Frank da Cruz
July 2014
Most recent update: 14 December 2019
See Parks press release archives
This is an attempt to list New Deal projects in New York City relying only on press releases issued by the New York City Parks Department, 1934-1943. These releases often credit the PWA, CWA, WPA, or other New Deal agency for funding, design, or labor, in which case the inclusion of the project in the table below is unquestionable. In other cases, however, the role of New Deal agencies is unstated and must be inferred. My method for this is explained after the table. The table might seem long (it has just over 500 entries) but bear in mind it contains only what the Parks Department decided to write a press release for. To get an idea the true scope of New Deal activity in New York City, CLICK HERE to read a summary for just one agency (the WPA) for one single fiscal year. Also note that many important New Deal projects in NYC do not appear in this table because they weren't Park Department projects; examples include the Triborough and Bronx-Whitestone bridges, the Lincoln and Brooklyn-Battery and Queens-Midtown Tunnels, LaGuardia Airport, numerous municipal buildings (courthouses, post offices, schools, jails), hospitals, clinics, college campuses, the WNYC radio station (etc etc), plus vast amounts of infrustructure work, not to mention murals, concerts, performances, surveys, maps, and on and on. Others don't appear because even though they were Parks Department projects, they don't have press releases; for example the renovation of the Central Park Arsenal and the painting of its murals, the Mother Goose statue, the reconstruction of the Central Park (and other) bridle paths, Van Cortlandt Stadium, the Merchant Marine Academy, and so on.
The Reference column shows the date of a NYC Parks Department press release that announced the the project; this is not necessarily the same as the date when the project was completed. The dates key into local cleaned-up versions of the Parks Department press release archives found at www.nycgovparks.org/news/reports/archive (see below the table for details).
[1934] [1935] [1936] [1937] [1938] [1939] [1940] [1941] [1942] [1943] [Others] [Commentary] [Archives] | |||
Reference | Borough | Description | Current name or status |
---|---|---|---|
8 Feb 1934 | Manhattan | Model playground program announced | |
12 Feb 1934 | Brooklyn | Massive cleaning of Coney Island | |
28 Feb 1934 | Manhattan | Broadway center strip and safety islands | |
6 Mar 1934 | Richmond | Barrett Park Zoo (Richmond = Staten Island) | Staten Island Zoo |
14 Mar 1934 | (all) | Model concession and police stands for all parks | |
15 May 1934 | Bronx | Orchard Beach | |
15 May 1934 | Brooklyn | Construction resumes on Dyker Beach golf clubhouse | |
17 May 1934 | Manhattan | Central Park North Meadow | |
27 July 1934 | Manhattan | Playground at West 17th St between 8th-9th Aves | Gertude B. Kelly Playground |
27 July 1934 | Manhattan | Playground at 85 Roosevelt Street | See Note A |
27 July 1934 | Manhattan | Playground at 99 Thompson Street | Vesuvio Playground |
27 July 1934 | Manhattan | Inwood Hill Playground, Payson & Dyckman Sts | Payson Plaground |
27 July 1934 | Manhattan | St. Nicholas Ave Playground at 141st St | St. Nicholas Park |
27 July 1934 | Manhattan | Central Park Reservoir Recreation building | |
27 July 1934 | Manhattan | Corlears Hook Playground at Corlears and Water Streets | Now on Jackson & Cherry Streets |
27 July 1934 | Manhattan | Playground at Rivington and Lewis Streets | No longer exists |
27 July 1934 | Brooklyn | Playground at Fourth Avenue and 3rd-4th Streets | Washington Park |
27 July 1934 | Brooklyn | Baseball diamond at Sunrise Hwy and Atlantic Ave | See note A |
27 July 1934 | Bronx | Playground at 141st St, Brook and St.Ann's Aves | People's Park |
27 July 1934 | Queens | Playground at 25th-30th Aves and 84th-85th Sts | Gorman Playground |
27 July 1934 | Richmond | Playground at Jewett and Castleton Avenues | Levy Playground |
27 July 1934 | Richmond | Marine Park (CWA work in progress) | |
31 July 1934 | Manhattan | Riverside Park (work begins) | |
22 Aug 1934 | Brooklyn | Expansion of Leiv Eriksson playground | Leif Ericson Park Square |
22 Aug 1934 | Manhattan | New Playground, Sheriff, Broome, and Delancey Sts | Sara Roosevelt Park |
22 Aug 1934 | Queens | New playground on Corona Avenue and 102nd Street | No longer exists |
22 Aug 1934 | Manhattan | New Playground on Houston Street, Essex and Norfolk | ABC Playground |
22 Aug 1934 | Manhattan | New Playground on Houston Street at Sixth Ave (north) | Passannante Ballfield |
22 Aug 1934 | Manhattan | Formal park on Houston Street at Sixth Ave (south) | Playground of the Americas |
22 Aug 1934 | Manhattan | Opening of Jackson Square, 8th Ave and Horatio St. | (it's still there) |
23 Aug 1934 | Manhattan | Remodeling and enlargement of Columbus Park | (it's still there) |
12 Sep 1934 | Manhattan | Chrystie-Forsythe Playground, Canal to Houston Sts. | Sara Delano Roosevelt |
8 Oct 1934 | Queens | New playground at Corona Ave and 102nd Street | |
8 Oct 1934 | Brooklyn | Two new play areas in Liev Eirikkson Park | Lief Ericson Park + Square |
8 Oct 1934 | Manhattan | Mounting of Columbus statue in Columbus Park | |
8 Oct 1934 | Manhattan | New playground at Baxter, Mulberry, and Park Sts | No longer exists |
18 Oct 1934 | Brooklyn | New playground at Park Ave and Taaffee Place | Taaffe Playground |
18 Oct 1934 | Manhattan | New playground, Cherry, Monroe, Gouveneur Streets | Coleman or Taney Playgound |
25 Oct 1934 | Brooklyn | New playground at Fulton Street and Classon Avenue | Crispus Attucks Playground |
25 Oct 1934 | Bronx | New playground, Sedgwick, Reservoir, Webb Aves | Old Fort Four Park |
29 Oct 1934 | Manhattan | Conversion of Central Park sheepfold to restaurant | Tavern On The Green |
29 Oct 1934 | Manhattan | Renovation of Claremont Inn on Riverside Drive | (burned down in 1949) |
8 Nov 1934 | Queens | Flushing Memorial Playfield 149th St & 25th Ave | Memorial Field of Flushing |
8 Nov 1934 | Brooklyn | Dreier-Offerman playground Cropsey Ave Bay 46th St | Dreier-Offerman Park |
20 Nov 1934 | Manhattan | The Great Lawn | Central Park |
23 Nov 1934 | Manhattan | Central Park Zoo | Replaces the old Menagerie |
1935 | |||
11 Jan 1935 | Brooklyn | New section of Leiv Erikkson Park | Lief Ericson Park and Square |
18 Feb 1935 | Manhattan | Plan for redesign of City Hall Park | |
19 Feb 1935 | Bronx | Plans for reconstruction of Joyce Kilmer Park | |
28 Feb 1935 | Bronx | New playground at Union-Tinton Aves 161-163 Sts | Jane Addams High School |
28 Feb 1935 | Queens | New playground in Chisolm Park in College Point | Powell's Cove or Golden Park |
28 Feb 1935 | Manhattan | New playground on E.28th Street near 3rd Avenue | No longer exists |
14 Mar 1935 | (all) | Renovation/reconstruction of 40 comfort stations | (in parks and playgrounds)) |
17 Mar 1935 | Brooklyn | Redesign and reconstruction of Grand Army Plaza | |
22 Mar 1935 | Manhattan | New health center 115th St & Lexington Ave | (with playground on roof) |
24 Mar 1935 | Manhattan | Remodeling of Hecksher Playground in Central Park | |
1 Apr 1935 | Manhattan | New Schiff Fountain in Seward Park | (moved from Rutgers Park) |
1 Apr 1935 | Queens | New playground at 32nd Avenue and 106th Street | No longer exists |
1 Apr 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground at Vandervoort Ave & Cherry Street | Wm. Dougherty Playground |
