Alamosa Sites

"The Rex Activity Center is one of twelve buildings designated to Alamosa's Historic Registry... Designed by architect William Bowman and constructed in 1938-39 as a Public Works Administration project, Rex Gym is one of the oldest buildings on campus and an excellent example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The Marvel House (president's residence; built 1931-32) and Richardson Hall (built 1924) were also designed by Bowman."

The historic Alamosa County Courthouse was constructed during the Great Depression with the aid of the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). "The U-shaped complex is one of the county's best examples of the Mission style. The courthouse was the largest of several WPA projects built in the county during the 1930s. Construction began in 1936. Using local clay and sand, more than 450,000 bricks were produced at a kiln located north of Alamosa. The courthouse continues to house a variety of county offices."

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Lincoln School in Grand Junction CO. The two-story, brick building replaced a structurally-unsound school. The new Lincoln School building included fire safety features such as fire-resistsant, concrete construction corridors and stairways. The WPA crews also manufactured the brick used in the masonry walls of the school. The exact location and condition of the school are unknown to the Living New Deal.

Now privately owned, Alamosa, Colorado received a new post office during the Great Depression. The building was commissioned by the federal Treasury Department in conjunction with the Public Works Administration. AlamosaNews.com: "The federal government bought the ... property from Mrs. Frank Ruby in 1934 for $9,000 and contracted the construction to a Wichita, Kansas company, HW Underhill. The total construction cost was just under $45,000 “which would barely get us one room today,” Borders said. The cornerstone of the building was sealed on Sept. 10, 1935, and the post office opened for business on Nov. 30, 1935, under Postmaster John E. Harron. Borders said...

"In the 1930s, the Waverly area once again was to be the site for newcomers seeking a better life. Henry Gestefield, a German immigrant, worked as a Farm Management Specialist for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) Resettlement Division to develop 82 farms for the resettlement of destitute Dust Bowl farmers. Along with Mr. Yoshida, he was integral to the raising and shipping of iceberg lettuce in the San Luis Valley. The town of Waverly was established with support of the FSA Resettlement Project. The Houlton and Russell families were among the first of many families to relocate from eastern Colorado...