Washington Sites

Bellingham, Washington's old historic Fairhaven Hotel occupied the northeast corner of 12th Street and Harris Ave. "A new use for a famous old landmark in Bellingham hes been found with a recently approved Works Progress Administration project designed to convert the old Fairhaven Hotel into a community recreational center and headquarters for local public welfare agencies. ... he question of what to do with the county-owned historic building is now settled." The building is no longer extant, having been destroyed during the mid-1950s.

"Work is expected to start November 11 to provide proper drainage for Tanwax and Kroger farm-to-market roads in Pierce County at an expenditure of $6,000 of which the WA supplies all but $40. The work consists of removing slides, surfacing, grading and repairing."

"Don G. Abel, state director of the Works Progress Administration, today announced approval of a $16,245 farm-to-market road improvement project for Asotin County. Throughout the county the roads will be graded, resurfaced and generally reconditioned. The project is slated to begin about November 29th and will be completed about April of 1938, with labor taken from local relief rolls."

"Camano Island, Island County draws $21,267 for reconstruction of farm-to-market roads."

"Felts Field, Spokane's historic airfield, is located on the south bank of the Spokane River east of Spokane proper. Aviation activities began there in 1913... During the 1930s, considerable improvement had been made at Felts Field with Civil Works Administration funds and Works Progress Administration labor... Beginning early in World War II, Felts Field was used as a training site for the Civilian Pilot Training Program while continuing to serve as the municipal airport... The Washington Air National Guard moved from Felts Field to Geiger when called to active duty during World War II. After the war, all passenger service was located at...

The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds provided funding for the construction of the Ferry County Courthouse in Republic, Washington. Construction occurred between 1936 and 1937. The PWA provided a grant of $22,166; the total cost of the project was $49,283.

No longer in use but with some buildings still extant, Firland Sanitorium in Shoreline, Washington was improved by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. A WPA press release from Jan. 1938 reported: "Approximately 100 WPA workers will begin the same day improving the grounds at Firlands , Richmond Highlands, north of Seattle, with a WPA grant providing $41,254 and the City of Seattle furnishing needed materials totaling $6,735, as project sponsor. The work, which will require an estimated six months. includes paving the roadway, excavating, grading, pruning, landscaping, erecting fences, installing sprinklers and many other incidental tasks on...

Established in 1833, Fort Nisqually was the first European settlement on Puget Sound and was sold to the Du Pont company in 1904. Efforts to preserve the fort were begun in 1933 and taken over by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1940. WPA laborers relocated the fort to Tacoma's Fort Defiance Park and "re-created several others to present Fort Nisqually as it was in 1855." (metroparkstacoma.org)

A Public Works Administration grant of $22,500 covered one-third of the cost of a 1936 project to refurbish Seattle's Fremont Bridge. The bridge, completed in 1917, is a double-leaf bascule drawbridge that carries Fremont Avenue across the Lake Washington Ship Canal between Seattle's Queen Anne and Fremont neighborhoods. As part of the refurbishment project workers installed a new steel bridge deck, new machinery for lifting the span, and new concrete paving along the approaches to the bridge. The other two-thirds of the project's overall $66,000 cost was covered by Washington State gasoline tax revenues.

The Garfield Playground was one of a limited number of Seattle park facilities to receive upgrades through the New Deal's Civil Works Administration (CWA) program. The main CWA project at the playground involved the construction of a retaining wall along the western edge of the property. CWA laborers began work on the $12,000 project in 1933 and completed it the following year. Several years later, funding from the Works Project Administration (WPA) allowed the Park Department to proceed with additional improvements to the playground. In 1938, WPA workers painted the baseball field's backstop and bleachers. One year later, they built three...

With the help of Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor, the Seattle Park Department made improvements to the Georgetown Playground at South Homer Street and Corson Avenue. In 1936, WPA workers built a reinforced concrete wading pool along the eastern edge of the playground. According to Park Department records, “This pool was made so that the water can be maintained at two different depths; one at 18 inches for wading and the other at 30 inches so the children can learn to swim.” The Park Department provided $1,384 worth of materials for the pool and the WPA provided the paid labor....

While constructing central Washington's Vantage Highway in 1927, road workers uncovered the fossil remains of a diverse petrified forest. Over several years, local geologist George Beck advocated for the need to create a state park for preservation purposes. That goal was achieved in 1935 and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees began work to realize Beck's vision. From 1935 through 1938, the CCC developed the park. This work included unearthing and protecting the petrified logs in the park area as well as building structures for the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park. The National Park Service designed the structures and guided the CCC...

