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  • Ludlow Road - Chicopee MA
    Ludlow Road was extended by the W.P.A. Project information: "Ludlow Rd. to Slobbery Pond Road", also "Ludlow Rd. to Pleasant St." Official Project Number: 65‐1‐14‐3047 Total project cost: $48,437.00 Sponsor: War Department The road was built in conjunction with the development of the Westover military reservation. "Slobbery Pond" was the name of a pond south of Slipe Pond, which was located northwest of Westover.
  • Luther Hill Park Bathing Beach - Spencer MA
    Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers constructed a bathing beach at Luther Park at Lake Whittemore in Spencer, Massachusetts. From a W.P.A. Bulletin: Down came an old dance pavilion, 300,000 square feet of scratchy brush was cleared and for replacement the Spencer WPA Luther Park Bathing Beach Project now offers a sanded beach with swimming accessories, a 20 section locker house, fireplaces, tables, chairs, benches and a gravel driveway.
  • Lynn Woods Reservation: Stone Tower - Lynn MA
    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...
  • MacKenzie Field - Holyoke MA
    Mackenzie Field is located in Holyoke, Massachusetts, next to Holyoke High School. In 1938, the concrete bleachers on the 1st base side of the field are a WPA project done at a cost of $35,392.
  • Main and Esty St. Drains - Ashland MA
    The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) constructed drains on Main St. and Esty St. Ashland, Mass.
  • Main Post Office - Cambridge MA
    Also known as the Clifton Merriman Post Office, the main post office in Cambridge, Massachusetts—originally a branch of the Boston post office—was constructed with federal funds in 1934-5. It was designed in Classical Revival style with Art Deco influences by architects Leland, James D., & Co.; Baven, John, Co., Inc. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
  • Main Street Sewer - Hatfield MA
    The  Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) furnished the cost of labor for the construction of multiple storm sewers in Hatfield, Massachusetts. One sewer collected runoff from Main Street and poured it into the Connecticut River nearby. The 25-man project cost the Town of Hatfield supplied only the price of materials for the project. Work occurred between Oct. 13 and Nov. 15, 1934.
  • Malibu Beach Parking Lot - Boston MA
    W.P.A. project descriptions: "Malibu Beach; a parking space of about 3,000 square yards was constructed at the beach, off the Old Colony Parkway, Dorchester" Old Colony Parkway has since been renamed Morrissey Blvd.
  • Malone Park - Chelsea MA
    Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor created Malone Park in Chelsea, Mass.
  • Malvern Road School Heating System - Worcester MA
    The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) installed a heating system atWorcester's  Malvern Road School in 1937.
  • Manning Bowl (demolished) - Lynn MA
    The former 17,000-seat Manning Bowl was constructed by the federal Works Progress Administration between 1936 and 1938. The facility was demolished in 2004. WPA Bulletin, 1937: "At 10 o'clock Thanksgiving Day morning football teams of the Lynn Classical and Lynn English High Schools will be the first to use the huge Lynn WPA Municipal Stadium now under construction. The stadium will not be finished at that time, so the game must be considered as a pre-dication event. We recommend the contest to all who can possibly attend. In addition to seeing how far work has progressed on this splendid recreational site...
  • Marblehead Light Repairs - Marblehead MA
    The W.P.A. conducted improvement work at Marblehead Light. Project details: "Make repairs at lighthouse" Official Project Number: 165‐15‐2008 Total project cost: $4,345.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer, Harbor Defense (1st Corps Area USA) "Replace fence" Official Project Number: 365‐14‐8001 Total project cost: $845.00 Sponsor: Commanding Officer
  • Market House / Central Fire Station Renovation - Newburyport MA
    The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted substantial modernization work to what was then Newburyport's central fire station. Originally constructed as the Market House in 1823, the building at 1 to 3 Market Square was renovated into an arts center in 1990 and now houses shops. WPA Bulletin, 1937: Down in the tradition-laden city of Newburyport a public building (now a fire station) has been completely modernized. More than a century ago — in 1821 to be exact — Newburyport's men of the "wooden ships and iron men" days built a Market House. The Market House sheltered rovers of the seven seas who...
  • Marshall Park - Lunenburg MA
    WPA Bulletin, 1937: "Picnic Cave Unusual Feature of Playground Lunenburg — An underground cave equipped with a fireplace and picnic facilities for 40 persons is the outstanding feature of Lunenburg's WPA-built recreation centre at Marshall Field. The grounds also boasts a cinder track, a baseball diamond, and two half-completed tennis courts. But the cave is most popular— especially with the Boy Scouts and other young people's organizations who have held many meetings and hot-dog roasts there. As it was not scheduled as part of the project, many of the townspeople and NYA workers pitched in and did the extra work. The cave is about...
  • Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development - Boston MA
    Boston's Old Harbor Housing Project was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project during the Great Depression. "Built in 1936, and opened on May 1, 1938, the Old Harbor Village was the first public housing development in New England and it remains one of the largest. It comprises more than 1,000 apartments in 22 three-story buildings and 152 row houses. The complex was renamed after the mother of John W. McCormack, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, who championed housing and human rights." (Wikipedia) "One of the largest of the low-rent housing projects fully financed with P.W.A....
  • Mason Field Fieldhouse - North Attleborough MA
    In North Attleborough, Mass., the WPA "built a fieldhouse at Mason Field."
  • Massachusetts Ave. Sidewalk - Arlington MA
    The W.P.A. constructed sidewalks in Arlington, Mass., including "on Massachusetts Ave. near Tufts St."
  • Massachusetts Ave. Storm Sewer - North Adams MA
    WPA Bulletin, 1937: "North Adams — Two shifts of expert workers, totaling 70 men, are rushing work on a WPA storm sewer project on Massachusetts Avenue."
  • Massachusetts State Building Mural - Springfield MA
    Many of the projects of the New Deal involved large scale public works projects that required hundreds of workers. While this type of project was incredibly important to help alleviate widespread unemployment, there was also a belief that the United States should not forsake its cultural heritage. As such, Federal Project Number One was formed as a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to give work to so-called "starving artists," as well as musicians, playwrights, and writers. The Federal Art Project is particularly well known for creating murals in public places across the country. In 1937, artist Umberto Romano...
  • Massachusetts State House Murals - Boston MA
    Artist Edward Brodney won two WPA competitions during the 1930s to paint two murals at Massachusetts's State House in Boston, MA. "Columbia Knighting Her World War Disabled" and "World War Mothers" are located on the second floor underneath the statehouse dome. The New York Times: "In 1936 Mr. Brodney won a competition sponsored by the Federal Works Progress Administration, which supported many artistic projects during the Depression, to paint a mural for the Massachusetts Statehouse. It was called 'Columbia Knighting Her World War Disabled,' and he persuaded friends to pose, since the W.P.A. could not afford models." "n 1938 Mr. Brodney won another W.P.A....
  • McLean Reservoir Road - Holyoke MA
    Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted the improvement work around McLean Reservoir in Holyoke, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: At High McLean Reservoir, Holyoke, WPA is improving the travel-way. Work includes widening and eliminating curves, extending culverts, grading gutters for surface drainage and constructing a stone wall.  
  • Meadow Street - Carver MA
    The federal Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) worked to improve the Meadow Street in Carver, Massachusetts. 1935: "Meadow Street was widened and graveled with W.P.A. furnishing the Common Labor." 1939: "The W. P. A. ... are now excavating and gravelling the portion of Meadow St. from Pine St. to Popes Point St." 1940: "The W. P. A. completed exavating and gravelling Meadow St."
  • Meadowbrook Road - Newton MA
    Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) constructed Meadowbrook Road in Newton, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: Meadowbrook Road, Newton, is being constructed by WPA to serve the new Oak Hill School. When completed, the road will be 1060 feet long and 33 feet wide with five-foot sidewalks on either side.  
  • Mechanic St. Bridge - Barre MA
    The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) rebuilt Barre's Mechanic Street bridge after a flood washed it out in 1936.
  • Memorial Building (Town Hall) Improvements - Framingham MA
    Multiple New Deal agencies: the C.W.A., F.E.R.A, and W.P.A. funded labor for the improvement of Framingham's Memorial Building. The C.W.A. painted the offices and corridors of the Memorial Building in 1933. "The improvement in the looks of the building is marked," town officials wrote that year. Painting and varnishing continued in 1934. The W.P.A. relaid the floors at the banquet hall in Nevens Hall in 1938, while constructing new exits to conform with safety standards. (Additional painting took place this year as well.) The W.P.A. even constructed a wartime airplane-spotting Observation Post atop the building in 1942!
  • Memorial Drive Overpass and Traffic Circle - Cambridge MA
    The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (a.k.a. Public Works Administration, or PWA) sponsored development of an overpass and traffic circle intersection with Memorial Drive and Brookline St./the Boston University Bridge (formerly Cottage Farm Bridge). 1938 MDC annual report: "Borings were taken and plans were prepared for a proposed traffic circle and overpass at the intersection of Cottage Farm Bridge and Memorial Drive, Cambridge. The proposed construction necessitated widening of the adjacent bridge over the Boston and Albany Railroad and a contract was awarded for, and work started on the widening, which is Section 1 of the project. Construction of the circle, Section...
