New York Sites

Cooper Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn was improved by the WPA during the 1930s. According to the New York City Parks website, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper's "descendants sold the site of the old glue factory to the City of Brooklyn for $55,000. Within a year the site, known as Cooper Park, was outfitted with a playground and landscaping. By 1905 the limestone and brick shelter pavilion had been erected. In the late 1930s construction carried out by the Works Progress Administration transformed Cooper Park into a modern recreational facility. New features included a roller-skating track, sitting area, horseshoe and shuffleboard courts,...

The historic Cooper Station post office in New York, New York (originally known as Station 'D') was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds between 1936 and 1937. The building is still in use today.

On June 8, 1938, the Department of Parks announced the completion of the redesign and reconstruction of Cooper Park (now also known as Cooper Triangle). The site was the location of an important political speech by Abraham Lincoln in 1860. The 1938 press release explained: "In the reconstruction, the old dilapidated, unsanitary, underground comfort station has been eliminated; new exterior concrete walks constructed; 17 new trees planted and the fence enclosing the area repaired and painted. At the north end on the base of the triangular plot is a memorial monument, consisting of a bearded figure of Peter Cooper, American inventor, manufacturer...

The CWA constructed this park at Corlears Hook. From a 1934 New York City Parks Department press release: "Facilities: An open shelter is to be erected. There are four handball, four horse-shoe pitching, one volley ball, two basketball and shuffle board courts. This area, which adjoins a lodging house with accommodation for 1800 men, has been planned to provide recreation for the unusually large number of men residing in this particular district." The amphitheater, known as the East River Amphitheater, was built in 1941. At least one of the playgrounds was replaced in 1969.

Corlears Hook Park is located on the Lower East Side across FDR Drive from the East River. The park was completed in 1905. In 1934, the Department of Parks announced the opening of a new playground in the park constructed with labor and materials supplied by Work Relief funds: "An open shelter is to be erected. There are four handball, four horse-shoe pitching, one volley ball, two basketball and shuffle board courts. This area, which adjoins a lodging house with accommodation for 1800 men, has been planned to provide recreation for the unusually large number of men residing in this...

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees constructed the Arboretum at Cornell University Arboretum in Ithaca, New York between 1935 and 1941.   “Before becoming an arboretum, the area was part of a working farm, and served as a pasture for the Cornell Department of Animal Science’s herd of Black Angus cattle. In 1935, 200 men from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) set up camp south of Cascadilla Creek and worked in what is now the arboretum for six years. Through all seasons, they cleared and graded the land, constructed stone walls, built roads, and planted trees. By 1941, they had built four...

The federal Work Projects Administration worked to improve Cornell University in Ithaca, New York during the 1930s. One project, which cost $5,397 (of which the WPA acontributed $2,321) was described by the WPA in its project rolls: "rovide for added fire protection and additional heating facilities ... including installing water and storm lines; placing valves, hydrants, and fittings; constructing storm tunnel;" and performing related work.

The federal Work Projects Administration worked to improve the grounds of the Veterinary College of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York during the 1930s. The school was then located at "its original site at the southeast corner of East Avenue and Tower Road until 1957, when it moved to its present site at the east end of Tower Road." (Cornell). One project, which cost $17,266 (of which the WPA contributed $9,937) was described by the WPA in its project rolls: "rading and seeding; constructing walks, drives, parking areas, walls, curbs, fences, and storm sewers; and performing appurtenant and incidental work including removing...

NYC Parks recounts: "The land that is now Corona Golf Playground was previously a strip of wasteland, known as the Corona Ash Dumps. In his classic novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald described the area as 'a valley of ashes - a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens.'" The Parks Department announced the opening of this playground along with 12 others on May 4, 1936. At the time, it was part of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, site of the 1939 World's Fair. Although the press release does not mention the WPA or other New...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) installed a drain pipe that enabled better drainage for Cottage Street. Middletown Times Herald: "Cottage street drainage will be effected by a reinforced rain pipe which will run from street southerly arid parallel with Wisner avenue to about 200 feet north of Wickham avenue and then easterly and parallel with Wickham to a point near the city line. The pipe will cover a distance of approximately 1,200 feet."