16 Apr 1935 | Manhattan | J. Hood Wright Playground, Haven Ave & 173rd St | J. Hood Wright Park |
21 May 1935 | Bronx | Mosholu Baseball Field, 201st St and Webster Ave. | Frank Frisch Field |
3 Jun 1935 | Bronx | Reconstructed St. James Park, Jerome Ave & 191st St | |
3 Jul 1935 | Brooklyn | Prospect Park Zoo | |
5 Jul 1935 | (all) | WPA Portable Theater presentations all summer | |
16 Jul 1935 | Queens | New Forest Park Golf Course | |
7 Aug 1935 | Queens | New Kissena Park Golf Course in Flushing | |
9 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | Development plan for Colonial Park | Bradhurst Park |
The 12 August 1935 press release contains a long list of playgrounds completed in 1934-35 with relief funds. | |||
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | William McCray Memorial Playground 138th St, 5th Av | Still there |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | Joseph Sauer Mem. Playground E.12th St Aves A & B | Still there |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | Wm. E.Sheridan Mem. Playground 1st & Grand Sts | Still there |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | Daniel O'Connell Mem. Playground 196 St & 113 Ave | Still there |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | Howard Von Dohlen Mem. Playground 138 St, 91 Ave | Still there |
12 Aug 1935 | Richmond | Austin McDonald Mem. Playground Port Richmond | Myrtle Ave & Broadway |
12 Aug 1935 | Richmond | Nicholas DeMatti Mem. Playground in Rosebank | Tompkins & Chestnut Ave |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground, 95th St between Avenues K and L | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground 3rd-4th Streets, 4th and 5th Aves | J.J. Byrne Playground |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground Atlantic & Fountain Aves | See Note A |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground 39th Street and Second Avenue | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | New playground in Alley Pond Park by parking field | |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | New playground in Hillside Park by parking field | (still there) |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground at First Ave, Houston and 1st Streets | First Park |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground at 150th St, 7th Ave. & Macombs Pl | Frederick Johnson Playgrd |
12 Aug 1935 | Richmond | New playground, Harbor Road, Richmond Terrace | Mariners Harbor Playground |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | New playground at 243rd Road and 43rd Avenue | See Note A |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | New playground at Poppenhausen Ave, 119th St | See Note A |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground on 28th Street, 2nd and 3rd Avenues. | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground Nostrand Ave and Montgomery St | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Bronx | New playground on Park Ave between 150-151st Sts | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | New playground on 52nd Ave, 106th-107th Streets | Wm F. Moore Park (?) |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground Union, Hamilton, Van Brunt Street | Coffey Park (?) (Note A) |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground Remsen Avenue and Rutland Road | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground East NY Ave, Remsen and Utica Ave | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground Remsen Ave, 52nd-Winthrop Streets | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground Remsen Ave, Winthrop-Clarkson Sts | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground Rutgers and Henry Streets | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground New Utrecht Ave and 71st Street | Petrosino Park |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground Downing and Carmine Streets | Downing Street Playground |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground in Highbridge Park | |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground Washington St, Horatio St-13th Street | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground Washington St, 12th - Leroy Street | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground on Schermerhorn Street | No longer exists |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground, Central Park N.Meadow, 100th St | 8 baseball fields, rec center |
12 Aug 1935 | Bronx | New playground, St.James Park, Jerome Ave, 193rd St | (still there) |
12 Aug 1935 | Manhattan | New playground in Carl Schurz Park | Catbird Playground |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | New Alley Pond Recreational Field | |
12 Aug 1935 | Queens | Newton Playground, 56th Ave and 92nd Street | Newton Playground |
30 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground at Snediker and Riverdale Aves | Lion's Pride Playground |
30 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground at Stillwell Avenue and Avenue U | Scarangella Park |
30 Aug 1935 | Brooklyn | New play area in McCarren Park | (still there) |
30 Aug 1935 | Queens | New children's play area in Laurelton playground | Montbelier Park? |
30 Aug 1935 | Queens | New play equipment in Highland Park | |
30 Aug 1935 | Bronx | New modern playground, location unspecified. | |
13 Sep 1935 | Manhattan | Plans for 19 new playgrounds in Central Park | (around the edges) |
15 Sep 1935 | Queens | New nature trail at Alley Pond Park | |
20 Sep 1935 | Manhattan | North Playground, Jefferson Park 1st Ave 111th St | Thomas Jefferson Park |
20 Sep 1935 | Brooklyn | Sunset Park Playground at 5th Ave and 44th Street | |
20 Sep 1935 | Bronx | New playground at Cauldwell Ave & E.161-165 Sts | Dunbar Playground |
20 Sep 1935 | Queens | New Playground, 68th Rd. & 79th St. | Middle Village Playground |
20 Sep 1935 | Queens | New Jackson Pond Playground in Forest Park | Parks Lane S and 108th St |
7 Oct 1935 | Manhattan | Central Park Harvest Festival WPA chorus & band | |
12 Oct 1935 | Bronx | Winter WPA Concerts at McCombs Dam Rec Building | |
12 Oct 1935 | Brooklyn | Winter WPA Concerts at Prospect Park Picnic House | |
14 Oct 1935 | Manhattan | New playground W.Houston, Sullivan & Thompson Sts | |
14 Oct 1935 | Manhattan | New playground Essex St, Rivington & Delancey Sts | No longer exists |
14 Oct 1935 | Manhattan | New playground at York Avenue and E.68th St. | No longer exists |
14 Oct 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground at E.3rd St, Ocean Pkwy, and Ave.P. | No longer exists |
14 Oct 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground at Bedford Ave, Avenues X and Y. | Bill Brown Playground |
14 Oct 1935 | Bronx | New playground, Hunts Pt & Spofford Aves & Faile St | Hunts Point Playground |
14 Oct 1935 | Bronx | New playground at E.164 St & Teasdale Place | See Note A |
14 Oct 1935 | Bronx | New playground at Jerome & Sedgwick Aves | Macombs Dam Playground |
14 Oct 1935 | Queens | New Playground at Bridge Plaza and 22nd Street | |
14 Oct 1935 | Queens | New Playground at Bridge Plaza and Crescent Ave / 27th St. | No longer exists |
21 Nov 1935 | Queens | Playground at 210th St & 32nd Ave, Bayside | Raymond O'Connor Park |
21 Nov 1935 | Manhattan | New playground, Morningside Ave, 114th St. | Morningside Park Playgrd |
21 Nov 1935 | Manhattan | New playground, Sixth Avenue and Minetta Lane | Minetta Playground |
