from "Progress" to "Projects".

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks, curbs and gutters on Clifton Street, from Boyd to Manila Street, in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, California.   There are several WPA date stamps in the gutters and driveways on this stretch of Clifton.  Stamps indicating the paving company were common practice in the first half of the 20th century. This work was part of a much larger WPA program of street and sidewalk improvements all over Oakland in those years.

The Works Progress Administration built Sijan Field in Milwaukee WI in 1937. Today, the facility serves as the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Recreation Division Playfield. It is used for baseball and soccer.

Although the State's initial acquisition of land for the park occurred in 1931, the early development of Silver Falls State Park can be credited to several of the New Deal programs. A significant portion of the land for the park was purchased by the federal Resettlement Administration (RA) c 1935, and developed for recreational use through the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) between 1935 and 1942. As shown on the map below, a portion of the land that became Silver Falls State Park was once Silver Falls City.  Surrounding this old logging town, the...

The early development of Silver Falls State Park can be credited to several of the New Deal programs. A significant portion of the land for the park was purchased by the Federal Resettlement Administration (RA) c. 1935, and developed for recreational use through the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) between 1935 and 1942. During that period, a distinction was made between Silver Falls Park, which was accessible to the public, and the area designated as the Silver Creek Recreation Development Area (RDA), which was a special federal program designed to allow urban...

Although the State's initial acquisition of land for the park occurred in 1931, the early development of Silver Falls State Park can be credited to several of the New Deal programs. A significant portion of the land for the park was purchased by the federal Resettlement Administration (RA) c 1935, and developed for recreational use through the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) between 1935 and 1942. As shown on the map below, a portion of the land that became Silver Falls State Park was once Silver Falls city. Surrounding this old logging town, the...

The grade separation underpass that brings Silver Street under what is now Rail Street in Negaunee MI was constructed as a joint federal-state project in 1936. Construction was undertaken as part of a federal Grade Crossing Project.   The plaque on site states that the project was part of the U.S. Works Program, but that seems to be a mistake.  It was likely paid for either by the Public Works Administration (PWA) or Bureau of Public Roads (BPR). Plaque text: U. S. Works Program Grade Crossing Project X6 of 52-9-2 WPGM 374 A   Built Jointly by Federal Government and State Highway Department   with cooperation of Duluth South Short &...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built a one-lane suspension bridge over the Upper Sacramento River in September 1933 under the supervision of the US Forest Service.  It may well have been the first major construction project completed by the CCC in the country.  A plaque next to the bridge notes that Raymond Huber, who supervised the project, was given a plan of a 160-foot suspension bridge but no instructions on how to go about construction; so the crew made its own plans as it went along.  The initial purpose of the bridge was to provide access to the east side of the...

The Sims Flat Campground on the Sacramento River occupies the site of a former  Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp, known as the Castella Camp (Castella is a larger town just to the north).  The CCC camp operated from 1934 to 1939. It is unknown to us when the US Forest Service opened the campground at this site.  Traces of the CCC camp still remain, such as the stone steps that led up to the former commanding officer's house and administration building. A plaque at the bottom of the steps reads: "CCC Camp (1934-1939). With its wooded valley and beautiful river setting, Sims was...

The fire lookout tower and associated outbuildings at Sinking Creek were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934, probably under the supervision of the US Forest Service (USFS). The complex includes various buildings including a house, garage, and outhouse. Also on site are a water well and presumably a pump beneath concrete tops.   Access to the fire lookout tower is by a metal ladder rather than the stairs that were subsequently used by towers.  Currently, it is not in active use, but is near the sinking Creek Trailhead and part of the extensive Ozark trail system. The complex is located...

The bridge over the Siuslaw River at Florence OR was constructed with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1934-36.  It was one of five PWA-funded bridges over Alsea Bay, Coos Bay, Siuslaw River, Umpqua River, and  Yaquina River that completed the Oregon Coast Highway. All but the Alsea River bridge still stand. The coast highway was developed after 1914 by the state and county highway departments, but money ran out in the Great Depression before the job could be finished.  With the advent of the New Deal, the PWA offered $1.4 million and a loan of $4.2 million –...

The Sixth Street Bridge is a concrete beam bridge that currently carries the east bound frontage road of US Highway 67 over the North Concho River in San Angelo, Texas. The road is also referred to as West 6th Street. Contractor Purvis & Bertram built the bridge in 1936 with funds from the Public Works Administration. The bridge is referenced as project no. Texas 1540-A.

Dacre F. Boulton painted two oil-on-canvas murals, "Industrial" and "Winter," for the U.S. Department of Labor in 1933-1934 with funds provided by the Public Works of Art Project of the Treasury Department (PWAP).  The Smithsonian American Art Museum received this and other artworks in the 1960s when they were transferred from federal offices that had previously displayed them.  The Boulton murals are not on display.

