Rhode Island CCC Camps
The Civilian Conservation Corps set up seven camps across the Ocean State during the Great Depression, from Burlingame to Goddard Park. This is their story, from Martin Podskoch’s eight years of research.
A Depression-Era Workforce
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public works program that operated from 1933 to 1942 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, targeting young men and veterans in relief families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression.
Rhode Island’s first CCC camp organized at Fort Adams on April 28, 1933. From April 1933 to June 1938 alone, 11,744 Rhode Island men served in CCC camps, building trails, roads, dams, and fireplaces that are still in daily use.
Seven camps operated across the smallest state: Charlestown’s Burlingame State Park, Greene’s Mount Vernon, Hope Valley’s Arcadia Village, Glocester’s George Washington Memorial State Forest, Nooseneck’s Foster camp, Escoheag’s Beach Pond, and North Smithfield’s Primrose. Podskoch spent eight years gathering their photographs and firsthand memories before the stories were lost.
Parks and Forests They Built
Fireplaces, trails, and beach pavilions built by CCC crews are still in daily use across Rhode Island’s state park system.
Burlingame State Park
Charlestown · the CCC-built beach pavilion at Watchaug Pond still stands
Goddard Memorial State Park
Warwick · fireplaces and trails built by CCC crews
Lincoln Woods State Park
Lincoln · trails and stonework from the CCC era
George Washington Memorial Forest
Glocester · miles of back-country truck roads near Chepachet
Beach Pond State Park
Exeter · Lewis City organized camp and cabins on Beach Pond
Arcadia Management Area
Hope Valley · trail network built from the Arcadia Village camp
What’s Inside the Book
A literary and photographic history of the seven Rhode Island CCC camps, illustrated with archival photography and firsthand memories gathered directly from surviving enrollees and their families.
Christian McBurney, publisher and editor of Small State Big History, praised the book for how it “rediscovers the wonderful stories of CCC efforts undertaken by Rhode Islanders.”
See CCC artifacts and photographs in person at the Historical Museum of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Stafford Springs, Connecticut.
The Civilian Conservation Corps Series
Four regional histories documenting the CCC camps of the Northeast, state by state.
Rhode Island CCC Camps FAQ
How many CCC camps were there in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island had seven Civilian Conservation Corps camps active between 1933 and 1942: Burlingame, Mount Vernon, Arcadia Village, George Washington Memorial Forest, Foster, Beach Pond, and Primrose.
What did the CCC build in Rhode Island?
CCC crews built the beach pavilion at Burlingame State Park, fireplaces and trails at Goddard Memorial State Park and Lincoln Woods, and over 100 miles of truck trails still used today in state forests.
Where can I see CCC artifacts related to Rhode Island?
The Historical Museum of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, displays photographs, tools, and memorabilia from CCC camps across the Northeast, including Rhode Island.
How many Rhode Islanders served in the CCC?
From April 1933 to June 1938 alone, 11,744 Rhode Island men served in CCC camps; the state eventually enrolled roughly 15,900 men over the program's nine years.
Who wrote the Rhode Island CCC Camps book?
Martin "Marty" Podskoch, a Connecticut author and historian, spent eight years researching the book, gathering archival photographs and firsthand memories from surviving CCC enrollees and their families.