W.P.A., ’30s Stimulus, Left Its Stamp on Suburban New York Region - NYTimes.com

W.P.A., ’30s Stimulus, Left Its Stamp on Suburban New York Region - NYTimes.com:

"...[T]he W.P.A. did more than build or improve highways, parks, schools and hospitals. Artists executed murals still on display in government buildings on Long Island and throughout Connecticut. Writers compiled archives in New Jersey towns that had limited or no organized records. Actors and other performers entertained audiences through the Federal Theater Project, a vibrant part of the W.P.A.

“There’s this stereotype that people who worked for the W.P.A. were all raking leaves,” said Natalie A. Naylor, emeritus professor of history at Hofstra University and former director of the university’s Long Island Studies Institute. “That’s not really accurate at all. You had music programs and art programs in addition to construction projects.”

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Posted by Chuck Bell at 9:44 PM