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  • Fort Wilkins - Copper Harbor MI
    Established in 1844 to protect the government's interests in the region's "Copper Boom," Fort Wilkinson was permanently abandoned by the U.S. Army in 1870 and became a state park in 1923. Beginning in 1938, renovation of the park began under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The improvements "included a 200 car parking area, upgraded campsites, water and sewer systems, a park store and campground shower building," as well as historic preservation work that today instruct visitors about conditions on the mid-19th-century frontier. (fortwilkinsha.org.)
  • Fountain of the Pioneers (removed) - Kalamazoo MI
    Kalamazoo's Bronson Park featured an Art Deco-style fountain built with help from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The fountain was located toward the east side of the park. Kalamazoo Business and Professional Women's Club held a competition, awarding the first place $250 prize to Marcelline Gougler, University of Illinois art instructor who had studied under well-known sculptor Alfonso Iannelli, designer of Pavilions at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair Center of Progress and student of Gutzon Borglum, Mount Rushmore sculptor. Iannelli was brought in to provide engineering and later Gougler, ceded the project to him. The fountain depicts a westward facing settler standing...
  • General Hospital (former) - Battle Creek MI
    Battle Creek's six-story Y-shaped former General Hospital building was completed as part of a large Public Works Administration (P.W.A.)-sponsored project. The P.W.A. supplied a $300,000 loan for the project, whose total cost was $316,882. Work occurred between Nov. 1936 and Aug. 1938. The building, which has since been enlarged, presently serves as the West Brook Place housing complex. PWA Docket No. MI 4306
  • Goodison Hall (Eastern Michigan University) - Ypsilanti MI
    Goodison Hall on the campus of Eastern Michigan University was constructed in 1939 during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $156,240 grant. The residence hall, which had been constructed along with King Hall, was demolished in 1998. The site is presently occupied by Marshall Hall. (PWA Docket No. NY 1552)
  • Grand Rapids Public Museum (former) - Grand Rapids MI
    The Grand Rapids Public Museum was built by the Works Progress Administration and opened in 1940. The corner stone bears the date of 1938. The Art Deco Structure at 54 Jefferson was designed by Grand Rapids architect Roger Allen. The structure now houses the Museum as integral part of the Community Archives and Research Center. "The exterior is faced on the south and west sides with broad and smooth surfaced limestone above a base of polished black granite. The main entrance has paired projecting bays on either side of the symmetrically balanced façade. There are two glass display units framed by the polished black...
  • Hartwick Pines State Park - Grayling MI
    "Much of the park's development came to a halt in October 1929 when the Great Depression gripped the country. Work did not resume until the spring of 1933 when the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps arrived at Hartwick Pines. The CCC Boys did a lot of work in the park: They finished the interior work of the Memorial Building, built the two buildings of the Logging Museum, expanded the campground, planted several thousand trees, eradicated the white pine blister rust within the park, built roads, and added a number of visitor amenities such as a campground, picnic area...
  • Historic Marker [Court House] - Mackinac Island MI
    In front of the Mackinac Island Courthouse and Police Department building is one of many "incredibly detailed, two-sided oak signs showing scenes of the island's heritage," that were hand-carved by WPA artisans. As of 2017 this example, created by J. W. Miximong, is the only remaining marker that is in active use .
  • Historic Marker [Ft. Mackinac] - Mackinac Island MI
    On display at the second floor of the Soldiers’ Barracks of Fort Mackinac is one of many “incredibly detailed, two-sided oak signs showing scenes of the island’s heritage,” that were hand-carved by WPA artisans. This example, "Built 1829 // Presbyterian Mission Church To The Indians," was carved by J. W. Miximong. The carver's name and 'WPA' are inscribed.
  • Historic Marker [Manoogian Museum] - Mackinac Island MI
    Located inside The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum is one of many “incredibly detailed, two-sided oak signs showing scenes of the island’s heritage,” that were hand-carved by WPA artisans. This example, "Retail Store // American Fur Co // 1818 - 1834" was carved by E. R. Homins. The carver's name and 'WPA' are inscribed.
  • Historic Markers [Stuart House] - Mackinac Island MI
    On display at the Stuart House City Museum on Mackinac Island are four (or possibly five) of what were many "incredibly detailed, two-sided oak signs showing scenes of the island's heritage," that were hand-carved by WPA artisans. As of 2017 the examples housed here are: "1634 - 1635 First Explorer Passed This Way" by J. W. Miximong "1817 to 1834 Home of Robert Stewart Resident Mgr. American Fur Co." by E. R. Homins , by E. R. Homins "Built 1818 Home of Edward Biddle Clerk American Fur Co." by E. R. Homins "1817 - 1834 Warehouse American Fur Co." (Living New Deal is unsure if this is an original marker, restored by Dale Gensman,...
