Baltimore Sites

In 1934, the Public Works Administration (PWA) lent $900,000 to the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad, which used it to buy 16 streamlined, lightweight train cars and a new diesel locomotive (see our project page, “Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Locomotive No. 50 – St. Louis MO”), with, “The remainder... set aside to rebuild a steam engine to develop an exceptionally high speed… covered with a streamlined jacket to cut down wind resistance” (The Bangor Daily News, 1934). The rebuilt locomotive was the Lady Baltimore, which played a prominent role in the B&O’s experiments during the 1930s to determine whether the company’s...

In 1934, Daniel Willard, president of the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) railroad, “negotiated a $900,000 Public Works Administration loan which would be used to make B & O’s New York-Washington line an industry-wide proving ground for various types of lightweight train construction and high-speed steam and diesel power” (Harwood, 1990). Among the equipment constructed with this loan was the Royal Blue, a streamline train set consisting of eight cars made out of aluminum and lightweight steel. The Royal Blue was a reincarnation of a popular B&O train service from the turn of the century plus “a quarter of a century of...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to construct a athletic field at Baltimore City College. Maryland WPA Project #15.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the land that is now Baltimore National Cemetery was once called the Cloud Capped Estate: "Conversion of the Cloud Capped estate to a national shrine was the responsibility of the War Department, with work accomplished under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a Depression-era make-work program. The WPA undertook work at several national cemeteries during its lifetime in the 1930s and early 1940s. The Baltimore property—envisioned as Maryland's "Little Arlington"—was to accommodate 40,000 to 45,000 interments…Between 1936 and 1938, nearly $400,000 was expended on WPA improvements to Baltimore National Cemetery. Funds were spent on...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted repairs on Beechfield Ave. in Baltimore. WPA Project #14.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Taney, now a museum ship in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, was built in 1935-1936, with funds from the Public Works Administration.  During World War II, the Taney was outfitted with extra weaponry and saw action in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of operation.  She was also present during the Pearl Harbor invasion (docked in Honolulu Harbor), where she fired at enemy aircraft and disrupted an attack on a power plant.  She is the last surviving ship that saw action on that infamous day.  After World War II, the Taney returned to normal Coast Guard duties:...

The PWA constructed this building to house the Eastern High School for Girls in 1936-38. In 1979, it became a coeducational school. The school closed in 1986. The buildings were renovated in the 1990s and are now being used for offices by the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. The PWA's 1939 buildings survey described the new school as follows: "This high school…occupies a site of 24 acres in Venable Park, which is developed into an athletic field, a quarter-mile running track, fields for archery, handball, tennis, and badminton courts.   Of the 75 classrooms, 25 are equipped for special instruction. There are also a...

National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: "The Fifth Regiment was the first armory built by the State for the National Guard. ... The original structure cost $450,000 to build and had a barrel vault roof over the drill hall floor, which was apparently finished with sheet metal. After a series of damaging fires, the roof and interior of the entire building were completely destroyed by an uncontrollable blaze in 1933. Wyatt and Nolting were recalled to the site to rebuild all but the exterior shell of the first floor and balcony. Operating under tight budget constraints ($1.4 million was...

"Sites of WPA projects to preserve historic shrines include ... Flag House, Maryland."

In 1936, WPA crews expanded the Forest Park Golf Course from 9 holes to 18 holes.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted paving work on Gittings Ave. in Baltimore. WPA Project #14.

"The valley of Gwynns Falls contains a small stream which is a tributary of the Patapsco River. North and south through traffic in West Baltimore was barred b this valley. A new parkway, including two bridges, was opened for use in November 1938 eliminating this barrier. The larger bridge has three segmental spans each 90 feet in length and two end spans of 60 feet each. It is constructed of reinforced concrete and, with the exception of the arch soffits, is faced with granite in two shades of pink. The granite was set in place before the concrete...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed the park at Lake Ashburton, constructing a fence and walkway around said. Maryland WPA Project #13. The Public Works Administration also built the lake's pumping station for the Baltimore water system.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) reconstructed what was then Pier No. 8 in Baltimore Harbor. Believed destroyed, the exact location of Pier Eight is unknown to Living New Deal. Maryland WPA Project #18.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted repairs to Pier Six in Baltimore. Maryland WPA Project #157.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement and restoration work in Preston Gardens in Baltimore. Work included grading, planting, and the restoration of green space in the park. Maryland WPA Project #16.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work, including painting, at School No. 70, later known as Southern High School. The school was located on the south side of Warren Ave. in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. It has since been converted to an apartment building. Maryland WPA Project #15.

"This bridge is in the north section of Baltimore. It connects the vehicular traffic on the eastern and western sides of the Jones Fall valley and crosses the Pennsylvania Railroad. It is approximately 1,375 feet long. The roadway is 40 feet wide with two 7-foot-10-inch sidewalks. There are two main arch spans, each 230 feet long, and three 30-foot arches near each end. It is faced with granite, constructed in the same manner as the Hilton Parkway bridges... The project was completed in January 1938 at a construction cost of $601,414 and a project cost of $603,322."

Baltimore's third custom house was designed by the firm Hornblower and Marshall and completed 1907. The building was improved several times during the New Deal era, with notable projects including the addition of new passenger and freight elevators. The GSA notes other improvements.