Ohio Sites

New Deal Daily, July 3, 2018: "While in the WPA, Zemnick created several sculptures highlighting the transportation history of Ohio. The pieces were created ca. 1935-1939. They are now incorporated into a multi-panel history display at the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA)." The squirrel sculpture pictured below was also Zemnick's creation, made during her employment with the WPA. However, it is not known if Zemnick made the full-size sculpture(s), or just the model to be used in creating the full-size sculpture(s).

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a new bandstand "on the public square" in Lisbon, Ohio.  The structure, which measured 32 by 56 feet, contained six tiers of seats and was constructed of native stone. Capacity was 84. The status and location of the facility is unknown to Living New Deal.

Birmingham School #2 in Birmingham, Ohio received an auditorium/gymnasium addition in 1936 as a New Deal project, with funds from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA provided a $11,371 grant for the project, whose total cost was $25,667. The building was demolished in 1995. PWA Docket No. OH 1185

"Brecksville Nature Center was created in 1939 by Works Progress Administration craftsmen. Excellent examples of chestnut carpentry with curved walnut leaves, wrought iron work and native stones grace the building inside and out."

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) "constructed a new entrance to Brookside Drive" in Amherst, Ohio.

"Trailside Nature Museum: This fieldstone building was completed in 1939, a combined project between the PWA and the CCC and designed by Freund. It reflects the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright with its horizontal design and rustic stone work. All external corners are rounded, as is the central chimney." It is one of the approximately 67 structures (about half of the existing 135 in the Cincinnati Parks system) made by New Deal workers.

"Besides constructing the amphitheater, workers from the Great Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) also helped drain the ravine which Cain Park is situated in, covering up and culverting the creek that ran through its center. Attractive landscaping, tennis courts, ball fields, and walking paths completed the transformation of the former "wild" land into a public park."

Workers from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the amphitheater at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, Ohio during the 1930s. "CAIN PARK THEATER was the first municipally owned and operated outdoor theater in the U.S. ... A permanent 3,000-seat open-air auditorium and 80' stagehouse were built by Italian stonemasons working under the WPA and dedicated on 10 Aug. 1938."

During the Great Depression factory jobs were sparse, and unemployment was high because not many could afford consumer goods. Therefore, F.D.R. created programs, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA), to put people back to work through the development of public works projects. Physical labor was employed for the construction and landscaping of public roads and parks facilities, among others. One such location of WPA labor efforts in Cincinnati was the California Woods Nature Preserve. This 113-acre site required a large amount of manpower in order to get it to the beautiful and rich preserve it is today. This allowed hundreds to...

California Woods Nature Preserve was built in 1938 by Hubert M. Garriott and John W. Becker . The WPA hired local workers to built this modern 2 story pool house. Surrounded by woods and beautiful scenery, people got to enjoy coming here and soaking up some sun and playing in the community pool. This project allowed many people to provide for their families and be contributing members of society. Years after being built it was then used as a day camp. Some years later it was marked as a nature preserve.

According to an article in the Youngstown Vindicator, the Works Progress Administration expanded the grandstand at the Canfield Fairgrounds in 1936. A historical marker on the fairgrounds credits the "Works Progress Alliance" (presumably a typographical error) with the construction of the grandstand, as well as offices and roads on the site, and "WPA 1936" is etched above the main entrance to the grandstand. The fairgrounds and grandstand are still in use.

"The Canfield WPA Memorial Building was constructed by the Works Progress Administration, a federal government program instituted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as an effort to aid the United States in its recovery from the Great Depression of the late 1920s and 1930s. Local merchant Arron Weisner donated lands on the west side of Broad Street for the proposed project. A six member committee, comprised of two persons each representing the Argus Masonic Lodge, the American Legion, and the Village of Canfield, determined that the building be "a community building built around community projects." Through local subscription and $60,000 in...

Cleveland's Carter Road Lift Bridge, which spans the Cuyahoga River, was constructed in 1940 with federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The building is still in service.