In December of 1934, residents of Somers voted to centralize the schools. Before the centralization of the school district, Somers was home to several one room school houses. Somers Central School was completed in 1937 as project of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. Lewis E. Jallade, a resident of Somers, was the architect that designed the gold-domed cupola atop the school. In 1938, grades 1-9 began to attend the new central school. Each year following, a new grade was added to the school, until the first class of Somers Central School graduated in 1942. Since then, the school...

The auditorium for Sonora Union High School in Sonora, CA, was completed by the Federal Works Agency (FWA) and the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1939.

The South Llano River Bridge is a 1424 foot steel through truss bridge with a 24-foot wide roadway that carries Texas State Highway Loop 481 over the South Llano River in Junction, Texas. The bridge replaced a functionally obsolete truss bridge with a 14-foot roadway that flooding had damaged in 1935. Although repaired, the Texas Highway Department engineers felt a sense of urgency to replace the old bridge. The new bridge was built between 1936 and 1937 with federal aid funds. A bronze plaque embedded in the railing at each entrance to the bridge identifies the Texas Highway Department and...

The South Main Street Overpass is a bridge with an overall length of 1,335 feet including approaches that currently carries South Main Street over multiple BNSF Railway tracks near downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The Texas Highway Department oversaw the construction of the bridge under a special United States Bureau of Public Roads grade crossing program. The overpass originally separated the grade of South Main Street from the tracks of the Texas & New Orleans Railroad and the Gulf Colorado & Sante Fe Railway. Contractor Purvis & Bertram built the bridge from 1936 to 1937 for $257,000 using federal aid funds.

South Mountain Park in Phoenix AZ was developed for public recreation by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from 1933 to 1940. One the main works done by the CCC was  an entrance station complex that included a museum, administrative offices, caretaker's house and entrance kiosk.  The museum and office building was completed in 1934 and was the first permanent structure in the park;  the residence and kiosk were added in 1937-38 (NNDPA 2012).  The entire complex is the present Ranger Station at the park entrance. The ranger station is a remarkable stone structure, built of flat, dark stones and projecting roof...

This WPA bas-relief "CCC Workers" was carved for the school by Donal Hord in 1933. It shows CCC workers engaged in a variety of activities. The relief adorns the south entrance of the school auditorium. It has recently been restored with a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. South Pasadena Middle School students created this video about the relief.

The South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) located at 3831 South Michigan Avenue on the South Side of Chicago, provided a permanent space for the creation and preservation of artwork made by African American artists from the surrounding community. The SSCAC is one of two WPA funded Art Centers that has never closed its doors, and is also the earliest African American Art Center to be created in the United States. The federal government primarily funded the project, but it was financial support from the African American community that made the idea of an Art Center a reality. According to the...

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed the South Sioux City Public Library in South Sioux City, Nebraska. The location and status of the building is presently unknown to Living New Deal.

In 1937, the Texas Highway Department and the United States Bureau of Public Roads built two underpasses on South St. Mary's Street in San Antonio, Texas to separate the grade of South St. Mary's Street from the railway lines of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad merged with Southern Pacific Railroad which was taken over by Union Pacific Railroad, which still uses the bridge. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad bridge is no longer in use and the railroad tracks have been removed.

Kansas City's Southeast High School was constructed as part of a New Deal project during the Great Depression. The Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied a grant of $500,000 toward the construction of multiple school buildings, for which construction occurred between 1934 and 1938. Total construction cost for the multiple-school project was about $1.75 million. Southeast High School bears both a cornerstone and plaque dating it to 1937. PWA Docket No. 2409.

$40,000 was expended by the federal government on the grading, paving, and structure of a bridge and its approaches over the Southern Pacific railroad on Eureka Way. The bridge is marked BR 6-35 on the railing at its northeastern corner.

From the Wisconsin Historical Society entry on the beach house: Southport Beach House, like most of Kenosha's park structures, was the product of Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA). The Southport Beach House, begun in 1936, used recycled materials to cut costs. This way, rather than paying for new materials, the city paid workers to tear down condemned buildings as well as build new ones. The beach house uses luxurious slate, stone and marble materials salvaged from the old Kenosha post office, which would have been otherwise unaffordable. The beach house is an eclectic mix of popular architectural styles. The east side combines Tudor...

The Works Progress Administration built the chapel at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford OK. Contributor note: "This WPA constructed chapel is located on N. State Street, south of the Old Science Building. This is a one-story native sandstone building with a steep gabled roof. The centered entrance is recessed beneath a cross gable, and is flanked by a set of double 6-over-6 double hung windows. The window placement is identical at the rear. A second entrance is located on the south side of the chapel. A large exterior stone chimney is located on the north side. A WPA bronze shield is mounted...