21 Nov 1935 | Manhattan | South Playground, Jefferson Park 1st Ave 111th St | Thomas Jefferson Park |
21 Nov 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground at Aberdeen St near Bushwick Ave. | No longer exists |
21 Nov 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground at Third Ave, Douglass & Degraw Sts | Thomas Greene Playground |
21 Nov 1935 | Bronx | New playground, University Ave & W.188th St | Devoe Park |
18 Dec 1935 | Manhattan | New playground, E.Houston St, Mott and Elizabeth Sts | No longer exists |
18 Dec 1935 | Bronx | New playground at Cedar and Segwick Aves & 178 St | Cedar Playground |
18 Dec 1935 | Bronx | New playground at Pennyfield Avenue and Shore Drive | See note A |
18 Dec 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground at Prospect and Greenwood Avenues | Greenwood Playground(?) |
18 Dec 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground Linden St, Central & Wilson Aves | Hecksher Playground |
18 Dec 1935 | Brooklyn | New playground, Howard and Atlantic Avenues | Weeksville Playground |
18 Dec 1935 | Brooklyn | Hopkinson Avenue and Dean Street | See Note A |
18 Dec 1935 | Queens | New Playground, 32nd Ave, 158-159 Streets | Bowne Park |
18 Dec 1935 | Queens | New Playground Astoria Blvd & 90th Street | One Room Schoolhouse Park |
18 Dec 1935 | Richmond | Small children's playground in Clove Lakes Park | (on Clove Road) |
18 Dec 1935 | Richmond | Junior playground area Clove Lakes Park | (on Victory Boulevard) |
1936 | |||
27 Mar 1936 | Manhattan | New playground 106th St east of Fifth Ave | Mae Grant Playground |
27 Mar 1936 | Manhattan | New playground at E.Houston St & Bowery | Liz Christy Garden |
27 Mar 1936 | Richmond | New Rosebank playground at Virginia & Vermont Aves | No longer exists |
27 Mar 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground at Owl's Head Park | |
27 Mar 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground at Jay and Nassau Streets | |
27 Mar 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground at Smith & Carroll Sts & First Place | Carroll Park |
27 Mar 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground at White & McKibben Sts | Gilbert Ramírez Park |
27 Mar 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground at Smith & Nelson Sts | St. Mary's Park |
27 Mar 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground at Smith & Luqueer Sts | St. Mary's Playground |
27 Mar 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground, Remsen Ave, Winthrop-Clarkson Sts | No longer exists |
4 May 1936 | Queens | New playground at 47th Avenue at 111th Street | Corona Golf Playground |
4 May 1936 | Bronx | New drainage system in Van Cortlandt Park | Parade Grounds |
4 May 1936 | Bronx | 3 new ball fields Van Cortlandt Park | Broadway and 240th St |
4 May 1936 | Bronx | New ball field in Bronx Park | Boston Road and Pelham Parkway |
4 May 1936 | Bronx | New playground on 146th St & Walton Ave | Garrison Playground |
4 May 1936 | Brooklyn | New ball fields on 8th Ave between 65th & 66th | Leif Ericson Playground |
4 May 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground on 23rd St between 4th-5th Ave | No longer exists |
4 May 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground in NW corner of Fort Greene Park | |
4 May 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Central Park, 68th St & CPW | |
4 May 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Central Park, 100th St & 5th Ave | |
4 May 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Central Park, 77th St & 5th Ave | |
7 May 1936 | Richmond | Reconstruction of 1st 9 holes, LaTourette Golf Course | |
7 May 1936 | Richmond | Reconstruction of Silver Lake Golf Course | |
7 May 1936 | Bronx | Reconstruction of Pelham Bay Golf Course | |
7 May 1936 | Queens | Reconstruction of Forest Park Golf Course | |
7 May 1936 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of Dyker Beach Golf Course | |
7 May 1936 | Richmond | Nine new holes at LaTourette Golf Course | |
7 May 1936 | Queens | Opening of Kissena Golf Course | |
7 May 1936 | Bronx | Opening of Split Rock Golf Course in Pelham Bay Park | |
3 Jun 1936 | (all) | Summer dances with WPA orchestra | |
3 Jun 1936 | (all) | WPA orchestra concerts for June-July 1935 | |
9 Jun 1936 | Richmond | Opening of Barrett Park and Barrett Zoo | |
12 Jun 1936 | Queens | New seawall and parking lot at Jacob Riis Beach | |
12 Jun 1936 | Queens | Expansion of Jacob Riis Beach | |
11 Jun 1936 | (all) | WPA Portable Theater Shows spring-summer 1936 | |
12 Jun 1936 | Queens | Reconstructed playground, Myrtle Ave at 80th St, | Still there, Forest Park |
12 Jun 1936 | Queens | New playground, 34th Ave and 214th Place | Still there, Crocheron Park |
12 Jun 1936 | Queens | New playground 149th St and 15th Ave | No longer exists |
12 Jun 1936 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed playground Cathedral & Jay Sts | McLaughlin Park |
12 Jun 1936 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed playground at Carnarsie park | Seaview Ave & E.92nd St |
12 Jun 1936 | Manhattan | New playground at Lexington Ave and 106th St | White Playground |
12 Jun 1936 | Manhattan | New playground at Park Ave and 121-124 Street | No longer exists |
24 Jun 1936 | Manhattan | Opening of Hamilton Fish Swimming Pool | E. Houston St and Avenue C |
25 Jun 1936 | Queens | New College Point Playground | No longer exists |
25 Jun 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground, Sullivan Pl. & Nostrand Ave. | No longer exists |
25 Jun 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground, Irving & Knickerbocker Aves. | Note A |
25 Jun 1936 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed playground at Ave. R & W.12th St. | No longer exists |
25 Jun 1936 | Manhattan | Four new marginal playgrounds in Central Park | |
25 Jun 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Thomas F. Smith Park | Chelsea Waterside Park |
25 Jun 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Chelsea Park, 27-28 St, 9-10 Ave. | |
26 Jun 1936 | Manhattan | Thomas Jefferson Pool | 1st Ave at East 112th Street |
1 Jul 1936 | Queens | New Astoria Swimming Pool | Hoyt and Ditmars Avenues |
1 Jul 1936 | Manhattan | Opening of Randall's Island Municipal Stadium | Demolished 2002, now Icahn Stadium |
5 Jul 1936 | Richmond | New Tompkinsville Swimming Pool | Lyons Pool |
8 Jul 1936 | Bronx | New playground at Bryant Ave and 176th Street | Now a shopping mall |
8 Jul 1936 | Queens | New playground at 46th Ave & 164th St | Martin's Field |
8 Jul 1936 | Queens | New play area in Juniper Valley Playground | |
13 Jul 1936 | Manhattan | New Highbridge Swimming Pool in Highbridge Park | 173rd St & Amsterdam Ave |
19 Jul 1936 | Brooklyn | New Sunset Swimming Pool in Sunset Park | 7th Ave & 41-44rd St |
23 Jul 1936 | Bronx | New Crotona Park Swimming Pool | |
23 Jul 1936 | Bronx | Orchard Beach and bathhouse, Pelham Bay Park | (bathhouse now closed) |
23 Jul 1936 | Bronx | Addition of 115 acres to Pelham Bay Park | |
30 Jul 1936 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed playground at White & McKibben Sts | Gilbert Ramírez Park |
30 Jul 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground, Marine Park, Ave U & 32nd St | |
30 Jul 1936 | Brooklyn | New McCarren Park Swimming Pool in Greenpoint | Lorimer and Bayard Streets |
5 Aug 1936 | Brooklyn | New Betsy Head Swimming Pool in Brownsville | Dumont Ave & Boyland St |
