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… read more
“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… read more
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… read more
A money-saving, efficiency-increasing Department of Purchase warehouse in Long Island City was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is still in use by the city, presently by the Board of Education. The New York Times reported in 1938:… read more
Formerly known as Liberty Park, this site was acquired by the City in late 1936. In July 1937, Parks announced that “the new playground…is the first section of a large recreational area which is being constructed to be completed. It… read more
This playground on the edge of Forest Park in Queens is named after Glendale’s original name: Dry Harbor. The NYC Parks site explains that it was “constructed in 1934 with swings, see-saws, a wavy slide, a flagpole, and a schoolyard… read more
A federal WPA-sponsored set of alterations, repairs, and general improvements was undertaken at the old Elmhurst branch library in Elmhurst, New York during the 1930s. The building was demolished in 2012.
As of 2009, this 1938 WPA mural by William Palmer entitled “The Development of Medicine” is located in the Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens. It may have originally been installed in the Queens General Hospital (now the Queens Hospital Center)…. read more
Today’s NYC Parks website explains: “The City of New York acquired the property for this park in January 1941. At that time, the park was divided by 60th Street, which cut through the property. The City then assigned Evergreen Park… read more
“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 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… read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The federal Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed a new public library in Glendale, Queens. The WPA also constructed additions to other libraries in the borough.
In Sept. 1941 the New York Times described a playground being constructed by the WPA in Queens at “Central Avenue and Seventieth Street.” This site, Glendale Playground, is still in use today. The site is also known as the “Uncle”… read more
Gorman playground at 84th St. and 25th Ave. in the East Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens was one of five “model playgrounds” designed as templates for further playground development by Robert Moses and his team after Moses assumed control of the… read more
The land for Grover Cleveland Park was first established in the 1920s. It acquired its present name in 1939. In June 1940, the Department of Parks announced the completion of the WPA’s reconstruction of the park: “This five-acre park has… read more
“The third project which Louis Schanker completed while in the Mural Division of the WPA was for the Hall of Medicine and Public Health Building at the New York [W]orld’s Fair (1939-1940). Large sharply angled geometric shapes are the background… read more
Today’s NYC Parks website explains that the village of Whitestone (now the neighborhood of Whitestone in Queens) acquired this land in 1892. Parks took over the 21 acre site in 1936 in conjunction with the construction of the Whitestone Parkway. … read more
Highland Park on the border of Queens and Brooklyn received new playground equipment for small children from the Department of Parks in August 1935. As explained here, all Parks projects at the time were carried out with New Deal labor… read more
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… read more
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… read more
From NYC Parks: “Howard Von Dohlen Playground opened on July 15, 1934, and is one of nine playgrounds built by Parks through the War Memorial Fund. The fund was established in 1921 with $250,000 collected by the New York City… read more
The Queens Branch of New York City’s Independent Subway (IND) was extended during the 1930s with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The IND line completed in 1933 only went as far as Jackson Heights’ Roosevelt Street station. On December… read more
The Queens Branch of New York City’s Independent Subway was extended during the 1930s with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The first extension was completed in 1936. On April 21, 1937, four new subway stations opened… read more
The Queens Branch of New York City’s Independent Subway (IND) was extended during the 1930s with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. On December 31, 1936, eight new IND subway stations opened in Queens, extending the subway… read more
The Queens Branch of New York City’s Independent Subway (IND) was extended during the 1930s with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. On December 31, 1936, eight new IND subway stations opened in Queens, extending the subway… read more
The Queens Branch of New York City’s Independent Subway (IND) was extended during the 1930s with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. On December 31, 1936, eight new IND subway stations opened in Queens and the line… read more
The Queens Branch of New York City’s Independent Subway (IND) was extended during the 1930s with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. On December 31, 1936, eight new IND subway stations opened in Queens, extending the subway… read more
The Queens Branch of New York City’s Independent Subway (IND) was extended during the 1930s with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. On December 31, 1936, eight new IND subway stations opened in Queens, extending the subway… read more
The Queens Branch of New York City’s Independent Subway (IND) was extended during the 1930s with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. On December 31, 1936, eight new IND subway stations opened in Queens, extending the subway… read more