Maine Sites

The West Bethel School was one of several schools that were improved with Civil Works Administration (CWA) funds in Bethel. The work consisted of painting the interior and exterior of the building, and the labor was paid for the most part with CWA funds. The CWA expenditure was $1236.00. The West Bethel school building was moved a few feet. Today the school building serves as the West Bethel Children's Center. Excerpt from the Annual Reports of the Officers of the Town of Bethel: "1933 Superintendent of Schools Through the funds furnished by the Civil Works Administration milk has been provided each school day to meet...

The West Buxton bridge is a 607 foot Metal Continuous Rivet-Connected Polygonal Warren Through Truss with fixed and Approach Spans: Metal Stringer (Multi-Beam) that carries the West Buxton Road (Moderation Street) over the Saco River. This was one of 26 bridges that were badly damaged or destroyed by a 500 year flood in March 1936. A 1936 report by the state highway commission notes that the reconstruction of these bridges were U.S. Works Program Flood Relief projects and were handled under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Public Roads, U.S. Department of Agriculture. This bridge is one of only three...

West Peru Grammar School was built in December 1936 with the help of a $11,000 PWA loan. The school contained all eight grades plus the kindergarten, for which there were three teachers and a teacher/principal. Once the West Peru Grammar School was open other area schools began to close and send their students to West Peru. From 1938 to 1942 all seven of the other town schools closed. Over the next few decades the school was enlarged several times to meet the needs of the growing student population. In 2004, Peru merged with Dixfield, Canton and Carthage, in School Area District...

The former post office building in Westbrook, Maine was constructed during the Great Depression and received an example of New Deal artwork: "Woodsmen in the Woods of Maine". The oil-on-canvas mural was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, and completed by Waldo Peirce in 1937. When the post office was decommissioned and parts of the interior were being removed, the "whole wall section, with door, was donated (lent) to the Portland Museum of Art," where the work is still visible.

The Western Promenade is an historic promenade, 18.5 acres (7.5 ha) public park and recreation area in Portland, Maine's West End neighborhood. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes a number of historic properties, including the Adam P. Leighton House. The WPA was involved in constructing retaining walls.

"Two new junior high schools in Bangor were built and equipped at the cost of $740,000. Every cent of this was paid by the W.P.A. (Works Projects Administration) City Manager Wallace designed the two school grounds." Original name was the Garland Street Jr. High School. Name changed in 1997 to the William S. Cohen School, named after former Secretary of Defense William Cohen who was born and grew up in Bangor . It is located at 304 Garland Street in Bangor Maine. "The Cohen school and its sister school, the James F. Doughty School were both built with funds from the Works...

A small park in Bangor with playground equipment, a basketball court and non functioning tennis court with plans to convert it into a Pickleball court. When constructed by the WPA as part of their comprehensive city-wide work program it originally contained a tennis court, concrete wading pool, playground area, baseball diamond and football field. According to various people who grew up in Bangor, the playground was a very important part of their lives and memories. "We always called it Newberry St. Park. Had a lot of fun there." "My Dad's family, the Burke's lived on Gridley St. and he (Bobby Burke)...

"The Winslow High School, with a modern building costing nearly $175,000, had no satisfactory grounds for athletic contests. The lot upon which the High School was built was very uneven, a brook and gully running through the middle. The town had raised a fund for grading the lot and upon completion of the grading for the Building and tennis courts, there was only $2,300 left for grading the remainder of the four acre lot. This was inadequate and no work had been done other than some fill being placed by local manufacturing companies and others using it as a dump. When the...

A former salmon hatchery in Aroostook County. One of many projects that have been neglected by the state. The March 11 1938 Bangor Daily News in an article "Aroostook WPA Crews Will Be Increased To 1200 by March 20" notes that "At Winterville, where a fish rearing pool is under construction under the sponsorship of the inland fish and game department the crew will be augmented by 40 men from Eagle Lake, Wallagrass, and Winterville." A WPA job card notes that "Located on Birch River at Winterville - Salmon Fish Hatchery built by the WPA and sponsored by the Maine...

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) improved the Woodlawn Cemetery in Westbrook ME Excerpt from the town 1933 report, "WOODLAWN AVENUE GREATLY IMPROVED BY C.W.A. PROJECT The three miles of avenues in Woodlawn were given a coat of gravel during the winter. This project was arranged for by Mayor Jordan and heartily approved by the Cemetery Trustees, and is the most important improvement ever made in the Cemetery. The project gave employment to a large number of men and trucks and was completed within the time allotted for the work and somewhat below the estimated cost. The spreading of the gravel in winter and the dragging and...

Construction on Woods Pond Beach was performed by CCC Co. 1124, located in Bridgton. According to the 1937 1st District CCC yearbook, "The camp has been very fortunate in having a number of ideal lunch ground sites located within easy working distance of camp. To date five of these have been constructed, and are being enthusiastically used by visitors and residents alike. The most rustic is located at Willis Brook, Bridgton. The shelters on this lunch ground are roofed with hand hewn shingles." CCC Yearbook