7 Aug 1936 | Manhattan | New Colonial Swimming Pool in Bradhurst Park | Jackie Robinson Pool |
10 Aug 1936 | Manhattan | Reconstructed area of St. Gabriel's Park | St Vartan's Park 1st & 35th |
21 Aug 1936 | Bronx | 20 new handball courts in Macombs Dam Park | (it's all different now) |
21 Aug 1936 | Manhattan | New playground at 11th Ave, 58th-59th St. | (now a construction site) |
19 Sep 1936 | Manhattan | Water Carnival, music by WPA Hudson Concert Band | |
1 Oct 1936 | Manhattan | Shade trees and benches at Dyckman St & Broadway | Lt. Wm. Tighe Triangle |
1 Oct 1936 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Stuyvesant Square Park | (Park is still there) |
1 Oct 1936 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Tompkins Square Park | (still there) |
1 Oct 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Central Park at 84th St & 5th Ave | |
1 Oct 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Central Park at 93rd St & CPW | |
1 Oct 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground at Gerrittsen Avenue and Avenue X | In Marine Park (still there) |
1 Oct 1936 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of playground in Carroll Park | |
1 Oct 1936 | Brooklyn | Redesigned children's garden in Fort Greene Park | |
1 Oct 1936 | Brooklyn | Completion of east half of McLoughlin Park | |
26 Oct 1936 | Queens | Dancing, Astoria play center, WPA orchestra | |
26 Oct 1936 | Manhattan | Dancing, Highbridge play center, WPA orchestra | |
7 Nov 1936 | Manhattan | New recreation building in Columbus Park | |
7 Nov 1936 | Bronx | New playground in Van Cortlandt Park | Southwest Playground |
7 Nov 1936 | Bronx | Renovated Field House in Macombs Dam Park | Field house is gone |
7 Nov 1936 | Brooklyn | New play area, Neptune Ave, 28-29th Sts | Kaiser Park |
7 Nov 1936 | Brooklyn | New playground ball fields at Ave U & E.58th-60th Sts | Now a shopping mall |
7 Nov 1936 | Brooklyn | New comfort station in Fort Greene Park | (northeast corner) |
7 Nov 1936 | Queens | New playground in Astoria Park | Between N. S.Hoyt Aves |
11 Nov 1936 | Bronx | New Wm.F.Deegan Playground at 181st St & Ryer Ave. | No longer exists |
11 Nov 1936 | Bronx | New marginal playground in Crotona Park | at Charlotte St |
20 Nov 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Central Park at 86th & 5th | Ancient Playground |
4 Dec 1936 | Bronx | New ballfields and track in Macombs Dam Park | Converted to Heritage Field |
4 Dec 1936 | Brooklyn | Expanded Avenue X playground in Marine Park | |
4 Dec 1936 | Manhattan | New playground in Highbridge Park | |
4 Dec 1936 | Manhattan | Remodeled playground, 111th Street & 1st Ave | Thomas Jefferson Park |
4 Dec 1936 | Manhattan | Remodeled playground in Stuyvesant Park | (now Stuyvesant Town) |
4 Dec 1936 | Richmond | George Cromwell Rec Center, Pier 6 | See Note A |
11 Dec 1936 | Brooklyn | Remodeled play area in McCarren Park | At Union & Driggs Aves |
11 Dec 1936 | Queens | New section of Juniper Valley Playground | |
11 Dec 1936 | Queens | Reconstructed Playground at 46th Ave and 164th St. | Martin's Field |
30 Dec 1936 | Queens | New playground at Broadway and 78th St. | Frank O'Connor Playground |
30 Dec 1936 | Queens | Expanded Dry Harbor playground in Forest Park | |
30 Dec 1936 | Manhattan | Reconstructed Hecksher playground | |
30 Dec 1936 | Manhattan | Alice in Wonderland sculpture | In Hecksher playground |
30 Dec 1936 | Brooklyn | 2 new baseball diamonds in Marine Park at Ave U | |
30 Dec 1936 | Bronx | 6 new handball courts, Van Cortlandt Park | Broadway & VCPS |
1937 | |||
3 Apr 1937 | Queens | New field house, Crocheron Park | John Golden Park |
3 Apr 1937 | Queens | New recreation building, | Newtown Playground |
3 Apr 1937 | Queens | New playground at 135th and Lincoln Streets | Frederick B. Judge Plgd |
3 Apr 1937 | Brooklyn | Renovation of comfort station / playroom building | Coffey Park, Red Hook |
3 Apr 1937 | Brooklyn | New comfort station, play room; Van Brunt, Union Sts | Urban Meadow |
3 Apr 1937 | Manhattan | New recreation building in Jay Hood Wright Park | Ft. Wash. Ave & 174th St. |
9 Apr 1937 | Bronx | New recreation building in St. James Park | Jerome Ave & 191st St. |
11 Apr 1937 | Manhattan | Restoration of Maine Monument | 59th Street and 8th Avenue |
11 Apr 1937 | Manhattan | Restoration of Columbus Monument | 59th Street and 8th Avenue |
17 Apr 1937 | Queens | Redesign and reconstruction of Crocheron Park | 214th Pl & 35th Ave |
17 Apr 1937 | Brooklyn | New recreation bldg, New Utrecht Ave & 70th St | Lt. Jos. Petrocino Park |
17 Apr 1937 | Brooklyn | New playground, New Utrecht Ave & 70th St | Lt. Jos. Petrocino Park |
17 Apr 1937 | Manhattan | Completion of comfort station in Stuyvesant Park | 2nd Ave btw 15th & 17th St |
17 Apr 1937 | Manhattan | New playground at 45th St. E. of 10th Ave. | Matthews-Palmer Plgd |
17 Apr 1937 | Manhattan | New Rockefeller playground | Now Rockefeller Univ. |
7 May 1937 | Manhattan | Demolition by WPA of Casino in Central Park in 1934 | 72nd St W. of 5th Ave |
7 May 1937 | Manhattan | New playground on former Central Park Casino site | Rumsey Playfield |
17 May 1937 | Manhattan | New bronze sculptures in Central Park Zoo | Still there |
25 May 1937 | Queens | Reconstructed and expanded Jacob Riis Park | Still there |
29 May 1937 | (all) | Summer theater by Federal Theater Group | |
12 Jun 1937 | Manhattan | New playground at 5th Ave and 130th-131st Streets | Courtney Callender Plgd |
12 Jun 1937 | Brooklyn | New playground Ave L btw 17th and 18th Streets | Kolbert Park |
12 Jun 1937 | Brooklyn | New building in playground at Ave X and Bedford Ave | Note A |
28 Jun 1937 | Brooklyn | Rehabilitation of Forte Greene Park | Still there |
28 Jun 1937 | Brooklyn | Two new playgrounds in Fort Greene Park | Still there |
17 Jul 1937 | Manhattan | New building in Highbridge Park | Still there |
17 Jul 1937 | Manhattan | New building in playground at 101st St, 2nd-3rd Ave | Playground is gone |
17 Jul 1937 | Queens | New playground in St.Albans Park | Still there |
17 Jul 1937 | Queens | New playground at 179th Place North of Jamaica Ave | No longer exists |
24 Jul 1937 | Queens | New parking lot in Astoria Park | under Triborough Bridge |
24 Jul 1937 | Queens | New playground at 173rd St & 106th Ave | North Jamaica |
24 Jul 1937 | Richmond | New playgrd, Beechwood, Crescent Aves, Cleveland St | North Jamaica |
28 Jul 1937 | Brooklyn | New playground at Pitkin and NJ Aves | Grace Playground |
28 Jul 1937 | Brooklyn | New playground, Howard, Pacific, & Dean Streets | South Pacific Playground |
28 Jul 1937 | Brooklyn | New playground at Lafayette & Reid Aves. | Note A |
28 Jul 1937 | Bronx | New playground at 182nd St & Belmont Ave | |
28 Jul 1937 | Queens | New playground, Woodside Ave, 52-54 Street | |
17 Aug 1937 | Queens | Dredging & boat Basin, Flushing Meadow park | World's Fair Marina |
10 Sep 1937 | Queens | New playground at 30th Road btw 45th-46th Streets | Astoria Heights Playground |
10 Sep 1937 | Bronx | Williamsbridge Reservoir Playground (Oval Park) | 208th Street and Bainbridge Ave. |
17 Sep 1937 | Manhattan | The Conservatory Gardens in Central Park | 105th St & Fifth Ave. |
11 Oct 1937 | Manhattan | Riverside and Fort Washington Parks | 72nd St - Dyckman Street |
15 Oct 1937 | Manhattan | New playground on Randall's Island | status unknown |
