• City Center (former School Building) - Moab UT
    The present Moab City Center, effectively the City Hall, was originally built to house the Moab elementary school and the Grand County high school.  It was built with a federal grant and cost $135,000.  It was first proposed in May 1933, according to local newspaper reports, and dedicated in December 1934. Firmage (1996, p. 275) claims that it was built with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds, but this appears to be a classic confusion between the Public Works Administration (PWA) and the WPA – which did not yet exist in 1933-34. PWA funded the neighboring Carbon County Courthouse, so it is likely that...
  • Sunset Park - Brooklyn NY
    Sunset Park in Brooklyn was improved by the WPA in 1935 (when a small children's playground was added) and, more extensively, in 1940. A press release announced the completion of the later project: "In Sunset Park, the westerly portion located at Fifth Avenue, 41 to 42 Streets, has been redesigned and reconstructed. The new work consists of the rearrangement of new bituminous walks, curbs, concrete stairs, entrances, concrete walls, new overlooks, benches, chain link and wrought iron fencing, a small children's play area with sand pit and play apparatus, and a new modern comfort station. The opening of these park areas designed...
  • Middle Village Playground - Middle Village NY
    The NYC Parks website explains the provenance of this modest playground in Queens: "Between 1935 and 1938, Parks leased this property from the Gorbess Realty Corporation. In April 1938, the City of New York purchased one parcel of the property for $10,450. A month later, the city acquired the second parcel through condemnation, and Parks assumed jurisdiction over both areas." During the same period, the land was developed by Parks with New Deal support. First, in September 1935, Parks announced the opening of a playground with "two handball courts and the usual children's play facilities." In 1942, after the park had...
  • Thomas Jefferson Park - New York NY
    The land for Thomas Jefferson Park park was first purchased in 1897, but was greatly expanded in the 1930s under Commissioner Robert Moses. In September 1935, Moses and Mayor LaGuardia oversaw the opening of the north playground, "equipped with a wading pool, two soft ball diamonds, a roller skating track, play houses, seesaws, jungle gyms, etc."  The south portion of the park opened two months later, including at least some of the following: baseball, basketball, bocci, handball or horse shoe courts, and jungle gyms, swings, slides, playhouses, sand tables, see-saws, shuffle board courts, and  wading pools. In December 1936, Parks...
  • Laurelton Playground - Queens NY
    The NYC Parks website explains that: "In May 1934, after closing P.S. 38, the Board of Education transferred the property to Parks. Parks opened Laurelton Playground on August 23, 1935 in service of the local community. Parks acquired two small parcels that were added to this playground during 1936." A Parks press release announcing the opening explained that it was then "developed as a small children's play area." As researcher Frank da Cruz explains here, almost all New York City Parks Department projects between 1934 and 1943 were accomplished with New Deal funds and/or labor. Given the date of this project,...
  • Highland Park Improvements - Queens NY
    Highland Park on the border of Queens and Brooklyn received new playground equipment for small children from the Department of Parks in August 1935. As explained here, all Parks projects at the time were carried out with New Deal labor and/or funding. Given the date of this project, it was most likely supported by the WPA.
  • McCarren Park Improvements - Brooklyn NY
    The sizeable McCarren Park in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) dates to the early 20th century, but received several additions in the 1930s with New Deal support. The best known of these is the WPA pool that opened in 1936.  But the Department of Parks also announced the reconstruction of the park's play facilities in August 1935 and the addition of sixteen handball courts and a roller skating rink in December 1936. As researcher Frank da Cruz explains here, almost all New York City Parks Department projects between 1934 and 1943 were accomplished with New Deal support. From April 1935 on, the WPA quickly...
  • Scarangella Playground - Brooklyn NY
    This site was acquired by the city through condemnation in 1929 and 1930 and became parkland shortly thereafter. In August 1935, the Department of Parks announced the opening of a new playground at the site, which included "a wading pool and the usual play apparatus." It used to be known as the Lafayette High School Playground after the nearby school and was renamed the John S. Scarangella Playground in 1992. The playground was renovated in 1997. As researcher Frank da Cruz explains here, almost all New York City Parks Department projects between 1934 and 1943 were accomplished with New Deal funds...
  • Bristol School (former) - Bristol TX
    Text from the state historical marker reads: "The community's first school was housed in a multi-purpose building erected here in 1870. The Bristol School district was established in 1877. Youth from throughout the area attended Bristol schoolhouse built in 1886 and 1913. A new brick school containing five classrooms and an impressive auditorium and stage was completed here by the U.S. Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1940. 130 pupils attended the 9-grade, 6-teacher school in 1940-41. The school served the area until 1955. In 1957 its facilities and grounds were deeded to the Bristol Cemetery Association."
  • Calvin Coolidge Bridge - Northampton to Hadley MA
    In March 1936, the Connecticut River Valley was inundated by one of the most severe floods in recorded history. The water level reached over 12 feet above flood stage and carried huge chunks of ice down the river. The raging water and ice knocked out dams, washed away homes, and lifted bridges off their footings, including the bridge that connects Northampton to Hadley via Route 9. This was and is a heavily traveled route so immediate reconstruction of the bridge was imperative. The Massachusetts Department of Public Works requested and received funds to rebuild the bridge from the federal government through...