  • History Center of Traverse City - Traverse City MI
    Traversehistory.org: "In 1934, Traverse City Park’s commissioner, Con Foster, had an idea. He envisioned a park along the lakeshore at the south tip of the West Grand Traverse Bay. The park would have a zoo, a beach house and a historical museum about the region. Over the next several years, Con Foster traveled over 15,000 miles throughout the Midwest buying Native American and pioneer artifacts to display in the Museum. In 1935, the Works Progress Administration built a building to house this collection and it was later named the Con Foster Museum. For the past 70 years this collection has grown to...
  • Indian Trail Bridge (demolished) - China Township MI
    The bridge bringing Indian Trail across Belle River in China Township, Michigan was funded with the support of New Deal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Michigan's Department of Transportation states: "The Indian Trail Road Bridge is eligible for the National Register as a representative product of the PWA program. The polygonal-truss bridge is also eligible as an example of late pony-truss design. Pony-truss bridges were rarely built after the late 1930s. At a meeting on 24 July 1935, the county road commission resolved to apply for a grant from the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (PWA) to build a bridge over...
  • Iron County Jail - Crystal Falls MI
    The Iron County Jail in Crystal Falls, Michigan, built adjacent to the county courthouse, was constructed as Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied a $17,015 grant for the project, whose total cost was $59,798. Construction occurred in 1936. PWA Docket No. MI 1142
  • Isle Royale National Park - MI
    "In August 1935, the the first members of Company 2699 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) arrived on Isle Royale... The CCC, made up of very young men, spent seven summers as the manpower that constructed much of the young park's infrastructure. They built the park headquarters on Mott Island, created boat campgrounds, and improved the few resorts that the park service had selected to retain. They also erected a fire tower and constructed miles of trails."
  • J. W. Wells State Park - Cedar River MI
    The CCC conducted substantial development work at J. W. Wells State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula: they constructed roads, signs, kiosks, a pump house, a comfort station, a laundry facility, a bath house, Bay Stone Lodge (was staff residence), cabins, and trail shelters.
  • Jefferson Station Post Office - Detroit MI
    The historic Jefferson Station post office in Detroit, Michigan was constructed in 1940 with federal Treasury Department funds. The building is still in use today.
  • Junior High School - Iron Mountain MI
    The historic junior high school building on Hughitt St., between Stockbridge and Prospect Avenues in Iron Mountain, Michigan, was constructed as Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied an $89,860 grant for the project, whose total cost was $201,387. Construction occurred in 1937-8. PWA Docket No. MI 1407
  • Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office - Kalamazoo MI
    The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office was built in 1937 in Kalamazoo, MI with New Deal funds. 
  • Kellogg Institute (University of Michigan) - Ann Arbor MI
    The University of Michigan's Kellogg Institute was constructed during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. "The Kellogg Foundation, in co-operation with the School of Dentistry, formulated a plan to erect a building specially designed for that purpose. In August, 1938, President Ruthven presented to the Board of Regents a proposal of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation offering to give 55 per cent of the cost of an addition to the School of Dentistry, on condition that the Public Works Administration provide 45 per cent of a total cost of $400,000. Ultimately, the W. K. Kellogg...
  • Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex - Copper Harbor MI
    "The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex is a resort located near Copper Harbor, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1976 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and is open to the public... During the early 1930s, the Great Depression hit Keweenaw County hard. The mining industry had fallen on hard times, and unemployment stood at over seventy percent. Ocha Potter, the head of the Keweenaw Road Commission and superintendent of Ahmeek Mine, conceived of constructing a resort complex in the county. In 1933, he applied to the Federal government for...
  • Keyworth Stadium - Hamtramck MI
    Keyworth Stadium was opened in 1936 and was dedicated by FDR himself. After many years of use by Hamtramck High School, in 2016 the newly-formed Detroit City Football Club secured funding to renovate the stadium for soccer matches. From the Detroit News: "Roosevelt, a few weeks shy of his landslide re-election, was on his way to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the new Keyworth Stadium. It was one of the first Work Projects Administration projects in Michigan, a promise in the midst of the Great Depression of better days ahead, and FDR was here to trumpet its arrival, telling the crowd...