15 Oct 1937 | Queens | New playground on Liberty Ave btw 172nd-173rd St | Det. Keith Williams Park |
15 Oct 1937 | Manhattan | New playground in Colonial Park in Harlem | Bradhurst Ave, 148-150 St |
26 Oct 1937 | Manhattan | Remodeled playground, Madison Ave, 120-124th St | Marcus Garvey Park |
26 Oct 1937 | Manhattan | Remodeled playground at 2nd Ave & E.17th St | in Stuyvesant Park |
26 Oct 1937 | Queens | New playground, 43rd St, Greenpoint - 47th Aves | Thos. P. Noonan Playground |
30 Oct 1937 | Brooklyn | New playground at Dahill Road and 38th Street | Dome Playground |
13 Nov 1937 | Brooklyn | New playground, Powell & Sackman Sts, Pitkin Ave. | No longer exists |
13 Nov 1937 | Brooklyn | New playground at South 3rd and Berry Streets | Berry Playground |
27 Nov 1937 | Manhattan | New playground on Harlem River, 150th-154th Street | No longer exists |
27 Nov 1937 | Manhattan | New playground in Chelsea Park, 9th Ave, 27-28 St | on roof of health center |
27 Nov 1937 | Queens | New playground in Brookville Park | Still there |
11 Dec 1937 | Bronx | Hutchinson River Parkway Extension | Boston Rd. - Pelham Br. Rd. |
18 Dec 1937 | Queens | New playground at 90th St btw 88th-89th Aves | No longer exists |
1938 | |||
4 Jan 1938 | Brooklyn | New playground at the Old Broadway Ferry Terminal | No longer exists |
4 Jan 1938 | Queen | New playground at 34th Ave, 96th St & Junction Blvd | |
28 Jan 1938 | Queens | WPA will convert PS 28 to playground | 115th Street Playground |
12 Feb 1938 | Bronx | Last two sections of Williamsbridge Oval | Oval Park Recreation Center |
10 Mar 1938 | Manhattan | Renovation of 9 public bathhouses | Some still exist |
16 Apr 1938 | Brooklyn | New playground, Lafayette and Marcy Avenues | Herbert Von King Park |
23 Apr 1938 | Brooklyn | New playground, Lee Street btw Lynch & Middleton Sts | Note A |
14 May 1938 | Bronx | New playground, Stebbins Ave North of E.167th St. | Note A |
14 May 1938 | Richmond | New playground btw Midland & Lincoln Ave | Midland Field? (Note A) |
31 May 1938 | Manhattan | New pool at 23rd St and Avenue A | Asser Levy Rec Center |
8 Jun 1938 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Cooper Park, 4th Ave & E.7th St | Cooper Square |
17 Jun 1938 | Manhattan | Mother Goose sculpture, Central Park | Rumsey Playfield |
2 Jul 1938 | Queens | New playground at 14th St. south of 31st Ave | Astoria Health Playground |
2 Jul 1938 | Brooklyn | New playground at New York and Clarkson Avenues | No longer exists |
2 Jul 1938 | Brooklyn | New playground at 23rd St, 4th-5th Aves | No longer exists |
2 Jul 1938 | Brooklyn | Expanded playground at Avenue P and East 4th Street | No longer exists |
12 Jul 1938 | Manhattan | New baseball diamond at Randall's Island | |
20 Oct 1938 | Manhattan | Little Hell Gate Bridge | Randall's Island (vestigial) |
The Dec 1938 entries refer to the "Progress in Park Department 1934-1938", near the end of the 1938 archive. | |||
Dec 1938 | Queens | 1939 World's Fair Grounds | Flushing Meadow Park |
Dec 1938 | Queens | Transformation of World's Fair grounds | into Flushing Meadow Park |
Dec 1938 | Brooklyn | Circumfrential Parkway [PWA] | Belt Parkway |
Dec 1938 | Queens | Circumfrential Parkway [PWA] | Belt Parkway |
Dec 1938 | Bronx | Henry Hudson Parkway | The part in the Bronx |
Dec 1938 | Manhattan | Bryant Park [1934 CWA project] | |
Dec 1938 | Manhattan | Stuyvesant Park | |
1939 | |||
All 1939 | (all) | WPA orchestras and bands at many events | |
26 Jan 1939 | Manhattan | Boat basin in the Harlem Ship Canal | No longer exists |
26 Jan 1939 | Manhattan | Inwood Hill Park | |
18 Mar 1939 | Brooklyn | New playground on 18th Ave btw 82nd-83rd Streets | Milestone Park |
18 Mar 1939 | Brooklyn | New playground on 10th Ave btw 42nd-43rd Streets | Brizzi Playground |
31 Mar 1939 | Manhattan | New playground on Lenox Avenue, 139th-140th Streets | Fred Samual Playground |
31 Mar 1939 | Manhattan | New playground at Harlem Housing, 150th St & 7th Ave | |
19 Apr 1939 | Richmond | Schmul Park, Wild and Melvin Avenues | Schmul Playground |
26 May 1939 | Manhattan | New swimmming pool at 23rd St & Avenue A | |
26 May 1939 | Brooklyn | New recreation area in Marine Park | |
26 May 1939 | Brooklyn | Opening of Mount Prospect Park | Behind Brooklyn Library |
10 Jun 1939 | Manhattan | Renovated bath building at 35 W.134th St | No longer exists |
10 Jun 1939 | Manhattan | Renovated bath building at 232 W.60th St | Still there |
10 Jun 1939 | Manhattan | Renovated Carmine Bathhouse, Carmine & Varick St. | Tony Dapolito Rec Center |
10 Jun 1939 | Manhattan | New outdoor swimming pool in Hudson Park | James J. Walker Park |
19 Jun 1939 | Queens | New Playground south of Northern Blvd & 114th St | Hinton Park |
19 Jun 1939 | Queens | New Playground in Flushing Meadow Park | World's Fair Playground? |
23 Jun 1939 | Manhattan | New recreation area on Hudson River, 145-155 Street | Palisades Playground |
23 Jun 1939 | Manhattan | New 20-acre recreation area in Inwood Hill Park | On the River |
30 Jun 1939 | Queens | Opening of Marconi Memorial Field | Marconi Park, Jamaica |
7 Jul 1939 | Brooklyn | Federal funding for the Paerdegat Basin Bridge | Belt Parkway |
4 Aug 1939 | Queens | New playground at Braddock Ave & 240th St. | Breininger Park |
4 Aug 1939 | Brooklyn | New playground in Lincoln Terrace Park | Still there |
9 Aug 1939 | Brooklyn | New playground, 95th Aves, 88th-90th Sts. | London Planetree playground |
14 Aug 1939 | Manhattan | New pedestal for Admiral Farragut statue | In Madison Square Park |
14 Aug 1939 | Manhattan | New Tennis Center on Randall's Island | Still there |
26 Aug 1939 | Bronx | New playground, Bradford & Waterbury Avenues | Bufano Park |
11 Sep 1939 | Manhattan | Remodeled swimming pool, Carmine St. & 6th Ave. | Still there |
11 Sep 1939 | Manhattan | Remodeled swimming pool, 408 W 28th St. | Chelsea Park but no pool |
11 Sep 1939 | Manhattan | Remodeled swimming pool, 324 E 54th St. | No sign of it |
11 Sep 1939 | Brooklyn | Remodeled pool, Metropolitan & Bedford Aves | Gone |
22 Sep 1939 | Bronx | Opening of Van Cortlandt Stadium. | Broadway and 240th St |
27 Sep 1939 | Bronx | New playground, Bronx Park East, Waring Ave | Waring Playground |
8 Oct 1939 | Brooklyn | New playground, Nevins Street and 3rd Ave | Thomas Greene Playground |
11 Oct 1939 | Bronx | Reconstructed and enlarged Pulaski Park | Playground One Thirty Four |
31 Oct 1939 | Bronx | New playground at Bronx Park East & Reiss Place | Reiss Field |
31 Oct 1939 | Queens | New playground at 30th Road and 45th Street | Astoria Heights Playground |
31 Oct 1939 | Queens | New playground at Atlantic Avenue and 125th Street | Phil Scooter Rizzuto Park |
4 Dec 1939 | Bronx | New playground in Hines Park | Fulton Ave & E.167th St. |
4 Dec 1939 | Bronx | New playground, Watson, Gleason, and Rosedale Aves. | Watson Gleason Playground |
4 Dec 1939 | Bronx | New playground at E.177th St. & Noble Avenue. | Noble Playground |
1940 | |||
15 Jan 1940 | Manhattan | New playground at 141st Street and Hamilton Place | Hamilton Playground |
15 Jan 1940 | Bronx | New playground at 136th Street and Alexander Ave | Lozada Playground |
2 Mar 1940 | Manhattan | 79th Street Boat Basin | Riverside Park |
16 Mar 1940 | (all) | Restoration of trees damaged in storm of March 4th | |
4 Apr 1940 | Manhattan | New playground at Clinton, Water, and Cherry Streets | Cherry Clinton Playground |
4 Apr 1940 | Manhattan | New playground at 34th Street and East River | No longer exists |
