New York City Sites

The WPA constructed the firehouse on 51st Street in Woodside, Queens.

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 City streets at the time. The building now houses an art gallery: Theater for the New City.

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 the site says: "The paved courtyard is enlivened by freestanding and applied animal sculpture, designed by artists associated with the Works Progress Administration." One artist involved was Adolf Wolff, who created a statue of a monkey.

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 slum tenements which formerly occupied this space, some were torn down and others were completely rebuilt by WPA labour, using the old materials. Unfortunately the attempt to utilize old structures has forced the new ones into a dull scheme. Bathrooms, sound-proofed partitions, gardens, and playgrounds promote the health and comfort of the occupants, who pay five to seven dollars a room...

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 create recreational areas in the City." This was just one of hundreds of playgrounds built by the New Deal in New York City. Based on press releases in the New York City Parks Department archives, researcher Frank da Cruz explains here that almost all New York City Parks Department projects were constructed with New Deal funds and/or labor.  Federal funding for...

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 Colonial Revival style, for the Office of the Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury. The building is a symmetrical, two-story, red brick building with a gable roof and a large one-story rear wing." (Wikipedia) The building became listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

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 St. to Fairfield Ave. Fairfield Ave.: Flatlands Ave. to Pennsylvania Ave. Fairfield Avenue no longer exists as such: a New York City law passed in 1956 changed the name of what was then Fairfield Avenue, which extended from Louisiana Ave. east to the Brooklyn-Queens border, to Flatlands Avenue. (CUNY) Thus, the WPA project in question improved what is now the stretch of Flatlands...

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 York City. During the four years the WPA worked on projects at Floyd Bennett Airport, the federal program spent approximately $4.7 million. During the same period, the city of New York contributed just over $339,000." (Cody) WPA projects in New York included "the laying of concrete runways and the erection of a machine shop at Floyd Bennett airport." Floyd Bennett Field...

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 Deal.

"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 military structures in Europe. ... Throughout the armory's history it has been used for the National Guard, as a homeless shelter, and a gymnastics center. It is currently used by the New York City Police Department's Queens North Task Force." The WPA provided resources to conduct repairs at the Flushing Armory (14th Infantry Armory) in Flushing during the 1930s.

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.

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 ground, was first developed as a park in the late 1930s under the direction of Robert Moses in order to serve as the site for the 1939 World's Fair. In December 1938, the Department of Parks published a press release describing many of its ongoing projects, including this one: "In addition to the projects already listed, city funds have been secured for...

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 time was serving as a local courthouse.

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 International Style, clad with reddish brown terra cotta above a base of granite. (Wikipedia) Professor Andrew Dolkart of Columbia University School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation says, admiringly, that the "Forest Hills Station is a simple, Modern design. It is basically two cubes that have collided... It is mystery...just how the government chose to fund this project, at a time when most...

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 Arts program and installed in 1938.

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 this, and work on other golf courses, had been done with "relief funds provided by the C.W.A., T.E.R.A. and W.P.A." The course is still popular and has been named the "best New York City golf course" by Golf Guides USA.

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 first World War, replaces the former inadequate facilities which consisted of a cinder running track overcrowded with dirt surfaced baseball diamonds. The new development will provide a well rounded recreational area for the use of all the residents of this section of Queens. The entire field is enclosed by double fencing consisting of an outer wrought iron picket fence separated from a...

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 and shrubs, replaced the winding paths with more formal walks, remodeled the playgrounds, and created new spaces for athletic activities." These and other activities were announced in several Department of Parks press releases at the time. In May 1936, a new playground was opened in the northwest corner of the park. In October of the same year, the children's garden in...

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 installation and other utilities" at; and "improve the roads and grounds" at the base.

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; improving baffles, painting, grading, filling," and performing other related work. "Upon the close of the War, Fort Lafayette no longer had a role in military operations, and fell in to a state of disrepair. In 1948, the Fort was transferred to the City of New York. It was demolished in 1960, and in its footprint was built a colossal tower rising...

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 and other utilities;" and "improve the roads and grounds" at the base. Much of the grounds now serves as a city park.