This Brooklyn courthouse was constructed by the PWA in 1938 and today still houses a New York appellate court. A 1939 PWA publication described the then new courthouse: "This building houses the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Second Division, State of New York, and is in the Borough Hall section of the city, near other city and State buildings. On the first floor it contains a courtroom 55 by 57 feet which extends through the second story in height. The judge's chambers, court officials' rooms, and a large library, 38 by 58 feet, are also included. The plan is rectangular in...

The Queens County Supreme Court building in Jamaica was constructed as a Public Works Administration (PWA) project. Short and Stanley-Brown: "This structure houses the 23 civil courts of Queens County and provides quarters for the judges, the clerk of the city court, the grand jury, the district attorney, and the county clerk. In addition, it provides offices for the naturalization bureau, the motor-vehicle bureau, the bar association, the supreme-court board, and the law library. The building is fireproof, of steel-frame construction, and the exterior is of limestone. The courtrooms are air-conditioned. It is seven stories in height, with two mezzanine floors, and...

This small playground in East Harlem was named after "New York City’s first African American Deputy Commissioner of Cultural Affairs." NYC Parks explains that the City acquired this land in 1936. In June 1937, Parks announced the completion of a new playground on the site: "In Manhattan, at Fifth Avenue between West 130th and West 131st Streets, the new playground is equipped with swings, see-saws, slides, jungle gym, sand tables, playhouses, a rectangular wading pool, handball and shuffleboard courts. There is also a large open play area for group games. Around the perimeter of the playground is a landscape area with...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the Crab Meadow Beach Pavilion. "In 1937, the old pavilion was finally replaced with a Mediterranean style brick and concrete building designed by Huntington architect David Dusenberry that featured men’s and women’s locker rooms, showers and lavatories. The locker rooms would be in the two wings of the building that were joined by an open-air court. On the roof of the center portion was a sun deck. The cost of the building, which was a WPA project, was split between the State and the Town."

The federal Work Projects Administration put many men to work starting in 1935 with a Staten Island street repair and maintenance project along roads throughout the borough. The streets, many of which in New York City were still unpaved, were surfaced with bituminous macadam. Roads paved included the 0.6-mile stretch of Craig Avenue between Johnson Avenue and Bethel Avenue.

The WPA made numerous improvements to the rapidly growing Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital in Jamaica, New York during the 1930s. Projects included: the installation of "underground piping for heating"; "excavation and construction of steam tunnels"; the "planting of trees and shrubs"; grading the hospital's grounds; fencing the grounds; constructing "additions to shop building" as well as to garages and to the "South wing"; and more. WPA Official Project No. 65-97-501.

This playground is named for the first African American to be killed in the American War of Independence. It opened on October 28, 1934, along with two other playgrounds, one in Manhattan and one in the Bronx. The press release announcing the opening ceremonies explained that "All three playgrounds have recreation buildings and are fully equipped with play apparatus for children, and have space for basketball and handball courts. Each of the new playgrounds in Manhattan end Brooklyn will have a wading pool..." In addition to speeches, the opening ceremonies involved a "rendition of the Star Spangled Banner; games and...

NYC Parks explains that, "By 1936, the City had turned the area into a park with picnic grounds, winding walks, an enlarged lake for wintertime skating, and thousands of trees." What is now known as the Buz O'Rourke Playground in Crocheron Park was completed in June 1936, and a field house at 33rd Rd. and 215th Pl. was completed on April 3, 1937. A couple of weeks later, Parks announced that: "Crocheron Park has been completely redesigned and reconstructed. The entire 44 acres have been regraded and landscaped. New walks, benches, drainage and irrigation systems have been installed." Although these sources...

A June 1936 press release announced the opening of a new playground at this site in Crocheron Park with "a large central grass panel surrounded by play apparatus for small children." NYC Parks confirms that this playground was built on land "acquired by the City in 1925 and turned into a park in 1936 at the request of the Bayside Civic Association." Although the 1936 press release does not mention the WPA or other New Deal agencies, researcher Frank da Cruz explains here that almost all New York City Parks Department projects between 1934 and 1943 were carried out with New...

