26 West 600 North American Fork, Utah 84003
A distinctive feature of the American Fork Cemetery is the rock wall that borders the south and east sides. It was constructed in 1937 and 1938 respectively as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project.
The WPA was formulated to provide employment during the great depression. At that time Utah had one of the highest rates of unemployment in the nation and was therefore the recipient of a large number of federal reconstruction grants. This wall and another one on the south side of the State Training School were WPA projects of very similar construction and are both outstanding examples of WPA projects in the area.
Stones from the area were hauled to the site, mostly quartzite, sandstone and marble. There they were sorted and incorporated into the work in progress. The result is a wall of some 1580 feet long that not only provides a retaining function but also adds a measure of security to the cemetery. The WPA was also responsible for the construction of some 240 buildings in the 1930s and 1940s in Utah as well as road construction and other civic improvements.