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 other utilities" at; and "improve the roads and grounds" at the base.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) assisted in the paving of what was then Fourth Avenue (now Park Ave.) from 14th St. to 23rd St.

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 . Picture shows 16th Street facing South" c. 1936 (WPA).

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 role in developing this park: Like Ferry Point park, Francis Lewis Park was part of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge construction project, 1937-41. A New York Parks City Department press release on April 25, 1940, confirms that it was built by the WPA: The Department of Parks announces that exercises in connection with the dedication of Francis Lewis Park, Third Avenue and 147...

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. The property was developed by the Works Progress Administration in 1937 as a neighborhood playground and sitting park." In fact, work on the park started a bit earlier than that. A Department of Parks press release from December 30, 1936 announced the opening in this park of a "new playground is equipped with swings, jungle gyms, sand tables, play houses...

"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 relief workers assigned to the Park Department, is one of the finest baseball plants in the entire park system, with seating accommodations for 3500 plus 1000 park benches. The diamond has been constructed according to big league specifications... The same press release (which announces a game between Manhattan College and the Bronx Elks) goes on to say, “The Park Department band...

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 point it was sold to the City of New York. WPA Official Project No. 65-97-378.

"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, building new catch-basins and inlets, and laying a nine-inch concrete base on the drive."

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 one of the largest and most modern schools in New York City and has been highly rated by the Municipal Art Commission. It is in a residential district. It contains the usual administrative offices, service rooms, 84 classrooms, library, commercial museum, 4 gymnasiums, rooms for social activity, homemaking, artcraft, 8 drawing rooms, a swimming pool, and an auditorium. The student capacity is...

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 to Public School 139, Manhattan and was the first parcel of ground purchased jointly by the Park Department and the Board of Education and developed in collaboration to the advantage of both departments. Besides being completely equipped with play apparatus the area also provides facilities for handball, basketball, paddle tennis, roller skating hockey and ice skating in the winter when subfreezing...

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 developed the area into a play space." Indeed, on April 3, 1937, the Department of Parks announced the completion of this new playground: "It has been equipped with swings, see-saws, slides, sand tables, play-houses and a wading pool for small children. Handball, shuffleboard and table tennis courts, a large play area with a soft ball diamond and an oval roller skating...

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 Transportation for an indefinite period has been developed to include 8 tennis courts, 9 handball courts, a volley ball court as well as a sitting area for mothers and guardians of small children. The sitting area is surrounded by continuous rows of benches under shade trees with two separate sand pits for youngsters to play in. This area is adjacent to...

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) provided the labor force for the new construction."   (www.nycgovparks.org) WPA work included the playground itself, as well as footbridge to the park at East 204th St., landscaping, paths and a large, rounded stone retaining wall. "The park is about 16 feet below street level and the WPA had to convert the sloping landscape into two levels that are flat, which involved moving...

This bridge was constructed with funds and labor provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

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 by the Work Projects Administration," and describes the playground as follows: "This small children's playground consists of kindergarten swings, see-saws, slides, a sand pit and a free play space with a shower basin and has been surfaced with bituminous material to provide for all year round usage. The entire area is landscaped with shade trees and concrete benches have been provided." Fulton...

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 "V" and Bedford Avenue with a row of pin oaks on each side in panels of concrete blocks. Continuous sections of benches have been placed against the Avenue "V" property line fence adjacent to the entrances. A concrete walk extends along East 24 Street and Gravesend Neck Road with a single row of trees spaced in a concrete block strip adjacent...

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 11,700 square feet and accommodates two barges at a time."

  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 when nearby New Jersey cities sued to stop New York from ongoing ocean dumping. Professor Robert Leighninger describes the results of PWA involvement: "Four garbage-disposal projects improved the city's health and cleanliness at a cost of $34.6 million. The garbage incinerator at Fifty-sixth Street and Twelfth Avenue and the attached garage that houses 350 garbage trucks is still vital to keeping...

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 and a shower basin which can also be used as a roller skating rink." The new playground also contained a "brick comfort station" and "concrete benches and shade trees." The work "was performed by the Works Progress Administration but planned and inspected by the Department of Parks." The site remains a functioning playground today.