CCC Camp Greene was located on W. 2nd St. in Xenia, OH from 1935 to 1942. CCC boy Harold Kilgore's CCC papers (pictured below) lists some of the activities the CCC engaged in from Camp Greene, including: fence construction, timber stand improvement, tree planting and building temporary dams.

The historic Cedar-Central public housing complex in Cleveland, Ohio was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds during the 1930s. "The Outhwaite Homes Estates, along with the Cedar Apartments and Lakeview Terrace, were the first three public housing projects to be completed in Cleveland. The three projects were also among the first in the nation to receive approval and funding from the federal government's newly-created Public Works Administration in 1935."

The Public Works Administration contributed $35,000 for the construction of a new auditorium and gymnasium for David Anderson High School. Ground was broken for the project on December 9th 1937 and the structure was dedicated on October 3rd 1938. The total cost of the project was $70,000. The general construction contract went to the George H. Whike Construction Company of Canton Ohio. The building has since been renamed and currently serves as a juvenile court.

Completed in 1936 to provide space for community theater and musical performances, this beautiful Works Progress Administration stone amphitheater remains in good condition in Chestnut Ridge Park, off of East Avenue in Akron, Ohio. The amphitheater has been given Ohio Historic Preservation Office No SUM-354-16. Akron submitted a$1,000,000 proposal to WPA to improve Glendale and Waters parks, along with 10 other parks (Akron Beacon Journal, Dec. 23, 1935, p. 23). The projects were announced approved in March 1936, and Akron’s share of $30,000 was financed with bonds. Work was provided for “several hundred men”, 24 separate projects on 38 park properties and...

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Bear Pit at the Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati OH. The enclosure contained three pits for polar and brown bears. The design of the exhibit sought to emulate a natural environment for the animals. The project was completed in 1937. The construction cost was $94,873 and the total cost was $107,041.

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Reptile Building at the Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati OH. The design of the exhibits and air conditioning system sought to emulate the natural habitat for the animals. The diorama exhibits included an artificial swamp, rocks, pools of water, and sand.   The project was completed in 1937. The construction cost was $120,199 and the total cost was $130,395.

"The new city hall at Delaware replaces a building which was built in 1873 and which was destroyed by fire in 1934. Following the fire, the city offices were housed in an abandoned school building, the fire department occupied rented quarters, and municipal prisoners had to be confined in the county jail. The new building was erected on the old site, which has been suitably landscaped. The first floor provides quarters for city offices, the fire department, and a police garage. The second floor houses council chambers, conference rooms, the office of the city engineer, a jail, and quarters for the jailer. The...

Deshler, Ohio's city hall was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937. The building has been in continuous use since construction.

Constructed by the WPA circa 1936.

Euclid, Ohio's historic former city hall building was constructed with the assistance of the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the 1930s. The building now houses the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum ('Polka Hall of Fame'). "Construction of the new city hall started in 1937 as a project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to put Americans back to work. The new city hall was completed a year later and dedicated on June 8, 1938 by Mayor Sims. Stone used in its construction was taken from a quarry located in...

The Hamilton Municipal Building (city hall), now the Heritage Hall Museum, was constructed as a Public Works Administration (PWA) project. "This project included, in addition to the construction of the municipal building, the purchase of a site which was selected in the business district of the city, facing the Miami River. The building provides space for the city council, all of the offices for the departments of the city government, municipal courts, a jail, the police department with a rifle range for their use, and a unit of the fire department. The structure is fireproof throughout and its exterior walls are faced with...

"City Hall, located at 90 West Broad Street, occupied (with its park) an entire block in the civic center. The five-story structure of Indiana limestone, in Greco-Roman style, was designed by the Allied Architects Association of Columbus and cost $1,700,000. Three of the four sections of the building were completed in 1928; the fourth was dedicated in 1936." (oclc.org) The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $186,800 loan and $145,217 grant toward the East Wing's completion. That wing faces North Front St. The building's northeast cornerstone cites the PWA project number and identifies the project's architect as Allied Architects Association of Columbus Limited. The...

