First Avenue Retail Market (former) – New York NY
New York’s historic First Avenue Retail Market Market was one of eight similar markets constructed with the assistance of the federal Work Projects Administration (WPA). These structures were built in order to replace the informal pushcart markets common on New York… read more
First Houses Animal Sculptures – New York NY
The First Houses public housing development was constructed by the WPA in 1935. It is decorated throughout the courtyard and on the walls here and there with small animal statues and carvings. The New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation plaque at… read more
First Houses Public Housing Project – New York NY
The WPA Guide to New York City reported that: “On Avenue A and Third Street, three blocks east of the Bowery, rise the FIRST HOUSES, the first project of the NY City Housing Authority, opened in 1935. Of the old… read more
First Park Playground – New York NY
First Park playground, named for its location at the intersection of East First St. and First Ave. opened in 1935. The New York City Parks Department calls the park a “typical product of the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration) initiative to… read more
Flatbush Station Post Office – Brooklyn NY
The historic Flatbush Station post office on Church Ave. in Brooklyn, New York was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds and is still in use today. “It was built in 1936, and designed by consulting architect Lorimer Rich in the… read more
Flatlands Avenue Improvements – Brooklyn NY
The federal Work Projects Administration put many men to work starting in 1935 with a $197,000 street repair and maintenance project, along what were then dirt roads, throughout the borough of Brooklyn, New York. Roads improved included: Flatlands Ave.: E. 108th… read more
Floyd Bennett Field Improvements – Brooklyn NY
Between 1934 and 1938 the WPA funded extensive construction and improvement projects at Floyd Bennett Airport. “Work completed by the WPA significantly modernized the airport facilities. By 1938, federal funds spent on airfield construction far outweighed funds contributed by New… read more
Floyd Bennett Field Murals – Brooklyn NY
Floyd Bennett Field received a New Deal mural, commissioned by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), in 1934, and possibly in subsequent years by the Federal Art Project. The location and status of these works is unknown to Living New… read more
Flushing Armory (former) Repairs – Flushing NY
“The Flushing Armory is a historic National Guard armory building located in the Flushing section of the New York City borough of Queens. It is a brick and stone castle-like structure built in 1905–1906, designed to be reminiscent of medieval… read more
Flushing High School Murals – Flushing NY
Flushing High School was built in the early 20th century. In 1938, the school received four murals funded by the WPA’s Federal Art Project.
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park – Queens NY
What is now Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, often known simply as Flushing Meadows, is a large park in Queens containing a wide variety of athletic facilities, a botanical garden, a museum and more. The site, which used to be a dumping… read more
Flushing Town Hall Improvements – Flushing NY
The federal Works Progress Administration worked to conduct repairs and alterations to several civic buildings in Queens as part of a $300,464 project begun in 1935. Buildings improved included the historic Flushing Town Hall on Northern Blvd., which at the… read more
Forest Hills Station Post Office – Forest Hills NY
The Forest Hills Station post office was built in 1937. It was designed by Lorimer Rich consulting architect to the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, Louis Simon. The single story, flat roofed building is done in Modern or… read more
Forest Hills Station Post Office Sculpture – Forest Hills NY
The terra cotta bas relief sculpture mounted above the front entrance to the Forest Hills Station post office on Queens Boulevard is titled, “The Spirit of Communication”. It was created by Sten Jacobson under the federal Treasury Department Section of Fine… read more
Forest Park Golf Course Improvements – Woodhaven NY
On July 16, 1935, the Department of Parks announced that the Forest Park Golf Course in Queens had been “entirely rebuilt with new greens and tees in line with the most modern golf architecture.” A later press release confirmed that… read more
Forest Park: Victory Field – Woodhaven NY
In September 1941, the WPA completed the reconstruction of Victory Field in Forest Park in Queens. The press release announcing the completion of the work described the project: “This 12 acre athletic field dedicated to the unknown soldier of the… read more
Fort Greene Park – Brooklyn NY
This large, lush Brooklyn park dates back 150 years. NYC Parks explains that “Another series of renovations made in the 1930s further enhanced the classical design of the park. Parks architect Gilmore D. Clarke regraded the grounds, added new trees… read more
Fort Hamilton Improvements – Brooklyn NY
The WPA undertook several projects to improve Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York during the 1930s and early 1940s. One project called for the WPA to repair and reconstruct buildings; improve the “water and lighting installations” as well as “sewer… read more
Fort Lafayette Improvements (demolished) – Brooklyn NY
The federal Work Projects Administration worked to improve the facilities at Fort Lafayette, located in an island off Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, during the early 1940s. One project involved “removing and replacing deck, sheathing, stringers, camps, bracing, fenders, and piles;… read more
Fort Totten (former) Improvements – Bayside NY
The WPA undertook several projects to improve Bayside, New York’s Fort Totten during the 1930s and early 1940s. One project called for the WPA to repair and reconstruct buildings; improve the “water and lighting installations” as well as “sewer installation… read more
Fort Wadsworth Improvements – Staten Island NY
The WPA undertook several projects to improve Staten Island’s Fort Wadsworth during the 1930s and early 1940s. One project called for the WPA to repair and reconstruct buildings; improve the “water and lighting installations” as well as “sewer installation and… read more
Fourth Avenue (former) Paving – New York NY
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) assisted in the paving of what was then Fourth Avenue (now Park Ave.) from 14th St. to 23rd St.
