The Belair Road railway station was rebuilt as a concrete structure during the mid-1930s as part of a massive grade separation project along what was then the South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway. The station “at Vermont Avenue, between Belair Road & St…. read more
The historic Belden Station post office in Norwalk, Connecticut was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds in 1937. The building, which houses an example of New Deal artwork, is still in service.
The Section of Fine Arts mural entitled “Building Norwalk” was painted in 1938 by Arnold Blanch for the Belden Station post office in Norwalk, Connecticut.
The Belding School contains a WPA mural “Children’s Activities” by Roberta Elvis. Medium: oil on canvas Size: 15′ x 5’4″
A WPA press release from Nov. 1937 reported: “More than 150 schools have been repaired and the grounds improved and landscaped [in Washington State], and five brand new schools in the state were erected entirely by WPA with a small… read more
The school was originally built in 1853. “In 1934, the WPA raised the building and added a basement, as well as an entryway.” The building is still standing, but is apparently no longer used as a school.
From the James F. Justin CCC Museum website: “Belleplain [State Forest] was established in 1928 by the state [of New Jersey] … Beginning in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) transformed the Meisle family’s cranberry bog into a 26.2 acre… read more
The Bureau of Public Roads provided funds for the grade separation of Belleville Turnpike and the Erie Railroad. New Jersey Board of Public Utility Commissioners: “A “Works Program-State Highway Department” project involving two separate grade crossings on which the Board initiated proceedings and… read more
W.P.A. project description: 1938 Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission annual report: “Blue Hills Division, in Boston; this project provided for extensive beautification work of road construction, sidewalk construction, grading of roadside slopes, drainage, etc. in Stony Brook Reservation, Bellevue Hill Section,… read more
The approximately $5 million Bellevue Hospital was constructed with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds during the 1930s. The present status of the New Deal structures within hospital complex, which has been extensively renovated, is unknown to Living New Deal.
In the late 1930s Emilio Amero completed work on the mural entitled “Tropical and Hudson Valley Vegetation,” for the entrance lobby in the new Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital. It was one of over a dozen murals painted by artists for the… read more
In 1936 Luis Arenal and his assistant completed work on the mural entitled “North American Tropical Vegetation,” for the First Lobby Stairway of the new Psychiatric Building at Bellevue Hospital. It was one of over a dozen murals painted by artists… read more
In the late 1930s Lily Furedi painted the mural entitled “Simple Way of Life” for the women’s large occupational therapy room in the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital, It was one of over a dozen murals painted by artists for the building with… read more
In the late 1930s, Axel Horn and an assistant, George Brodsky, who was a veteran of the Lincoln Battalion, completed work on the mural entitled “Industrial Landscape” for the first floor waiting room in the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital…. read more
In 1936 and 1937 William Karp painted a mural entitled “Normal Pursuits of Man” for the occupational therapy exhibition room in the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital. It was one of over a dozen murals painted by artists for the psychiatric… read more
In the early 1940s Nunzio laSpina completed work on a mural decoration for the ceiling in the lobby of the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital. LaSpina was one of over a dozen artists commissioned by the Federal Art Project (FAP)… read more
In the late 1930s Ryah Ludins painted the mural entitled “Recreational Grounds of New York City” for the men’s recreation room in the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital. It was one of over a dozen murals painted by artists for the… read more
“Materials of Relaxation,” by David Margolis was one of over a dozen murals that the Federal Art Project arm of the Works Progress Administration commissioned for the Psychiatric Building at Bellevue Hospital in the mid and late 1930s. “Materials of Relaxation”… read more
In 1937 Walter Quirt completed work on the mural entitled The Growth of Medicine from Primitive Times for the doctor’s lounge room of the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital. Quirt was one of over a dozen artists commissioned by the Federal Art… read more
In 1936 Phil Reisman was one of over twelve artists commissioned by the Federal Art Project arm of the Works Progress Administration to paint a series of murals for the Psychiatric Building at Bellevue Hospital. With funding provided by the… read more
In the late 1930s, Louis Ross completed work on the mural entitled “Cyclorama of Handicrafts” for the classroom in the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital. Ross was one of over a dozen artists commissioned by the Federal Art Project arm… read more
In the mid 1930s, Agnes Tait completed work on the mural entitled “Summer Holiday” for the women’s recreation room in the Psychiatric Building of Bellevue Hospital. Tait was one of over a dozen artists commissioned by the Federal Art Project arm of… read more
In 1940, the Washington Post reported allocation of funding to the Works Progress Administration (WPA) for improvements to naval facilities in the city’s southeast quadrant: “A group of 685 men working on an additional ammunition depot and buildings for the… read more
The W.P.A. conducted the following work at what is now just Bellevue Pond: 1937 MDC annual report: “Bellevue Ponds, Medford; work was started in the late fall of 1937 on a project for improvement and development, as a recreational area,… read more
The first WPA project in Sonoma County, California made improvements to a large reclamation project which is mostly forgotten today. Historically, drainage of swampland and naturally poorly drained areas of the United States opened up millions of acres to farming,… read more
"The Bellingham High School is one of the largest and finest structures of this type erected recently in northwest Washington. It is 3 stories in height with sufficient basement to take care of the heating system. It provides 20 standard… read more
In 1929 the Linden Irrigation District was incorporated and established plans to divert water from the Calaveras River at Bellota, a community about five miles east of Linden, and create a series of percolation dams to restore the depleted ground water… read more
Construction on Belmont’s central fire station was begun in 1935 by SERA and completed under the direction of the WPA using local labor. The station hired its first two employees in 1938. Presently, the building houses Belmont’s Center for Independence… read more
WPA laborers worked to grade slopes and construct a bypass road near the carpenter shop in Belmont Lake State Park in Babylon.