4 Apr 1940 | Manhattan | New Yorkville playground, 101st St and 3rd Ave | Sunshine Playground |
25 Apr 1940 | Queens | Opening of Francis Lewis Park | |
25 Apr 1940 | Queens | Opening of Whitestone Playground | |
27 Apr 1940 | Bronx | New park on University Ave and 170th Street | Highbridge Park (Bronx) |
4 May 1940 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of William E. Kelly Mem. Park | Kelly Memorial Playground |
16 May 1940 | Manhattan | Opening of Baruch Playground and Public Bath | Baruch Playground |
29 May 1940 | Manhattan | New outdoor swimming pool on West 60th Street | Replaced by indoor pool |
29 May 1940 | Bronx | Extension to Orchard Beach bathhouse | Bathhouse closed |
29 May 1940 | Bronx | Orchard Beach parking lot & access road extension | (still there) |
3 Jun 1940 | Manhattan | New outdoor swimming pool in John Jay Park | John Jay Park |
6 Jun 1940 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Chelsea Park | Chelsea Park |
6 Jun 1940 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Hudson Park | James J. Walker Park |
7 Jun 1940 | Brooklyn | Reopening of City Park | Commodore Barry Park |
17 Jun 1940 | Queens | Reconstruction of Grover Cleveland Park | Grover Cleveland Playground |
6 Jul 1940 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Annunciation Playground | No longer exists |
11 Jul 1940 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of north section Lincoln Terrace Park | (still there) |
11 Jul 1940 | Brooklyn | New bicycle trails | (See press release) |
11 Jul 1940 | Queens | New bicycle trails | (See press release) |
19 Jul 1940 | Manhattan | Renovation of swimming pool at 5 Rutgers Place | No longer exists |
27 Jul 1940 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction New Lots Playground | No longer exists |
29 Jul 1940 | Bronx | French Charley's Playground | In Bronx Park at East 204th Street |
29 Jul 1940 | Bronx | Allerton Ball Fields | Next to French Charley's Playground |
29 Jul 1940 | Bronx | Rosewood Playground | Bronx Park East at Rosewood Street |
1 Aug 1940 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Jasper Oval | No longer exists |
1 Aug 1940 | Brooklyn | New skating rink and bicycle track in Red Hook | (still there) |
1 Aug 1940 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of West side of Sunset Park | |
10 Aug 1940 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed Bushwick Playground | See Note A |
26 Aug 1940 | Brooklyn | Two new pedestrian bridges over Belt Parkway | 92nd Street and 81st Street |
26 Aug 1940 | Brooklyn | New playground at Stuyvesant Ave & Marion St | Fulton Park |
14 Sep 1940 | Bronx | Three new marginal playgrounds in Claremont Park | (still there) |
26 Sep 1940 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed Borough Hall Park | |
27 Sep 1940 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of the Jumel Mansion | Washington Heights |
2 Oct 1940 | Manhattan | New playground at 120th Street and East River | No longer exists |
2 Nov 1940 | Queens | Construction of Maurice (Urban Water Supply) Park | |
11 Nov 1940 | Queens | Reconstruction of Juniper Valley Park | (still there) |
13 Nov 1940 | Bronx | Picnic areas at Hunter Island and Twin Islands | Joined to Orchard Beach |
19 Nov 1940 | Manhattan | Restoration of Herald Square | |
26 Nov 1940 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Seward Park | |
7 Dec 1940 | Bronx | Reconstruction of Claremont Park | |
18 Dec 1940 | Manhattan | Repaving of Central Park West Drive 86-110 Street | |
1941 | |||
27 Jan 1941 | Manhattan | Installation of Dodge statue in Bryant Park | |
14 Mar 1941 | Bronx | Reconstruction of Owen F. Dolen Park | (still there) |
16 Mar 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground in Fort Hamilton Athletic Field | Russell Pederson Playground |
12 Apr 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground at Ave H and Kings Highway | No longer exists |
19 Apr 1941 | Brooklyn | New bleachers and fence in City Park | Commodore Barry Park |
22 Apr 1941 | Manhattan | Restoration of General Worth memorial | |
23 Apr 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground and athletic field by Lincoln H.S. | Grady Playground? |
28 May 1941 | Queens | Three new play areas in Forest Park | |
30 May 1941 | Manhattan | New bathhouse facilities in John Jay Pool | |
30 May 1941 | Manhattan | Peter Stuyvesant monument and park | |
5 Jun 1941 | Manhattan | New recreation building in Seward Park | |
5 Jun 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground on Ave V between 13th-14th Streets | Mellett Playground |
5 Jun 1941 | Manhattan | Reconstructed playground in St. Catherine's Park | (still there, 68th & 1st) |
13 Jun 1941 | Bronx | Reconstructed playground, Strong & 197th Sts | Strong Street Playground |
14 Jun 1941 | Manhattan | Reconstructed playground in Inwood Hill Park | |
18 Jun 1941 | Queens | 5 new ball fields N.Conduit Ave & 114-121 St | Southern Fields |
18 Jun 1941 | Queens | 3 new ball fields N.Conduit Ave & 143-149 St | No longer exist |
20 Jun 1941 | Manhattan | New playground in Central Park at West 76th Street | |
21 Jun 1941 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of John J. Murphy Playground | Murphy Park, Ave C, 17th St |
22 Jun 1941 | Bronx | Bronx Park playgrounds, paths, athletic fields | Rosewood and Olinville |
23 Jun 1941 | Queens | New playground at Steinway Street and 35th Ave | Playground Thirty-Five |
24 Jun 1941 | Brooklyn | Rehabilitation of Betsy Head Park | |
25 Jun 1941 | Bronx | 227th Street Playground | (still there) |
27 Jun 1941 | Bronx | Three reconstructed playgrounds in Crotona Park | (still there) |
27 Jun 1941 | Bronx | Opening of 7 new playgrounds in Crotona Park | (still there) |
27 Jun 1941 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of playground on Prospect Ave | Greenwood Playground |
4 July 1941 | Bronx | Garden, 2 comfort stations, 10 playgrounds | in Crotona Park |
4 July 1941 | Queens | New athletic field, Rockaway Blvd, 101-103 Sts | No longer exists |
9 July 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground at Flatbush Ave and Ryder St | Eugene Sarsfield Playground |
15 July 1941 | Manhattan | Hudson River overlook at 149-150 Streets | Riverside Park |
21 July 1941 | Queens | Construction for Queensbridge Park playground | (still there) |
22 July 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground at Ave V and East 24th Street | Galapo Playground |
22 July 1941 | Queens | New playground at Laurelton and Southern Parkways | No longer exist |
4 Aug 1941 | Brooklyn | Opening of first section of Shore Road Park | |
4 Aug 1941 | Brooklyn | Opening of Plum Island recreation area, Marine Park | |
9 Aug 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground on Nostrand Ave and Kings Highway | Thomas Norton Park |
11 Aug 1941 | Bronx | Opening of Ferry Point Park | Now mostly a Trump golf course |
13 Aug 1941 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of Bushwick Park | |
23 Aug 1941 | Brooklyn | New playgrounds in Prospect Park | Along Prospect Park West |
23 Aug 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground in Prospect Park | At Lincoln Road entrance |
22 Sep 1941 | Bronx | Athletic field at 205th St & Bedford Park Blvd | Harris Field |
23 Sep 1941 | Manhattan | New playground on Fort Washington Ave and 190th St | No longer exists |
