• Blue Hill River Road - Milton MA
    W.P.A. project description: "Blue Hill River Road and Ponkapoag Trail, Milton; early in 1939 work will be begun on additional improvements at the recreational area adjacent to Hoosicwhisick Pond. The project provides for the construction of 3,250 linear feet of roadway 12-ft. wide, two parking spaces of 17,000 square yards, clearing and grubbing of 145,000 square yards of wooded land and incidental work of grading, laying drains, removing trees, etc."
  • Blue Hills Parkway Sidewalks - Milton MA
    Description of a W.P.A. project: "Blue Hills Parkway; in the early spring of 1939, work will be started on the construction of a bituminous concrete walk from Kahler Avenue to Canton Avenue. The major items of work are the construction of 6,900 linear feet of 6-ft. wide bituminous concrete walk, regrading, loaming and seeding of 920 linear feet of 9-ft. wide planting space and 4,600 linear feet of 5-ft. wide planting space."
  • Blue Hills Reservation - Milton MA
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Civil Works Administration (CWA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted extensive development work at Massachusetts's Blue Hills Reservation. Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission annual reports detail the work of the CCC over time. 1933 report: "In the latter part of June a Civilian Conservation Camp was established by the National Park Service for Emergency Conservation Work for State Parks in the Blue Hills Reservation near Randolph Avenue. The camp was in charge of U. S. Army Officers. The enlisted men in the camp varied from 212 to 145. The work of the men in the reservation has been handled by a...
  • Brush Hill Road Sewer - Milton MA
    Description of a New Deal project in a 1937 annual report: "During construction of a roadway along the southerly side of the Neponset River in Milton, 8 feet of earth fill was placed over the High-level Sewer near the corner of Brush Hill Road and Brook Road. This is a W.P.A. project, under the supervision of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works, and no permission was given by this department for making this fill. No damage to the Metropolitan Sewer has resulted from this construction."
  • CCC Camp: Blue Hills Reservation - Milton MA
    From 1933-1937 a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp operated within the Blue Hills Reservation, south of Boston. Over that time the CCC made numerous improvements to the Reservation, including two lookout towers, ski trails, a toboggan run, and any number of road and trail enhancements. Bare remnants of the CCC camp remain today, but are noted with historical markers. Description of C.C.C. activities in the Blue Hills Reservation, per the Metropolitan District Commission 1938 annual report: "The camp work crews assigned to the creosoting of gypsy moth egg clusters continued the work started in the fall of 1936 until the spring hatching...
  • Chickatawbut Road Improvements - Milton MA
    Description of W.P.A. projects: "Chickatawbut Road, Braintree; work will be started in the early spring of 1939 on the general improvement and beautification of the Chickatawbut Road entrance to Blue Hills Reservation. Work will include tree removal, clearing, excavation, rip-rapping of brooks, rubble wall construction, fence relocation, road drainage, resurfacing of surface road, grading, loaming and seeding and all incidental work." "Chickatawbut Road at Granite Street, Braintree; improvement and beautification of this entrance to the Blue Hills Reservation."
  • Eliot Tower (Blue Hills Reservation) - Milton MA
    "Great Blue Hill has a observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of the New Deal in the 1930's (The Eliot Tower). The views of the city and Greater Boston Area on a clear day are amazing and make this a very popular spot for families."   (https://takeadaytrip.com)
  • Houghton's Pond Ball Area - Milton MA
    Description of a 1937 W.P.A. project: "Blue Hills Reservation; two baseball diamonds and four tennis courts were built in the sports area south of Hoosicwhisick Pond in Milton." Hoosicwhisick Pond is also known as Houghton's Pond.
  • Operations Yard Garage - Milton MA
    W.P.A. project description: "Blue Hills Headquarters; a 120-foot by 40-foot by 14-foot fieldstone and brick garage with a reinforced concrete slab roof and steel girders and lally columns, was completed at the division's headquarters on Hillside Avenue, Milton." "Operations Yard. This area includes a cluster of utilitarian structures, both historic and non-historic, around a central work area. There are four historic buildings: a maintenance garage, Repair Shop #1, Repair Shop #2, and the Carpenter’s Shop. The first three are constructed of brick and mortar; all have cracked mortar and/or damaged bricks. The fourth building is wood framed and shingled. All were developed...
  • Pakomet Spring Picnic Area (former) - Milton MA
    "Pakomet Spring. This area was developed by the CCC in 1936 and 1937 as a roadside pull-off, reflecting the increased presence of automobiles in the reservation during the 1930s. It formerly included guard rails, landscaping, tables, and seats. All that remains is a mortared stone wall flanking the entrance to a U-shaped drive." 1936 Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission annual report: "The Pakomet Spring parking area was completed early in the season. This development, located on the easterly side of Randolph Avenue, provides an at attractive spot for picnic parties. The work involved consisted of the construction of natural stone entrance walls, suitable...
  • Post Office - Milton MA
    The distinctive branch post office in Milton, Massachusetts was constructed by the Treasury Department in 1936.
  • Post Office Mural - Milton MA
    The post office contains a 1939 Section of Fine Arts mural by Elizabeth Tracy entitled "The Suffolk Resolves--Oppression and Revolt in the Colonies."
  • Unquity Road Playground - Milton MA
    W.P.A. project description: "Blue Hills Reservation at Unquity Road and Canton Avenue, Milton; to develop an area of eighteen acres for playground and skating use." The location and status of these facilities is unknown to Living New Deal.
  • Water Mains - Boston, Milton, and Quincy MA
    1939 MDC annual report: "Contract No. 128, P.W.A. Docket No. Mass. 1516-F — Mass. State Project No. D-203, was made with M. DeMatteo Construction Company of Roslindale on October 18, 1938 for the sum of $187,617.50, and was accepted by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works on October 20, 1938. The work on this contract comprised the furnishing and laying of about 11,000 linear feet of 36-inch steel water pipe for reinforcing Southern High-service Pipe Lines to Milton, Quincy and the Dorchester District of Boston." "The work on this contract was completed on October 6 at a total expenditure of $223,377.59." The W.P.A....