  • King Hall (Eastern Michigan University) - Ypsilanti MI
    King Hall on the campus of Eastern Michigan University was constructed in 1939 during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $156,240 grant. (PWA Docket No. NY 1552)
  • King Road Bridge (demolished) - China Township MI
    The bridge bringing King Road across Belle River in China Township, Michigan was funded with the support of New Deal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The current status of the bridge is unknown, but Living New Deal believes it has been replaced. More information is needed. Michigan's Department of Transportation writes regarding the neighboring Indian Trail Road Bridge: "At a meeting on 24 July 1935, the county road commission resolved to apply for a grant from the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (PWA) to build a bridge over the Belle River at this location, once known as Radike Mills. The process...
  • Lafayette Street Bridge - Bay City MI
    "This new double-leaf bascule bridge at Lafayette Street crosses the East Channel of the Saginaw River to middle ground from whence a nine-span, concrete-arched girder bridge without a draw crosses West Channel, both bridges being included in this project. They replace an old truss bridge which had been posted for not more than 1 1/2 tons load and thus eliminate a bottle neck in traffic. The double-leaf bascule bridge is 447 feet long, providing a 150 foot clear channel, and the girder bridge is 522 feet long. The project was completed in March 1939 at a construction cost of $550,925...
  • Lapeer State Home and Training Facility - Lapeer MI
    The Lapeer State Home and Training Facility was used as a house for the mentally feeble and those suffering from epilepsy or other medical conditions. Originally established in 1895, it was previously known as both the Michigan Home and Training School, as well as the Oakdale Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities. Spanning hundreds of acres, it also became known as Oakdale, made up of a number of buildings similar in operations to that of the Lapeer State Home and Training Facility. The Lapeer State Home and Training Facility was created by the state of Michigan to help make advances in...
  • Lawrence Street Park Bowl - Zeeland MI
    This outdoor amphitheater was built into a hillside of a city park so the sounds from summer concerts and other events could easily project up through the audience. This popular gathering spot was renovated in 2009, with $220,000 covering improvements to the structure itself, as well as new barrier-free concrete ramps, new landscaping and new sound and lighting equipment. According to Michigan Live, "Set at the bottom of a wooded hill, just west of the downtown area, the bowl was built as part of a federal Works Progress Administration project at Lawrence Park in the mid-1930s."  
  • Lewis Maire Elementary School - Grosse Pointe MI
    Lewis Maire Elementary was built in 1936 with PWA funding. From Waymarking.com: "The Lewis Maire Elementary School opened on October 20, 1936. Designed by Detroit architects, H. August O'Dell and Wirt C. Rowland, the school reflects the English Gothic Revival style. Copper moldings and gutters, multi-paned windows and the steeply pitched gabled entrance typify Rowland's Gothic designs. The interior is distinguished by Pewabic tile fireplaces and fishponds. The school's namesake, Lewis E. Maire, was a prominent ophthalmologist who served on the Grosse Pointe Boards of Education and Health as well as the village board of supervisors."
  • Lincoln Park Historical Museum (Old Post Office) - Lincoln Park MI
    Originally built as the Lincoln Park Post Office and constructed by the Treasury Department in 1938, the building now houses the Lincoln Park Historical Museum.
  • Long Lake Group Camp - Yankee Springs Township MI
    Long Lake Group Camp is one of two camps developed by the National Park Service during the late 1930s and early 1940s as part of the Yankee Springs Demonstration Area. The camp consists of two “villages” of eight cabins, each arranged in a semi-circle around a fire pit. They include a dining hall and kitchen and latrines. A bathing beach is nearby. As one of the many New Deal work-relief initiatives, the NPS’s Recreation Development Areas (RDAs) program constructed dozens of organized camps and park facilities on tracts of sub marginal farmlands for the dual purpose of conservation and recreation. Labor for...
  • Ludington State Park - Ludington MI
    When the state of Michigan was given 3,500 acres of logged-over land on the shores of Lake Michigan in 1926, it was hoped that the nearby Big Sable Point Lighthouse might become a beacon not only for ships but for tourists as well. Back then, the land was reachable only by foot or boat, and the state lacked money to develop it as a park. That changed in 1933 with the advent of the New Deal. The Pere-Marquette S-2 CCC Camp quickly went up on the state’s land and the young men of the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps began shaping the...
  • Ludington State Park Beach House - Ludington MI
    This Lake Michigan Beach House in Ludington State Park was built by the CCC. Under the direction of the National Park Service, the CCC built roads, retaining walls, campgrounds, hiking trails, the park’s headquarters, and the Lake Michigan Beach House. Designed by renowned NPS architect Ralph B. Herrick, the one-of-a-kind, arts-and-crafts-style Beach House is regarded as the crown jewel of Michigan’s park system. The CCC Boys hand dug the foundation, water system, and septic field for the 116-foot building. A deal struck with the Morton Salt Company in the nearby town of Ludington had the CCC tear down a derelict salt...