Parks first constructed a playground at the intersection of 182nd St. and Belmont Ave. in 1937. A press release from July of that year announced the opening of “five playgrounds, constructed by the Department of Parks with relief labor and… read more
WPA laborers worked to improve Belmont Road in Babylon. The project was completed Aug. 1938.
Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) reconstructed Belmont Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: WPA in Worcester removed electric car rails on Belmont Street from Shrewsbury Street to Lake Bridge and is installing safety islands in the center of the highway.
“The San Francisco Belt Railroad was a short-line railroad along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. It began as the State Belt Railroad in 1889, and was renamed when the city bought the Port of San Francisco in 1969. The… read more
Originally called the “Circumferential Parkway, “this roughly 25 mile stretch of highways forms a “belt-like circle around the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.” What is now known officially as the “Belt Parkway” is comprised of three other… read more
In 1940, as the construction of the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn was nearing completion, two pedestrian overpasses were constructed leading from Shore Rd. over the Parkway to the waterfront promenade. The pedestrian bridges, located at 92nd St. and 81st St…. read more
In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the Clear River Camp (also known as the Norris Camp), which served as the headquarters for the Beltrami Island Project. The Project was part of a “pioneering experiment in relocation and… read more
In 1941, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work on a grass airstrip at Beltsville MD. The Washington Post reported in April that “clearing, grubbing, grading, draining, construction of runways, seeding and installation of lighting facilities” had begun. … read more
This 30.94 acre park in East Los Angeles was built with funds from the WPA. Still a vital part of community life, the park presently encompasses one of the top skate parks in North America in addition to an array… read more
Nobleboro-Damariscotta Bridge and Belvedere Rd. were improved with WPA aid in the mid 1930s. The following information is from a 1937 municipal report: W. P. A. PROJECTS No Appropriations Expenditures: Nobleboro-Damariscotta Bridge [on Belvedere Rd.] Miscellaneous $14.00 Materials $236.04 Truck… read more
Belvin Hall was the first student residence constructed on the campus of Sam Houston State University, then called Sam Houston State Teachers College. With an occupancy of 92, the building has remained a women-only residence since it opened. The Public… read more
WPA Bulletin, 1937: “A 12-acre pond is included on the land. WPA workmen have completed construction of a dike to hold in this water and in the winter the spot can be used for winter sport purposes.”
The Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted development work at Ben Ficklin Park in San Angelo, Texas. Work included $3,095 on a garden.
In conjunction with what was known as the Ridge Avenue Connector, “the high speed electric rail transit line which connects the Ridge Avenue—Eighth Street—Locust Street Subway in Philadelphia with a terminal near the Broadway Station of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in Camden,… read more
The Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the former Ben Franklin School in Shawnee, Oklahoma during the late 1930s. The Living New Deal suspects that, like Washington School, another New Deal construction Project in Shawnee, the New Deal building replaced… read more
Sponsor: County of Mariposa WPA Proj. No. 165-3-1093, December 21, 1936, $7,997. “Widen, drain, and surface road; repair bridge and do other work incidental thereto on Ben Hur Road, Mariposa County, near Mariposa. Not in the Federal Aid Highway System…. read more
The Farm Security Administration commissioned this mural in 1937-38 to commemorate the New Deal resettlement community of Jersey Homesteads, now called Roosevelt, N.J. The mural can still be seen in the Roosevelt Public School. “Ben Shahn’s mural for the community… read more
The old Nashville City Market was constructed in 1936-1937 with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The chief contractor for the project was Foster & Creighton Construction Company. Project cost was “almost a half a million dollars” (Van West, 2000,… read more
While less famous than its contemporary, Timberline Lodge, this New Deal sponsored mountain resort also is significant as an Oregon example of WPA log architecture. The Skyliner Lodge is located in the Deschutes National Forest, west of Bend. It was… read more
“The Legend of El Diablo” “…is an oil painting on masonite done by Clarkson Dye (FAP/WPA Project #7754). It measures 42-1/4″ x 52-1/2″ and hangs in the second floor legislative meeting room. Originally this painting was installed at Mt. Diablo… read more
Benjamin Allen Hall is named after an early 20th Century Lincoln University president and was built as a dormitory by the PWA in 1936. It served as housing for black legislators who could not find rooms at hotels in Jefferson… read more