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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 801 Werner Allen Blvd |
|---|---|
| County | Waupaca |
| City/Village | New London |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1935 |
|---|---|
| Additions | |
| Survey Date | 1979 |
| Historic Use | stadium/arena |
| Architectural Style | NA (unknown or not a building) |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Stone - Unspecified |
| Architect | Works Project Administration |
| Other Buildings On Site | Y |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. *site file in the large W.H. Hatten Recreation Park* WPA project wall around whole park, also several stone park structures, bridges, gateposts. Seeking to put Americans to work again during the Great Depression of the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration in 1935 and appointed Harry Hopkins its first head. At the WPA’s inception, Hopkins explained the reasoning behind it: “Give a man a dole and you save his body and destroy his spirit. Give him a job and pay him an assured wage, and you save both the body and the spirit.” Over the course of its seven-year existence, the WPA employed more than eight million Americans--about one-fifth of the country’s entire work force. They built 2,500 hospitals, nearly 6,000 schools, 350 airports, 8,000 parks, and hundreds of thousands of miles of roads. In the process, the workers rebuilt their own pride and restored their communities’ faith in the future. Rural America was especially hard hit by the Depression, so the WPA undertook many projects to spruce up small towns and put their people back to work. New London’s Hatten Memorial Park was typical. Under WPA direction, and with the federal government footing a percentage of the bill, local residents built picnic shelters, restrooms, a lagoon with footbridges, gateways, a retaining wall, and other park features. But the most impressive facility they built was Hatten Memorial Stadium. This structure, though designed to accommodate local baseball games and other athletic events, looks more like a medieval fortress from the outside, with its random-coursed limestone walls and its four parapeted, round-arched entry portals behind the grandstand. William Hatten, a wealthy lumber baron, donated $10,000 to the city for the stadium, on condition that it be named for him. |
| Bibliographic References | Gateposts. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | William H. Hatten Recreation Park |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Aug 07, 2024 |
| State Register Listing Date | May 24, 2024 |
| Contributing | Yes |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or notice some information on this property needs to be updated, reach out today!
Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
801 Werner-Allen Road
100010639
Located in New London, Waupaca County
William H. Hatten Recreation Park Listed in the State Register of Historic Places
Friday, June 14, 2024
The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the William H. Hatten Recreation Park in New London on the State Register of Historic Places.
William H. Hatten Park Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
Thursday, August 15, 2024
The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of William H. Hatten Park in the National Register of Historic Places on August 7, 2024.