  • Mackinac County Courthouse - St. Ignace MI
    The present Mackinac County Courthouse replaced an 1880s structure on the same site. Effectively dismantled to the foundation and rebuilt as a new facility, the project was originally approved as a remodeling. Construction of the modern structure was undertaken by the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). W.P.A. Project No. 49-1-249
  • Mackinac Island Relief Map - Mackinac Island MI
    "Perhaps one of the most unique contributions from WPA artists is a large relief map of Mackinac Island. Measuring ninety-one inches by fifty-three inches, and made from wood, plaster, and foam, the map is impressive to look at to this day. Its features include small trees, buildings, roads, and the airport, which at the time was a simple grass runway. The map was most likely intended to be on display in a visitor center or a place for advertisements. Due to the size of the relief map, it is currently not on display and is stored with the parks’ historical...
  • Menominee County Courthouse Addition - Menominee MI
    The historic Menominee County Courthouse received an addition constructed as Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The addition extended the building south, toward 9th Ave. P.W.A. supplied a $28,228 grant for the project, whose total cost was $62,878. Construction occurred in 1937-8. PWA Docket No. MI 1419
  • Michigan State Highway 86 Bridge (relocated) - Centreville MI
    The bridge bringing Michigan State Highway 86 (M-86) across Prairie River in Centreville, Michigan was funded with the support of New Deal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. However, the bridge has been replaced. Michigan's Department of Transportation writes: "The Michigan State Highway 86 Bridge is eligible for the National Register as a good example of a 1920s camelback pony truss. This structure also exemplifies the movability of a truss bridge. According to limited records, this bridge was originally built in 1923, and was re-built at the present site in 1938-1939 by contractor L. W. Lamb. Bridge plans dated 1938 indicate that the only alteration...
  • Michigan State University Museum: Frezell Mural - East Lansing MI
    From the Kresge Art Museum website: "Originally intended for the Bessemer Courthouse boardroom in the Upper Peninsula, Natural Resources of Northern Michigan was given to Frances and Walter M. Berry sometime in the mid 1940s in appreciation for their years of local and statewide community service. The mural hung in the Caspian Community Center where Berry worked before becoming the Director of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. In 1957, the Berrys donated the mural to the Michigan State University Museum, where it now hangs in the Auditorium on the second floor. Natural Resources of Northern Michigan depicts an amalgamated view of...
  • Michigan State University: Abbot Hall - East Lansing MI
    "The I-shaped plan of Abbot Hall was designed as part of a four-dorm complex for male students, including its partner Mason Hall as well as Synder-Phillips residences. Shared common areas including the kitchen and bakery were originally built to link Abbot to Mason Hall. However, in 1958 renovations to basement corridors were completed to allow residents to walk from one hall to the next. Created as the residential complement to the female dormitories in the West Circle Complex, Abbot Hall is similarly Collegiate Gothic in style. The building, named after Theophilus C. Abbot, the third president of the University, features...
  • Michigan State University: Auditorium - East Lansing MI
    "In 1938 the Public Works Administration allocated more than $500,000 toward the final cost of $1,025,000 for an auditorium to accommodate the academic and cultural activities of the growing MSU student body. Designed by O.J. Munson, the Gothic-inspired pointed arches and lancet windows on the entrance facade, and oak paneling, chandeliers, and white marble flooring of the lobby interior, reflect a desire for an elaborate structure to suit its cultural purpose. The limestone spandrels of the three identical entry portals are decorated with images of comedy, tragedy, musical instruments, and vines. Munson’s building houses two theaters, the large Auditorium at the...
  • Michigan State University: Band Shell (demolished) - East Lansing MI
    "Designed by O. J. Munson and funded by the WPA/ FAP and a gift from the Class of 1937, the Band Shell was located where Bessey Hall now stands (see map). As captured in this 1954 photograph of a performance of the Michigan State College Band, the open-air stage was frequently used for musical performances as well as commencement ceremonies and pep rallies."
  • Michigan State University: Campbell Hall - East Lansing MI
    "Partially funded by the PWA, Campbell Hall is part of a complex of six residence halls originally for women. It was named after Louise H. Campbell, a state home demonstration leader from 1920 to 1930. The Tudor-style design, with its high-pitched gabled roofs, metal casement windows, slate roof, and Renaissance detailing, recalls medieval estates."
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