The Civilian Conservation Corps Company 2915 (F-12) built a ranger station in the vicinity of Glacier, Whatcom County.

A WPA press release from Nov. 1937 reported: "More than 150 schools have been repaired and the grounds improved and landscaped , and five brand new schools in the state were erected entirely by WPA with a small percentage of sponsored funds," among which was a new school in Glenrose, Washington. The precise location and the present status of the school building are unknown to Living New Deal.

Mount Rainier was the nation's fifth National Park, established 1899. During the Great Depression the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps greatly aided the park's development. The CCC constructed numerous fire lookout towers, including that at Gobbler's Knob in 1933. Elevation: 5,485 feet. Wikipedia: "One of four fire lookouts remaining in the park, the lookout is used for visitor services during summer weekends. The building is about 14 feet by 14 feet, and was designed by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and designs under the supervision of Acting Chief Architect Edwin A. Nickel."

The Seattle Park Department utilized funds and labor from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to complete a series of improvement projects at Golden Gardens Park. Much of the work aimed at stabilizing the steep hillsides in the eastern section of the park. Between 1935 and 1936, WPA workers excavated more than 7500 cubic yards of earth from a landslide-prone area along Golden Gardens Drive and used it to fill in a low area north of the park bathhouse, adding two acres of usable beachfront to the park. During this period, workers also cleared timber and removed tree stumps throughout the eastern...

The bridge was one of many PWA and WPA projects built in Washington state: "The Bridge was built from 1934-1935 and at the height of its construction it gave the more than 7000 workers on the Grand Coulee Dam passage to their homes in Mason City. The Bridge itself is just a bit north of the dam that shares its name. The bridge is part of the roadway Washington 155. Now it is mainly for everyday traffic but when it was originally built it was for the sole purpose of aiding in the help in the construction of the Grand Coulee...

The idea for the dam was originally proposed by William M. Clapp in 1917. Feasibility studies were performed in the 1920s, and a final report in favor of the dam was presented to Congress in 1931, but work on the dam did not begin until President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised federal support in 1933. The Public Works Administration began work on the dam in 1934. "Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power...

"Work is expected to start immediately on the grounds of Granger School in Yakima County ... in leveling the grounds, installing irrigation pipes and graveling the parking strip. When completed the high and grade schools of the district will have a playfield of four blocks, separated so that the high school pupils will have a baseball diamond and tennis court on one side and the other half be developed for a playground for the smaller children. WPA funds in the amount of $10,777 are provided with the school district contributing $1,352. Twenty men from the WPA Yakima water system project...

Skykomish High School was constructed in 1936 as a New Deal project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $56,250 grant for the project, whose total cost was $127,331. PWA Docket No. WA 1146

The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds provided funding for the construction of the old 1936 high school in Kennewick, Washington. The PWA provided a grant of $56,454; the total cost of the project was $140,054. The building has since been demolished.

The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds provided funding for the construction of the old 1936 high school in Moxee, Washington. The PWA provided a grant of $29,176; the total cost of the project was $69,437. The current function of the building, which still stands, is unknown to Living New Deal.

"Work is expected to start November 29th for the improvement of the grounds and the construction of tennis courts, grandstnnd and other recreational appurtenances for the Arlington High School, Arlington, Snohomish County ... t was stated that this would be the only tennis court in the town and that over 600 enthusiastic citizens would be benefited. The WPA allotment for labor on the project amounts to $6,598 to which the School Board contributed $3,351.20 for equipment and material. Fifteen men will be employed some eight months to complete the work in time for the tennis season next year."

In 1925, the Seattle Park Department purchased the site for Highland Park Playground at Thistle Street and 10th Avenue SW. The playground site saw few improvements during the late 1920s and early 1930s. A series of WPA projects between 1935 and 1940, however, transformed the site for use as a neighborhood playground. The first project, begun in 1935, involved the extension of water mains into the site. That same year, WPA workers began regrading the site and completed some initial planting and landscaping tasks. Additional grading work on the playing field was completed in 1936, along with the installation of several...

During the 1930s, with the help of Works Progress Administration funds and labor, the Seattle Park Department made significant improvements to Highland Park Playground. The largest of these improvement projects was the construction of a one-story brick shelter house in 1938. Located in the southeast section of the playground, the structure was a duplicate of the one built the same year at Seattle's Van Asselt Playground. The northern half of the building housed a large recreation room and the southern half contained restrooms. A plaque on the east side of the shelter house reads: "Built by Works Progress Administration 1938-1939."