The felony division courthouse for Clermont County, Ohio, was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) between 1935 and 1936. The original Clermont County courthouse was built in 1829 by Arch/Contr- Ezekiel Dimmit. The new one that still stands today was built 1936 by Arch-Hunt & Allen. It was dedicated on December 19, 1936 at a Erected cost of $115,000. It replaced the oldest court building in State of Ohio.

Now Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, what was then Cleveland Municipal Airport was dramatically developed as part of a massive federal Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) project.

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“Cleveland has seen its share of blunders over the years, and each one has been well publicized.  What receives little or no acknowledgement though is that Cleveland has produced its share of treasures as well. One such treasure is the artist Ora Coltman, who was born in Shelby, Ohio in 1858.  He studied at the Art Students League in New York City and the Academie Julian in Paris. Coltman was a painter, sculptor, block printer, muralist, teacher, and writer. He kept a studio in Cleveland where has was a member of the Cleveland Society of Artists and Cleveland Printmakers. Exhibitions...

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“In Cleveland, William Milliken lobbied for a regionalist painting style. His brand, however, was slightly different from the national version. He encouraged local artists to interpret their immediate surroundings in ways that contributed toward a rapport with the public and a definition of the character and perceptions of Northeast Ohio. Milliken also worked to change early twentieth century public opinion that artists were not bohemians, but were fulfilling an integral function for society. He proclaimed that art will ‘elucidate the history and character of the community.’ Milliken’s museum policies, organization of May shows at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and...

The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: "MEMORIAL SHOREWAY (officially called Cleveland Memorial Shoreway), was the first east-west freeway in Greater Cleveland. Originally a strip of road along the lakefront from E. 9th to E. 55th, the 4-mile stretch of road was envisioned as part of a larger system of roads. Using work relief funds and labor from the WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION (WPA), buildings were razed, the lakefront extended by landfill, and the strip was paved. Ten thousand WPA workers completed enough of the preliminary road work for access to the GREAT LAKES EXPOSITION in 1936; within 2 years the road reached the...

The federal Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) supplied labor for the development of what is now known as the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

U.S. Route 50, commonly known in Cincinnati as Columbia Parkway, was a project built in association with the Works Progress Administration. The highway runs through Southern Ohio from east to west. It passes through Cincinnati, Chillicothe, and Athens. The highway grade separation in Cincinnati was funded by the Public Works Administration in 1938.

BridgeHunter.com attributes the Columbus Road Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio as having been constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) provided labor to improve Crownhill Cemetery in Amherst, Ohio in 1934.

"The Gardens were developed as a joint effort between Cleveland’s ethnic communities, the City of Cleveland and the Federal Government – namely the Work Progress Administration. This is one of the aspects that sets this park aside as a historically significant place; it is a living memorial to the role WPA played in the recent US history and to the notion of multi nationalism that was surfacing at the time." "As early as 1935, the city of Cleveland began to subsidize their construction and also endorsed requests to the Works Progress Administration for garden construction. Eventually, the WPA funded much...

Between 1933 and 1939, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided labor for the construction of the Virginia Kendall Park Reserve, now Cuyahoga Valley National Park (est. 2000), in Peninsula, Ohio during the Great Depression. 530 acres of land willed and transferred to the Akron Municipal Parks Board and under the leadership of Harold S. Wagner and F.A. Sieberling petitioned the CCC in August 1933 for a camp. It was granted and in December of that year Unit #576 arrived with 208 recruits first under the command of of Lt. JR Tobin and soon replaced by Captain AW Belden. The CCC camp...

"Established in 1867, the Central Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Dayton, Ohio (now the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center) was one of the three original branches in the National Home system, which provided medical and rehabilitative care to Union veterans after the Civil War. The Central Branch was the first branch laid out using a decentralized plan with a grid pattern for the streets and a Picturesque style landscape for the parks and gardens surrounding the campus core. This campus plan served as a model for the remaining National Home branches and later VA hospitals. The early Veterans...