Burlington Sites

The former 1904 armory building in Burlington, Vermont was improved by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). WPA Project No. 65‐12‐935

The W.P.A. developed Burlington's Battery Park, including constructing sidewalks and a masonry parapet wall. WPA Project No. 65-12-344

The W.P.A. worked extensively, for a period of several years, to develop what was then Burlington Airport. Major efforts included construction of the "diagonal" runway and extension of the north-south runway. Description of a WPA project at the site: Improve municipal airport. Cost: $464,738. Sponsor: City of Burlington. WPA Project No. 165‐1‐12‐66

Photo caption, UVM: "Feb. 26, 1938 dated photo. East Avenue from near Colchester Avenue looking South, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project No. 65-12-336. This view shows the widening project carried on during the winter months. This street was widened to a total width of thirty feet and a slope of 1 -1 1/2 was given to the shoulders. The old power line was reconstructed with new poles and fixtures and placed in a position to allow for future development. Another project is being prepared for future development of a new pavement and further widening at the south end of this...

Burlington's former Elihu B. Taft School was built as a New Deal project in 1938-9; its construction was enabled by Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The P.W.A. provided a grant of $111,272 for the project, whose total cost was $245,198. Construction occurred between Aug. 1938 and Nov. 1939. PWA Docket No. VT 1079

Photo caption, UVM: "This is a view of the building built under WPA Project No. 65-12-344 at Ethan Allen Park to be used as a combination tool house and toilet for ladies and gentlemen. Modern plumbing has been installed in the toilets with a large cesspool for sewage disposal which can later be connected with the proposed sewer to be built on Bradley Road . This building is erected near the picnic grounds in the Pine Grove." The exact location and status of this facility is presently unknown to Living New Deal.

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) constructed a masonry entrance at the south end of Ethan Allen Park. The W.P.A. also widened the entrance to 26 feet (W.P.A. Project No. 65-12-344).

The Works Progress Administration constructed a stone masonry lookout house at the pinnacle of Ethan Allen Park in 1938.

Photo caption, UVM: "This view shows Ethan Allen Park drive as seen from the pinnacle. This drive is being constructed with 8" telford stone sub base, 4 inches of stabilized sand and stone base and 1 1/4 inch of armor coat wearing surface covered with a thin layer of washed sand. There is a little over one mile of this type of pavement sixteen feet in width which has been constructed under the WPA project."

The W.P.A. conducted the following work along Bradley Road, since renamed Ethan Allen Parkway. Photo caption, UVM: "Photograph dated Oct. 17, 1941. Original caption reads: Bradley Road Sewer: This view is taken from a point near the intersection of North Avenue looking easterly toward the Poor Farm. This picture was taken after the North End Sewer construction had been completed and numerous large and small pine trees had been eliminated on the southerly side of the street as well as some excavation as shown in the right foreground bordering Ethan Allen Park. Note that the electric light and telephone pole line...

The W.P.A. constructed a bridge on Grove Street (crossing Centennial / Catlin Brook) in 1938. The bridge has been largely rehabilitated and rebuilt such that little of the original structure is apparent. However, though "budget and time constraints prevented a full restoration of the Grove Street Bridge, the original structure was never removed and its components still remain in situ. Today, an adventurous visitor to the bridge can spot the original brick by peering behind the rocks and other materials installed around the new culvert." The WPA also paved Grove Street as part of a separate project. WPA Project No. 465-12-1-15 (bridge) WPA...

Photo caption, UVM: "May 8, 1936. Lake Street, WPA Project No. 65-12-336 looking South from intersection of Depot Street. This project consists of widening pavement to twenty four feet with Telford stone base construction, surfacing with a leveling course of penetration macadam varying in thickness from one to four inches and constructing Hot Mix stone filled sheet asphalt wearing surface two inches in thickness."

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) reconstructed Locust Street and constructed sidewalks along the road in 1939.

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) reconstructed parts of Burlington's Main Street in 1938, including foundation and paving work. Archival photos show such work being undertaken between S. Union and S. Willard Streets.

"Road construction crew repaves a city street as part of the P. W. A. Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works street improvements. Project No. VT 1097-F." One source suggests that some of this work occurred at Lafountain St. and Manhattan Drive.

The Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) reconstructed and widened Burlington's North Avenue, with the W.P.A.  installing sewers as well. Widening was undertaken with P.W.A. funds in 1934, P.W.A Project No. VT 2232. Widening under the W.P.A. was undertaken in 1936, W.P.A. Project No. 65-12-336. "North End" sewer project construction occurred in 1940, W.P.A. Project No. 655-12-2-62.

Photo caption, August 15, 1939: "PWA Project Vt. 1097-F, Intersection of Intervale Avenue, Elmwood Avenue and North Street. This view shows the broad intersection of the three above streets after the completion of the Plant-Mix asphalt pavement consisting of a leveling course averaging approximately one and one-half inches in thickness and a wearing course of two inches in thickness. The leveling course was constructed with coarse aggregate or "Binder" material with 50-60 penetration asphalt cement. The wearing surface was constructed with fine aggregate using a mixture of 50-60 penetration asphalt cement and American Bitumuls tempering fluid."

Photo caption, UVM: "February 23, 1940. WPA Project No. 665-12-1-38, Street Improvements - Pine Street This view shows the excavation practically completed on Pine Street between Flynn Ave and Ferguson Ave ready for the sand cushion and telfold base. Some of this excavation is being done by hand labor using wedges and sledge hammers as shown in the foreground and the remainder is being done with the aid of Paving Breakers and a No. 105 Ingersol-Rand Air compressor. Excavation on this block was from 20"-24" in depth in hard frost, the frost going to a depth of approximately five feet....

The federal Civil Works Administration conducted road construction work in Burlington, Vermont. "March 6, 1934. City Burlington Vermont. CWA (Civil Works Administration) Project #402-J. Telford stone base construction. Note winter conditions."

Photo caption, UVM: "WPA Highway Construction. A view looking west along Scarff Avenue from a point west of the intersection of Scarff Avenue and Wells Street."

"The 1934 Annual Report of Burlington states that the PWA would be responsible for approximately ten miles of new cement concrete sidewalks; the photograph shows one of the following projects. The project cost a total of $50,340.01; federal covered $23,000 of the construction cost." PWA Project No. 2361

"This long, narrow, rectangular brick building extends west from Pine Street and was built in four phases. Phase I, built 1934, was funded by the federal Public Works Administration (Project #2215). The original structure, as shown in Figure 1, consisted of  a one -story brick building with an office at the east end and seven large garage bays – three with doors and four without doors. "

The National Youth Administration (NYA) renovated and remodeled the south wing of Converse Hall at the University of Vermont. The newly remodeled wing served as cooperative living quarters for male students. Pictured with the NYA sign is Lee Arthur, the supervisor of the project.

"The Mabel Louise Southwick Building is the women's recreation building at the university. It is T-shaped in plan and is two stories and a basement in height. The basement contains a combination recreation hall and auditorium with a large stage, locker and utility rooms. Lounges and sitting rooms occupy the first floor. On the second floor are meeting rooms and a recreation hall with a small stage. The structure is fireproof throughout, the exterior walls being red brick trimmed with marble. It has a volume of 458,000 cubic feet and was completed in November 1936 at a construction cost of $263,237...

The Burlington-born artist Raymond Pease was commissioned by the Public Works of Art Program to paint a mural at Perkins Hall at the University of Vermont. The mural was covered with drywall during renovations in 1992. It was rediscovered in 2019 at Perkins Hall and it will be relocated to the Perkins Geology Museum.

Photo description: "August 15, 1939. PWA Project No. Vt. 1097-F This view shows the completed pavement at the intersection of North Bend Street and Ward Street. The old road bed was scarified, reshaped and treated with stabilizing emulsion late in the fall of 1938 and a base course of asphalt penetration was constructed with one application of 85-100 penetration asphalt binder. A wearing surface of two inches of Plant-Max asphalt using tempering fluid was constructed during the early summer of 1939."

Photo caption, UVM: "August 15, 1939. So. Winooski Ave. looking south from intersection of Main Street after Plant-Mix asphalt pavement with an average of one and one-half inches of hot asphalt binder course or leveling course and two inch wearing surface of American Bitumuls laykold mixture had been placed and the street opened to traffic. Sign to the left near a two story billboard structure states P.W.A. Federal Works Agency Public Works Administration Street Improvements. Billboards advertise Ritz Crackers and Chesterfield Cigarettes. Strong building on the corner to the right."