23 Sep 1941 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of playground in Gravesend Park | |
27 Sep 1941 | Queens | Playground and 4 sitting areas in Laurelton | See Note A |
27 Sep 1941 | Bronx | New extension to Zimmerman Park | Zimmerman Playground |
29 Sep 1941 | Manhattan | Reconstructed playground in Morningside Park | |
30 Sep 1941 | Queens | New playground behind PS 119 | Pinocchio Playground |
30 Sep 1941 | Queens | New ball fields and bleachers in At. Albans Park | West of Merrick Blvd |
30 Sep 1941 | Queens | Reconstruction of Victory field in Forest Park | |
1 Oct 1941 | Brooklyn | New playground, 3rd Ave, 64th-65th St. | |
1 Oct 1941 | Brooklyn | New parking lot & concession building Canarsie Pier | |
4 Oct 1941 | Queens | Reconstruction Martins Field Playground | Flushing Cemetary |
6 Oct 1941 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of Brower (Bedford) Park | Lincoln Terrace Park |
6 Oct 1941 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of DeWitt Clinton Park | At 11th Ave & 54th St |
13 Oct 1941 | Bronx | Completion of reconstruction of St. Mary's Park | At St. Ann's Ave & 149th St |
13 Oct 1941 | Bronx | Completion of reconstruction of Crotona Park | (still there but cut in half) |
10 Nov 1941 | Bronx | Reconstruction of Isaac L. Rice section, Pelham Bay Park | |
24 Nov 1941 | Manhattan | Three new playgrounds in Washington Square Park | |
4 Dec 1941 | Bronx | New Playground, White Plains Road, E.225-226 St. | Rienzi Playground |
4 Dec 1941 | Bronx | New Playground, Crotona Avenue and E.181-182 St. | Belmont Playground |
5 Dec 1941 | Brooklyn | New addition to park at Howard Ave and Dean Street | South Pacific Playground |
8 Dec 1941 | Queens | Reconstruction of section of Kissena Park | 164 St, Oak & Rose Ave, LIRR |
16 Dec 1941 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed playground at Bay Parkway and Ave P | Seth Low Playground+Square |
22 Dec 1941 | Manhattan | New playground in Highbridge Park | |
22 Dec 1941 | Manhattan | New Playground at Oliver & Jefferson Sts | Playground One |
29 December 1941 | Richmond | Marine Park fill | |
1942 | |||
All 1942 | (all) | WPA Federal Music Concerts | |
5 Jan 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground at Shore Parkway and 17 Ave | Bath Beach Park |
6 Jan 1942 | Queens | Reconstructed park at 79th Street and 68-69 Ave | Middle Village Playground |
24 Jan 1942 | Manhattan | New playground at York Ave and 91-92 St | Site known as Asphalt Green |
9 Feb 1942 | Queens | Start construction of new park by PS 43 | Now PS 40 |
16 Mar 1942 | Brooklyn | Reconstruction of Bensonhurst Park | |
1 Apr 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground in East New York | Hamilton Metz Field |
6 Apr 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground and field house Dyker Beach Park | |
8 Apr 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground on Third Ave at 34-35 Street | No longer exists |
10 Apr 1942 | Brooklyn | Announce widening of Flatbush Ave | for Floyd Bennet Field |
21 May 1942 | Manhattan | Reconstruction of Oracle House in Carl Schurz Park | Gracie Mansion |
25 May 1942 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed playground in Gravesend Park | |
29 May 1942 | Manhattan | New diving pool & bleachers, John Jay Swimming Pool | At 78th St & FDR Drive |
5 Jun 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground at 2nd Ave and 55-56 Street | No longer exists |
5 Jun 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground at Shore Parkway and East 12th St | Homecrest Playground |
10 Jul 1942 | Queens | New playground at 45th Ave and 21st Street | John F. Murray Playground |
10 Jul 1942 | Queens | New playground at Utopia Parkway and 73rd Ave | Utopia Playground |
10 Jul 1942 | Queens | New playground in Far Rockaway Blvd and Mott Ave | See Note A |
25 Jul 1942 | Brooklyn | Five new playgrounds at Owl's Head Park | |
8 Sep 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground at Park Ave and Floyd Street | See Note A |
16 Sep 1942 | Brooklyn | Reconstructed playground Aberdeen St, Bushwick Ave | See Note A |
12 Sep 1942 | Queens | New playground at Central Ave and 70-71 Street | Glendale Playground |
23 Sep 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground at PS 35 | Decatur Playground |
16 Oct 1942 | Manhattan | New playground at Park Ave and 108-109th Streets | PS 108 playgound |
19 Nov 1942 | Brooklyn | New playground at Fulton and Truxton Streets | Callahan-Kelly Playground |
27 Nov 1942 | Manhattan | New playground at 104th Street and East River | Playground 103 CIII |
1943 | |||
11 Jan 1943 | Queens | New playground at Seneca Ave. & St. Felix Ave. | Evergreen Park |
18 Jan 1943 | Brooklyn | Paerdegat Park, E.40th St & Foster Ave | Still there |
13 Mar 1943 | Manhattan | Playground at Madison-Park Ave, E.108-109 St. | Playground of PS 83 |
13 Mar 1943 | Brooklyn | Playground at Eastern Pkwy, Fulton-Truxton-Sackman Sts | Callahan Kelly Playground |
18 Aug 1943 | Bronx | New playground at 234 Street and Bailey Avenue | Bailey Playground |
8 Dec 1943 | Manhattan | Harlem Meer and boathouse | Northeast corner of Central Park |
20 Dec 1943 | Queens | New playground at Brinckerhoff Ave & Union Hall St. | Vacant lot |
The final press release in the table ends by saying, "In 1934 there were 119 playgrounds in the five boroughs, 67 of which have been reconstructed. There will be, with this new addition, 489 playgrounds in the park system." In other words, 370 new playgrounds were built in New York City under the New Deal.
In his book Long Range Public Investment (University of South Carolina, 2007), Robert D. Leighninger Jr., says:
More than any other New Deal Agency ... the Public Works Administration has left dramatic reminders of this age of public building. For example, New York City benefitted from 107 PWA projects, beginning with vital parts of its transportation system: the Triborough Bridge, the Lincoln and Queens-Midtown Tunnels, the East River Drive, the Henry Hudson Parkway, major sections of the Eighth Avenue (Independent) subway line, and three Staten Island Ferries ... Additions to dock and pier facilities totaled $5.6 million, and another $1.5 million was spent on barges. Four garbage-disposal projects improved the city's health and cleanliness at a cost of $34.6 million. The garbage incinerator at 56th Street and Twelfth Avenue and the attached garage that houses 350 garbage trucks is still vital to keeping the city clean ... Thirty-three projects added $25.4 million worth of school buildings to New York City's educational system. Three separate college or university projects spent $12.4 million on higher education. PWA established Brooklyn College with a library, academic building, science building, gym, and heating plant costing $6 million. Three courthouse projects cost $22.3 million. The Bronx County Jail was a PWA project. Central Park, where PWA built the original Central Park Zoo, the Conservatory Gardens, and most of the playgrounds, is only the most famous of the scores of parks, many with swimming pools, built across the city ... On Staten Island, a large merchant marine hospital complex is now serving as a private hospital, Bayley Seaton. The seven eight-story buildings that form the core of Belleview Hospital and the twelve-story Nurses Home at Kings County Hospital are also PWA projects. There were twenty-four different hospital and clinic projects adding $22.7 million in health facilities to the city.