Fourth Avenue Street Car Track Removal – New York NY
The WPA funded the removal of 33 miles of trolley tracks in New York City (The Encyclopedia of New York City: Second Edition). This image shows “WPA workers removing old street car tracks on Fourth Avenue [now Park Ave.]. Picture… read more
Francis Lewis Park – Flushing NY
Francis Lewis Park sits at the base of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge in Queens. The park was named after an American “merchant, patriot, and signer of the Declaration of Independence”(nycgovparks). Researcher Frank Da Cruz has compiled evidence of the WPA’s key… read more
Frank D. O’Connor Playground – Queens NY
Today’s NYC Parks website explains that the “history of the playground begins in 1935, when the Board of Transportation permitted the Department of Parks to use two parcels on the east and west sides of 78th Street for recreational purposes…. read more
Frank Frisch Field – Bronx NY
“Mosholu Baseball Field on Webster Avenue between East 201st Street and Mosholu Parkway, July 2014. A May 21, 1935, Parks Department press release says (referring to this field by original name, and by its location): This field, recently reconstructed by… read more
Franklin Avenue Armory Repairs – Bronx NY
The WPA provided resources to conduct repairs at the Franklin Avenue Armory in the Bronx during the 1930s. The armory was then home to the 105th Field Artillery (Second Battery). The National Guard utilized the building until 1988, at which… read more
Franklin D. Roosevelt / East River Drive – New York NY
“During the year 1936 the WPA built East River Drive from Grand Street to 14th Street, demolishing structures in the line of the driveway, backfilling and grading low areas, rebuilding and extending sewers to new outfalls in the East River,… read more
Franklin K. Lane High School – Brooklyn NY
Franklin K. Lane High School, located in the Cypress Hills neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration funds during the 1930s (PWA Docket No. NY 8884-R). Short and Stanley-Brown write: “This is… read more
Fred Samuel Playground – New York NY
The Department of Parks announced the opening of what is now the Fred Samuel Playground on March 31, 1939. The press release explained: “The area located on the west side of Lenox Avenue between 139 and 140 Streets is adjacent… read more
Frederick B. Judge Playground – South Ozone Park NY
NYC Parks describes the origins of this playground: “South Ozone Park grew into a bustling community, and the neighborhood’s many residents needed recreation space. Parks acquired the playground land in a purchase from William Zagarino in 1936, and soon after… read more
Frederick Johnson Park – New York NY
The Department of Parks announced the opening of what is now the Frederick Johnson Park on March 31, 1939. The press release explained: “The 150 Street and Seventh Avenue area obtained by the Department of Parks from the Board of… read more
French Charley’s Playground – Bronx NY
French Charley’s Playground is located within the northern part of Bronx Park, near the park entrance at East 204th Street by Webster Ave. “In June of 1941, Parks developed this playground and the fields, and the WPA (Works Progress Administration)… read more
Fresh Creek Bridge – Brooklyn NY
This bridge was constructed with funds and labor provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Fulton Park Playground – Brooklyn NY
In 1940 the Department of Parks announced the opening of a new playground was opened in what is today Fulton Park, located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. The playground was “designed by the Park Department and built and landscaped… read more
Galapo Playground – Brooklyn NY
The Department of Parks acquired this land, later named the Galapo Playground, in 1940 and announced the completion of a playground on the site in July 1941: “New concrete walks have been centered in the 24′ sidewalk area along Avenue… read more
Garbage Facility (91st St.) – New York NY
The WPA constructed a half-million-dollar garbage dump facility at the East River Drive and 91st Street, jutting out into the East River. The facility is reached by a “vamp” over the now-FDR Drive. The “building, which resembles an airplane hangar, covers… read more
Garbage Incinerators – New York NY
The PWA played a crucial role in improving New York City’s health and sanitation facilities at a moment of growing strain on existing infrastructure. The city’s need for better ways to deal with garbage was particularly acute after 1934… read more
Garibaldi Playground – Brooklyn NY
This property in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, just next to Milestone Park, was acquired by Parks in 1937. In March, 1939, Parks announced the completion of a new playground on the site “equipped with swings, see-saws, jungle gym, slides… read more