A highway construction and improvement project was undertaken in Walla Walla County with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Construction occurred between 1933 and 1934. PWA Docket No. WA 1144

Hoquiam Olympic Stadium is the largest all-wood structure of its kind in the United States, constructed from old growth fir donated by the Polson Logging Company. This stadium houses local football and baseball games, as well as larger events, such as the annual Hoquiam Loggers Playday. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of two sites for the annual Hoquiam and Aberdeen football game, which has been a long-standing rivalry dating back to 1905.

"This structure, housing the swimming pool, was erected as an addition to the physical-education building. The swimming pool is 42 by 75 feet and galleries for spectators are provided to seat 1,000. The construction is reinforced concrete with exterior walls faced with brick and trimmed with cast stone. The steel roof trusses support a wood roof. The project was completed in September 1938 at a construction cost of $193,818 and a project cost of $205,887." (Short and Brown)

The University of Washington's Husky Stadium was expanded during the 1930s as a result of WPA funding assistance and efforts. A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 announced $23,345 in funds for the site and described some of the work: "A three-story headhouse will be built over the main entrance. The first floor of the structure will be occupied by ticket offices, storage rooms and public lavatories while the second floor will be given over to caretakers' apartments. Equipment for a public address system, and an observation room will find a place on the third floor. Surmounting the structure will be a cupola...

Seattle's old Ice Arena, built in 1915, gained a number of improvements from the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938. A WPA press release from January 1938 detailed the nature of the works to be carried out: "Modernizing of the Seattle Civic Auditorium and Ice Arena by WPA workers will begin January 21 with the aid of $21,539 in Federal funds, it was announced today by Don G. Abel, state Works Progress Administrator. ...In the Ice Arena new bleacher seats are planned. New lockers and benches will be made for the dressing rooms, and the broadcasting house is slated for complete...

The historic U.S. Border Inspection Station on Customs Road northwest of Curlew, Washington was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds. Built in 1937, the Colonial Revival structure (along with attendant storage shed) is still in service.

The historic U.S. Border Inspection Station on U.S. 395 in Laurier, Washington was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds. Built in 1935, the Colonial Revival structure (built with Cape Cod-style Immigration Residence and Customs Residence) is still in service.

The historic former U.S. Border Inspection Station on Highway 21 West in Danville, Washington was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds. Built ca. 1936, the facility was "sold and relocated" once replaced ca. 1988. The present location and status of the old building is presently unknown to Living New Deal.

Workers for the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) laid track for a railroad on Jackson St., in Seattle's Central District neighborhood, in 1934.

"This clubhouse was built by the city of Seattle in connection with one of its public golf courses that are included in the city park and recreation areas. The building has a small basement, a first floor, and a partial second floor. The heating plant occupies the basement; the first floor contains a spacious living room, locker rooms for men and women, a dining room, lunchroom, and kitchen facilities; and the second floor has quarters for the custodian. The basement and first floors are concrete, but otherwise this building is frame with exterior brick veneer walls....

A WPA press release from Jan. 1938 reported: "More than 125 men from the roliof rolls will begin erection of a concrete one-story scheol building at Kennydale, tomorrow, with the aid of $50,374 in WPA funds, it was announced yesterday by Don G. Abel, state Works Progress Administrator. Plans call for an up-to-date, modern, six room building. Special features include a cafeteria and playroom space in the basement, and a modern gymnasium, convertible to an auditorium. School District #147, as sponsor of the project, will contribute materials and supplies totaling $28,586.27. Six hundred residents of the Kennydale school district will benefit directly from...

This project was one of a number of WPA and PWA projects in Washington state: "The project piped water into southern King County. The area previously used well water. The six miles of pipe cost of $27,570."

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) undertook the dredging of Lake Sammamish, in Lake Sammamish State Park, in 1934.

"Constructed in just 18 months, the first bridge across Lake Washington opened on July 2, 1940. Funded partly by the Public Works Administration, the pontoon bridge was an engineering marvel, the longest floating span in the world at that time. The toll bridge made possible the expansion of suburban communities on the eastside. Fifty years after it opened, on November 25, 1990, the bridge failed. Several pontoon sunk and the roadway ripped apart in the face of severe winds and waves. The destroyed span was soon replaced."

During the late 1930s, with funds from various New Deal programs, the Seattle Park Department made significant improvements to Laurelhurst Playfield. The largest of these improvement projects was the construction of a field house near the southern end of the playfield. Workers with the CWA began constructing the field house in January 1934. Work had not yet been completed when the federal government shut down the CWA program at the end of March 1934. The remaining work on the structure was completed in 1935 with assistance from the Washington (State) Emergency Relief Administration. Designed by Seattle architect Lloyd J. Lovegren,...