Nevertheless, I believe it is safe to say that every single project completed by the NYC Park Department during the 1930s was federally funded to some degree. In the words of Robert Moses (in a signed press release of October 29, 1934), referring to his staff of designers and engineers:
Of the original 547 men who were employed on January 27th [of 1934], 374 are still employed on Park Department projects; of the 453 men who were obtained through the Engineers Society rolls, 369 are still working on park design. ... They were employed on Federal C.W.A. projects, and paid entirely from Federal funds. ... It should be made clear that in addition to the 601 superintendents, architects, engineers and landscape architects employed by the Park Department with no consideration of their need for relief, there are 1,683 other technical and supervisory employees who were furnished by the Home Relief Bureau of the Department of Public Welfare.This is in addition some 80,000 federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) laborers[1] initally at his disposal ("Under the whip hand of Moses and his 'Ramrods' [CWA workers], had restored every park in New York City"[2]). In other words, the great bulk of the Parks Department staff was paid by the federal government through New Deal programs. Remember: this was the Great Depression. Without this federal funding, none of these people would have had jobs and none of these projects would have been built. Three years later, Moses wrote[13]:
The CWA, TERA and WPA put large sums into our park system in the first 3½ years of the current administration [i.e. Moses' tenure as Park Commissioner up to the time this article was written]. At one time we built up largely with relief funds, probably the largest engineering design staff in the United States. Most of these relief designers were exempt from ordinary relief requirements, and for a considerable period. The staff included some of the finest engineers, architects and landscape architects in the country who happened to be unemployed and were ready to serve at low pay. While relief work is a long way from 100 percent efficiency, and it is therefore necessary to discount the actual value derived from the relief contributions, even this reduction leaves a tremendous amount of permanent work which can be called one of the silver linings of the depression.To further confirm the point, the New York City Parks Department press release of March 3, 1934 states that, “The new Central Park picture-book Zoo is under construction, work has started and will be completed by early summer. The work of design has been done by C.W.A. architects, landscape men and engineers in the employ of the Park Department.” Since Aymur Embury was the chief architect of the Zoo, this confirms he was on the federal payroll.
Therefore some projects for which it is difficult to find any New Deal funding or labor can still be classified as New Deal projects when they were designed by Parks Department architects and engineers, such as Embury. Two examples are the Henry Hudson Bridge and the Little Hell Gate Bridge, where Embury is credited as architect. Embury also designed the Prospect Park Zoo, five of the 11 WPA swimming pools of 1936, the Triborough Bridge, the Lincoln Tunnel, the Whitestone Bridge, Orchard Beach, and about 600 other projects.
CWA ended March 31, 1934, but funding remained available from other federal agencies such as the Public Works Admistration (PWA), the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), and others, until the the Works Progress (aka Work Projects) Administration (WPA) was formed in April 1935 and quickly became the main source of relief funds and labor for the NYC Parks Department. A telegram from Robert Moses to WPA Administrator Hugh S. Johnson dated September 11, 1935, acknowledges the receipt of 11,000 laborers and 28 foremen, requesting over 600 additional foreman and supervisors. In a followup commentary Moses mentions that federal park workers are costing the taxpayers 84 million dollars. Later he received all the WPA foremen and supervisors he requested; by mid-September 1935, some 36,000 WPA workers were laboring in city parks[3].
In his August 24, 1937, memorandum accompanying the Parks Department Budget Request for 1938, Moses says:
In 1934, the first year of the park consolidation, the budget of the Park Department had reached a low of $4,656,710.07 ... the deficit was made up by the assignment of relief workers to the maintenance and operation of parks, parkways and playgrounds, although I repeatedly warned the responsible city officials that the relief work would some day stop and that the problem of providing civil service employees for this work should be met squarely. In the spring of this year, the situation reached its climax when an order of the Works Progress Administration withdrew all the relief workers engaged in the maintenance and operation of the park system and forced the closing of many playgrounds and the abandonment of maintenance and repair in many park areas.
He goes on to enumerate in detail the WPA cutbacks: maintenance workers, mechanics, tree tenders, electricians, mechanics, monument restorers... But not architects, engineers, landscape engineers, or construction workers.
A December 1938 document in the NYC Parks Department archives, unsigned but doubtless written (or at least approved) by Robert Moses says:
Without a doubt the greatest achievement of the past five year period of the park consolidation has been the increase, over three-fold, in recreational facilities and the general rehabilitation and reconstruction of park areas made possible by the relief program. While the number of relief workers in New York City parks has fluctuated since 1934, there has been a total of 200,000 man years of labor provided to the park program.This implies about 40,000 laborers per year, whom Moses was free to use not only on parks and playgrounds, but also on highways, bridges, tunnels and other projects that he controlled. Moses notes that in March 1935, the Parks Department had 33,000 relief workers[4]. Moses also notes that even on jobs that were contracted out to private companies, relief labor was used[5]. However, Moses also says:
Relief maintenance workers were reduced to a minimum, and the problem of paying for park maintenance with City funds was faced squarely. By 1936 all men on maintenance had been withdrawn by the WPA. By 1940 all WPA construction forces were withdrawn[6].When he says "withdrawn by the WPA" he means transferred to other city departments[11]; I believe he has the year wrong, however; the layoff of WPA park maintenance workers (among others) took place on May 12, 1937 (see news release). This was a disaster resulting in the shutdown 142 playgrounds, the abandonment or curtailment of construction on 26 partially completed projects (because Moses had to transfer WPA construction workers to cover some of the laid-off positions), and an end to park maintenance. This should demonstrate the degree to which the NYC Parks Department depended on the WPA at that time.
On June 29, 1938, Moses, speaking of work being done in the Rockaways, says "We are widening the bottlenecks on the Cross Bay Boulevard. We are cleaning up a mile and a half of beach back of the boardwalk, by tearing down all buildings. We are furnishing you with a parkway back of the beach and with play and other facilities there. We are financing a large part of the cost by combining the very successful Henry Hudson Bridge, the Marine Parkway Bridge and the Cross Bay Bridge into one Authority financed largely by a ten cent toll for pleasure vehicles. The city is paying for part of the land, but none of the construction." This is an extremely revealing statement. Moses was not only Parks Commissioner, but also head of the Port Authority, the Triborough Bridge Authority, the Marine Parkway Authority, the Henry Hudson Parkway authority, and seemingly countless other Authorities. So when we search in vain to find out where the labor came from to build the bridges and highways associated with these Authorities (a thing that is never mentioned except just this once, by Moses himself) we can only conclude he used the thousands of federally-funded relief workers (CWA and, after 1934, WPA) under his command.
John Millet says[12], “The W.P.A. Parks Department alone [among all its other New York City departments, e.g. the Borough Departments] did not assume active direction of the work-relief projects under its jurisdiction. This fact resulted from Commissioner Moses' steadfast refusal to have any work going on in his domain over which he did not have full control. In consequence, the W.P.A. did not have supervisors bossing its park work; the New York City Park Department provided most of this personnel. Even the foremen who were carried on the W.P.A. payrolls received their orders from the city park officials. The city Park Department planned all work-relief activities in city parks and decided what work should be carried out at any one time. All projects and jobs were, of course, approved by the W.P.A., which furnished the labor and much of the supplies for the work”.
Moses' lengthy December, 1938, report, "Progress in the Park Department: 1934-1938", states that the number of Park Department (civil service) employees had risen from 3075 in 1934 to 7135 at the end of 1938, which number is far short of the average number of relief labor man-years (200,000 over 5 years) that he cites in the same document.
Therefore I conclude that any NYC Park Department project from 1934 to 1938, inclusive, was accomplished in whole or in part with federal New Deal funding and/or labor unless explicitly noted otherwise in its press release (e.g. those relating to the Cloisters, which was totally paid for by the Rockefellers). After 1938, only those projects where the Parks Department explicitly credits the WPA or other New Deal agency are included in the table as New Deal projects, at least until I come across better information.
The WPA ended June 30, 1943, because of the War. The WPA alone had spent
$10,500,000,000.00 and employed 8,500,000 persons in its 8 years of
existence[15]. All of the New Deal agencies together (primarily WPA, CCC,
CWA, and PWA) spent $26,900,000,000.00[8] and employed about 11 million
people[9] doing real work. That's how to
fight unemployment. In the three years ending July 1, 1938[10], the WPA
constructed 17,562 public buildings, 6086 miles of new water mains, 4091
dams, 8,885 miles of storm and sanitary sewers; built or improved 279,804
miles of roads and highways, 29,084 bridges, 357 airports, 15,000 parks,
playgrounds, and athletic fields. Plus numerous surveys and countless
projects in home relief, public health, nutrition, literacy, general
education, recreation, music, theater, and art, plus publication of 293 guidebooks and pamphlets.
_____________________
In the 1943 archive, only the entries relevant New Deal projects have been cleaned. The ones after that have not been cleaned at all.