Bayonne Sites

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted miscellaneous improvements and repairs at Bayonne's old City Hall during the 1930s.  One project involved painting tens of thousands of square feet of interior walls and exterior trim; another included work on trim doors, closets, ventilators, and windows. Additionally, the WPA beautified the grounds, replacing the topsoil and grass and planting bushes; constructed a retaining wall along the northeast side of the building to prevent soil erosion; and constructed a stone 'turret' around the flagpole. Professional projects included municipal document and map indexing, numbering, and copying. Bayonne's old City Hall has since been demolished.

The annex to Bayonne, New Jersey's old City Hall was town down by federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers. The building had been condemned, was in danger of collapsing, and the job of demolition was deemed "imperative" by Bayonne's Evening Times. The paper continued, "no one who saw the City Hall annex in recent years will have anything but applause for the assignment of these relief workers." The annex was in fact an addition to the west side of Bayonne's City Hall, which was located at Avenue E and 30th St.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) demolished an abandoned cement block stable on Bayonne's Avenue F between East 29th St. and East 30th St.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) reconstructed Bayonne's old East 49th Street—then unpaved—from Avenue E to the New York Bay waterfront. The road has since been either renamed Pulaski Ave. or otherwise replaced.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the branch fire station at the western corner at Avenue A and W. 16th St. The building, which, as of 2015, houses Engine Company 4 and Rescue Squad 1, has been in use since 1940.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked on a project that involved "resurfacing, grading, and seeding uplands on 27th St. park." Francis G. Fitzpatrick Park is still in use today; modern facilities include: "spray park, walking path, playground and benches."

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to construct "a recreation field extending from 15th to 19th Sts. inclusive on Newark Bay front." Additionally they constructed two comfort stations, walks, pathways and roadways; and undertook "filling, grading, and seeding the lowland park at 16th St." The WPA also demolished an old park house at the park, constructed two baseball fields, and constructed a shower and wading pool for children; among other improvements. G. Thomas DiDomenico Park is still in use today; modern facilities include: "restrooms, playgrounds, handball court, municipal pool, amphitheatre, boat launch, walking paths, benches, baseball/softball/soccer fields, basketball court, tennis...

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work on all school buildings in the city of Bayonne ca. 1939. Work on the Henry E. Harris Elementary School building included "painting, repairing, and general improvement work."

Bayonne High School was constructed with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds during the Great Depression. The massive undertaking cost $1.67 million; the PWA provided a $1.18 million loan and $494,000 grant to Bayonne. Construction occurred between March 1935 and June 1937. The building, which is connected to the adjacent (and older) Junior High School, is still in use today. PWA Docket No. 7957.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) repaved Hook Road in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1939. The Bayonne Times wrote: "The most important part of the is the repaving of the Hook road, which runs from Avenue I to Lower Hook, a distance of more than one mile, leading to the Standard Oil and other Hook plants. The present brick road t the plants was built in 1904." 25 men were given work on the Hook Road project.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work on all school buildings in the city of Bayonne ca. 1939. Work on the Horace Mann School building included "painting, repairing, and general improvement work."

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work on all school buildings in the city of Bayonne ca. 1939. Work on the Junior High School building included "painting, repairing, and general improvement work."

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to improve what was then known as Killeen Park in Bayonne. The project involved grading 20 acres and seeding 17 acres in the park. It is now part of Mayor Dennis P. Collins Park.

Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers conducted building repairs at the main public library in Bayonne, New Jersey. Furthermore, WPA workers were employed to re-bind thousands of damaged books at the library. An additional WPA project involved "organizing and operating branch library services."

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) undertook the project in Bayonne, New Jersey of "reclaiming tidal marsh lands for recreational purposes at East 49th St. and New York Bay." It involved constructing a retaining wall; "grading, filling, and seeding 23 acres of upland and submerged land"; and construction of an additional cinder road at the foot of what was then East 49th Street.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work on all school buildings in the city of Bayonne ca. 1939. Work on the Mary J. Donohoe School building included "painting, repairing, and general improvement work."

The website for Hudson County, New Jersey writes that Mercer Park in Bayonne, N.J. "was named after General Hugh Mercer, a famous American Revolution figure known for his bravery at the Battle of Princeton. The Park’s development was made possible through Works Progress Administration (WPA) under the New Deal, which provided funds to employ local residents to work on the park."

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) supplied the labor and paid most of the project cost of laying three sewer pipelines from points in west Bayonne to points in Newark Bay beneath the low tide line. Three 12-inch cast iron pipes, each 220 feet long, were to be laid transporting waste into the bay at 49th, 52nd, and 53rd Streets. The project also provided for the reconstruction of manhole covers and the cleaning of 4,020 feet of beach.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work on all school buildings in the city of Bayonne ca. 1939. Work on the Philip G. Vroom School building included "painting, repairing, and general improvement work."

Bayonne's massive Port Terminal—later the Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne—was constructed with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. While plans for the development were made in the early 1930s, construction occurred between 1937 and 1938. The PWA supplied a $2,430,000 loan and $1,785,682 grant for the project, whose total cost was $4 million. PWA Docket No. NJ 159.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked on a project that involved "cutting embankment on upland at 54th St. Newark Bay, cleaning beach and reconstruction of 3 life-saving stations." Richard A. Rutkowski Park is still in use today.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work on all school buildings in the city of Bayonne ca. 1939. Work on what is now the Dr. Walter F. Robinson School building (formerly Bayonne's high school) included "painting, repairing, and general improvement work."

In late 1935 the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) put more than 100 men to work in Bayonne, New Jersey fixing broken sidewalks. Segments repaired included: Avenue E: Eighth to 52nd streets, 12,000 square feet Avenue B from Thirty-sixth to Fifty-ninth streets, 5,000 square feet Avenue A from Seventh to Thirty-sixth streets, 8,000 square feet Fifty-eight crosstown streets, 58,000 square feet Additional sidewalk repair projects were undertaken by the WPA in Bayonne.

Hudson County sponsored multiple park-related federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects in northern Bayonne, New Jersey during the Great Depression. Among them was construction of a 36-inch storm sewer for County Park (now the Stephen R. Gregg Park), which employed 50 men.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped to clear vacant lots in Bayonne, New Jersey. This community improvement effort also paved the way for the development of some of these properties for municipal parks (which were then constructed by the WPA). Areas cleared included: "areas along Newark Bay shore 12,500 square feet from Ninth to Eleventh street, 6,230 square feet from Fifteenth to Sixteenth street and 12,500 square feet from Nineteenth to Twenty-first street. Vacant property ... 894,916 square feet off Fifth-eight street, between Broadway and Avenue C, 45,000 square feet at Avenue C and Twenty-seventh street, and 37,500 square feet,...

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked on a project that involved "resurfacing, grading, and seeding lowlands on 25th St. park." Subsequently the WPA undertook "installing four tennis courts and rock fill and erecting new beauty circle with walks leading to same at Veterans Park." Veterans Park is still in use today; modern facilities include: "spray park, playground, exercise area and parking facilities."

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work on all school buildings in the city of Bayonne ca. 1939. Work on the Woodrow Wilson School building included "painting, repairing, and general improvement work."