NYC Parks explains that, "By 1936, the City had turned the area into a park with picnic grounds, winding walks, an enlarged lake for wintertime skating, and thousands of trees." On April 3, 1937, the Department of Parks announced the completion of a new building in Crocheron Park containing a "a comfort station, a large lounge, locker rooms and shower baths." Although these sources do not mention the WPA or other New Deal agencies, researcher Frank da Cruz explains here that almost all New York City Parks Department projects between 1934 and 1943 were carried out with New Deal funds and/or labor,...

The federal Work Projects Administration put many men to work starting in 1935 with a Bronx street repair and maintenance project along roads throughout the borough. The streets, many of which in New York City were still unpaved, were surfaced with penetrated macadam. Roads improved included three modest stretches of Croes Avenue in the Soundview section of the Bronx: (a) between Story and 'Sound View' Avenues; (b) from Watson Avenue south (a dead-end stretch of Croes Ave.); and (c) between Gleason and Westchester Avenues.

The federal Work Projects Administration put many men to work starting in 1935 with a Bronx street repair and maintenance project along roads throughout the borough. The streets, many of which in New York City were still unpaved, were surfaced with penetrated macadam. Roads improved included the stretch of Crosby Avenue between Middletown Rd. and what was then Eastern Blvd. (Eastern Boulevard provided the foundation for what is now the Bruckner Expressway.)

The federal Work Projects Administration undertook a large road repair project starting in 1935 in the borough of Queens. The streets, many of which in New York City were still unpaved, were repaired; particular emphasis was placed on fixing washout-damaged stretches of road. Holes were filled in and the streets were smoothed, surfaced and reconditioned. Roads improved as part of this project (WPA Official Project No. 65-97-9) included stretches of Cross Bay Boulevard.

"This Olympic-size swimming pool and bathhouse complex opened on July 24, 1936. It was one of ten dedicated that year by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981). The project, funded by a special Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant of $10 million, featured a 925,000 gallon swimming pool, 39,000 gallon wading pool, 450,000 gallon diving pool and a bathhouse. The latter was designed by noted architect Aymar Embury II (1880-1966), and is an art deco interpretation of a French castle." This pool was one of many WPA projects in Crotona Park.

The park existed before the Depression, but was completely rebuilt in 1934-41 by the WPA: "As ice skating grew popular in the Bronx around the turn of the century, Parks paved the perimeter of Indian Pond and installed a warming hut and concession stand for skaters. In the 1930s, Works Progress Administration (WPA) employees built the boathouse on the east side of the pond and entirely rebuilt the area around the lake. Other projects in Crotona Park completed during the tenure of Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981) included the construction or renovation of five baseball diamonds, twenty tennis courts, twenty-six handball...

"Indian Pond and boathouse at Crotona Park, June 2014. The boat house was built by the WPA as part of the massive reconstruction of Crotona that was completed in 1941. The pond is covered with algae and choked with vegetation; it was restored in 2009 but then there was a problem with pond scum that has not yet been addressed... According to the Parks Department, the boathouse rented boats until the the 1970s. In 1984 it was briefly a nature center for Urban Park Rangers, and as of 2001, it's a nature center again."   (https://www.kermitproject.org)

The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) sponsored a large school/addition construction project in Cuba, New York during the Great Depression. The PWA provided a $247,500 grant for the project, whose total cost was $544,637. Construction occurred between Jan. 1938 and May 1939. PWA Docket No. NY W1353.

This Works Progress Administration photo shows one of the culverts constructed by the WPA in Blasdell, New York. The WPA caption locates the culverts on the following streets: Avon, Orchard, Gilbert, and Merian (WPA). More information is needed about the present status and exact location of the project.  

One of the five restored Alice in Wonderland murals painted by Abram Champanier in 1938-40 is hung in the Cumberland Center at 100 N Portland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205.  The mural was originally created for the Gouverneur Hospital children's ward in lower Manhattan, but was neglected and then restored in the early 1990s. The mural is listed on the New York Health and Hospitals Corporation art collection website, dated 2006. The present status of the mural is unknown to us.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) improved roads in Plattsburgh, New York, including Cumberland Head Road, in 1936.

"Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia dedicated the plaza in Cunningham’s memory near the center of the park in 1936. That year marked the completion of work by the Works Progress Administration and the Parks Department to develop the southern part of the park. The plan provided tennis courts, playgrounds, stables, bridle paths, playing fields, picnic groves, and parking lots. In the early 1950s the City of New York acquired land for a greenbelt of public parks along the route of the former railroad that ran from Flushing to Babylon. The Kissena Corridor links Flushing Meadows-Corona, Kissena, Alley Pond, and Cunningham Parks in...

In 1937 an addition to Staten Island's Curtis High School was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The building is still in use today.

Originally constructed in 1809-1910 and privately owned, the U.S. government purchased what is now the Robert C. McEwen U.S. Custom House, completely renovating it for federal purposes, during the New Deal era. GSA: "The George Hall Corporation, a shipping company, owned the Parish Store from 1880 to 1936. Likely due to needs for additional space, in 1928, the U.S. Customs Service moved back in to leased space in the Parish Store. In 1936, the Hall Corporation sold the building to the U.S. government for $65,000. The building was renamed the U.S. Custom House. ... Listed in the National Register in 1974, the building...

The Cyclorama Building was built in 1888 and showcased a variety of cycloramic exhibits, including "The Crucifixion of Christ" and "The Battle of Gettysburg." The city of Buffalo acquired the building in 1910, using it as a livery and taxi garage and as a roller skating rink. The building fell into disrepair until it was renovated and repaired by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937. The WPA added new windows, a new floor, and a new roof and built an additional room, all for the cost of $36,000. In 1942, the Grosvenor Library purchased the building, converting it into...

The WPA undertook work during the 1930s to improve Brooklyn, New York's Cypress Hills National Cemetery (the only National Cemetery in New York City). One $110,000 project entailed: "ehabilitate grounds and buildings which includes tree surgery, aligning, setting and resetting headstones, improvement to iron and chain link fences, laying concrete curb and other improvements to grounds and buildings ..." WPA Official Project No. 266-97-8000.

The New York Times reported in 1941 that, as part of WPA efforts, Brooklyn would receive six new playgrounds, located at: "Third Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street, Second Avenue and Fifty-fifth Street, Fort Hamilton Parkway and Fifty-second Street, Albany and Foster Avenues, Park and Nostrand Avenues and Eastern Parkway Extension and Fulton Street." D'Emic Playground , so named in 1973 after a local community stalwart, is, according to New York City's Parks Department website, "bordered by 3rd Avenue, 34th and 35th Streets. The City of New York acquired the site in 1940 in connection with acquisition of land for the Gowanus Expressway,...

NYC Parks explains: "O’Connell Playground opened on July 15, 1934, and is one of nine playgrounds that were built by Parks through the War Memorial Fund. The Fund was established in 1921 with $250,000 collected by the Police Department. In 1934, the fund remained untouched and had grown in value to $350,000. Seeking additional open spaces for children, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses obtained a legal ruling that permitted the fund to be spent on several playground developments. The properties were intended to honor the memories of individual soldiers who had given their lives in combat. The Fund was transferred to Parks on...

This park was first established in 1901. In October 1941, the WPA and the Department of Parks completed the reconstruction of the park: "The old pavilion and comfort station was demolished and replaced by a modern brick building. The play was enlarged by the construction of retaining walls. There are two wide gate controlled entrances on each side of the new comfort station, which is located on the center line adjacent to the east fence, leading to the wading pool area. The wading pool may also be used for basketball and volleyball in the fall and winter. Two shuffleboard courts are parallel...

Now known as Decatur Playground, this playground adjacent to Public School 35 opened in September 1942. It is jointly operated by Parks and the Board of Education. A press release announced the completion of the playground: "The playground, approximately 200 feet square, lies immediately west of the existing school which will be considerably expanded after the war… A softball field with hooded backstop, one basketball court with removable standards, two practice basketball standards and four handball courts have been provided. The construction of the playground was done by the Work Projects Administration from plans prepared by the Department of Parks." It is still in...

The overpass carrying Dehart Avenue over what was then a freight and passenger railway (the North Shore Branch of the Staten Island Railway) was constructed during the mid-1930s, in conjunction with the lowering of the railroad right-of-way, as one link in a massive grade crossing removal project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $1.46 million grant for the $6 million grade crossing elimination project, which included work elsewhere in Staten Island and even in Manhattan. PWA Docket No. NY 4926.