  • Memorial Hall Improvements - Oxford MA
    Oxford, Massachusetts's Memorial Hall (city hall) received assistance from the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the 1930s. The program provided labor for basement improvements and other repairs in 1935; other work was undertaken in 1938, 1939, and 1940.
  • Memorial Park - Mansfield MA
    The development of Memorial Park in Mansfield, Massachusetts during the 1930s was made possible by the "Federal Relief Administration" and the Works Progress Administration. The park was dedicated November 11, 1936 and is still in use today.
  • Memorial School (former) Improvements - Framingham MA
    All 17 schoolhouses in Framingham, Massachusetts were painted, remodeled, and/or repaired with federally funded labor during the Great Depression. In 1935 the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) and/or Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted brickwork, installed new copper flashing, finished ceilings, and painted many parts of the school. Work continued under the W.P.A. in 1936, and two years later new boilers, and toilets, and sidewalks were installed at the school by agency laborers. New fences were constructed in 1940.
  • Merrimack River Flood Control - Lowell MA
    In response to heavy flooding caused by a severe storm in 1936, Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor—under the direction of U.S. Army engineers—"deepened and widened" the channel of the Merrimack River while protecting Lowell's banks with riprapping. Lowell Telegram, 1937: "The flood relief project in the Merrimack river is an accomplishment which we should not underestimate. As a result of the dredging operations in the vicinity of the Pawtucket bridge, we are assured by the army engineers that the flood level at that point has been reduced two and one-half feet which will inure to the great advantage of that section in...
  • Merritt Park - Chelsea MA
    Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor created Merritt Park in Chelsea, Mass.
  • Merrymount Park - Quincy MA
    Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor conducted the following work at Merrymount Park in Quincy. WPA Bulletin: All who have motored to the South Shore or Cape this summer have noted the WPA work on the Pfaffman Oval in Merrymount Park. Here a perfect football field and running track are being enclosed with a high brick wall. Reinforced concrete bleachers, dressing and storage rooms are being built. Below the field the city is gradually filling up a salt water marsh and will in a few years have reclaimed the entire area up to the curving South Shore Road.
  • Metropolitan District Commission Headquarters (demolished) Improvements - Boston MA
    W.P.A. project description: "Metropolitan District Commission Headquarters Building; painting, with two coats, all interior walls, columns, partitions, all exterior metal work, window sash and frames, rebronze all radiators and kalsomine all ceilings. The work will be completed about March 1, 1938."
  • Middlefield Road - Becket MA
    Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) laborers worked on Middlefield Road in Becket, Mass.
  • Middlesex Fells Reservation Development - Medford MA
    The Middlesex Fells Reservation spans multiple towns north of Boston. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Civil Works Administration (CWA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA) were each active in developing the area. Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission annual reports detail the work of the New Deal over time. 1934 report: "During the first eleven weeks of this year about 2,800 men were employed on Federal Civil Works Administration projects. Most of these men were employed in the Blue Hills and Middlesex Fells Reservations. A large amount of necessary work was accomplished in the various divisions, which consisted mainly of cutting and burning brush, removing dead and...
  • Middlesex Fells Reservation: Lawrence Woods Trails - Medford MA
    The Middlesex Fells Reservation spans multiple towns north of Boston. Here is a description of a couple of the projects undertaken by the W.P.A. in the park: "Middlesex Fells Reservation; four miles of bridle trails in the Lawrence Woods section of the reservation were reconstructed. The trails were widened and graded and new cross drains and culverts were installed where necessary. The work was started in 1936 and completed in 1937."
  • Middlesex Fells Reservation: Whip Hill Paths - Stoneham MA
    The W.P.A. conducted path development and improvement work in the Whip Hill portion of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, in Stoneham, Mass.
  • Middlesex Fells Reservation: Winchester Section Trails - Winchester MA
    Description of a W.P.A. project undertaken in 1938: "Middlesex Fells Reservation, Winchester Section; to widen, drain and grade three miles of bridle trails. The trails to be for equestrian, police patrol, fire control and maintenance use." The Winchester section is the far western portion of the park.
  • Middlesex Fells Reservation: Wright's Tower - Medford MA
    Wright's Tower is an observation tower constructed in 1937 under the direction of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is located at the summit of Pine Hill within the Middlesex Fells Reservation. The Reservation is spread across several towns just north of Boston, MA with Wright's Tower being located in Medford, MA. Note that there was a major refurbishment of the tower in 2008.
  • Mill River Riprapping - Northampton MA
    The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted extensive improvements at Look Memorial Park in Northampton, Mass. Among the work was riprapping Mill River in an effort at flood and erosion control.  
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