Biloxi Sites

Works Progress Administration (WPA) project No. 3544 started 10/05/1935 included 3 additional fire stations. WPA funding supplied $13,495.01 and the sponsor $9,513.78 for payroll, materials, and equipment. Ground was broken for the new Back Bay fire station on the north side of Elder Street between Lameuse and Reynoir Street. The Back Bay station was expected to take 90 days and cost about $5,000. It contained a one engine garage, bed room, bath, kitchen and breakfast room, with a 20 by 30 foot assembly room. The brick and concrete block building was designed in Colonial Style by architect John T. Collins....

Bayou Auguste Homes for African Americans was completed 1941 in the 600 block of Roy Street. John Thomas Collins was supervising architect and construction was by Pittman Brothers.

Bayview Homes was constructed 1941 in the 400 block of Braun Avenue. John Thomas Collins was the supervising architect and Pittman Brothers construction built the facility.

Beauvoir, the retirement home of Jefferson Davis, was in use as the Old Soldiers Home in 1934-1945 when Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and the Mississippi legislature funded repairs and renovations to 20 state institutions. Davis' Greek Revival home constructed c. 1850 was home to indigent or impoverished Confederate Veterans. Through combined state legislative funds and the ERA labor and funds, Beauvoir was "renovated and brought up to a reasonable state of repair" (Clarion-Ledger, 1935, p. 3). Interior and exteriors were painted, as were several cottages on the property and the chapel. The house was also "completed redecorated" (Clarion-Ledger, 1935,...

In 1934, 21 airports were reported under construction in Mississippi through the federal Civil Works Administration (CWA), including the new airport at the Naval Reserve Park in Biloxi. The "third CWA allotment amounting to $10,371 for the Biloxi landing field bringing the total granted Biloxi for this purpose to nearly $40,000" (More money, 1934, p. 1) resulted in a new field with 3 landing lanes. Nearly 200 men were put to work initially, and more added later. The Coast Guard Air Field, Biloxi Municipal would share space, and later, all become part of Keesler Air Force Base in its current...

The community house was approved as Works Progress Administration (WPA) project 20,814 in 1938. The wood-frame Colonial Style building was constructed to replace the former community house, on the same site. The design featured a banquet hall, recreation room, 850-seat auditorium and 350-seat balcony (Approve Biloxi Community House, 1938). The portico and columns were planned to be used from the existing community house. Biloxi provided $6,287 of the total cost of $17,051. The building was "nearing completion" in January 1939, and scheduled for dedication in late February or early March. It was demolished following Hurricane Camille damage in 1969.

The new athletic field commenced development in 1940, prior to beginning the new Junior High in 1942. The $17,000 project included "grading, drainage and fencing of the new field" (Daily Herald, January 1, 1940). It included a playing field, three practice fields, and a quarter mile track. The field was used for the first time by Biloxi High School vs. Moss Point on September 17, 1941 (Biloxi will use new school field).

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) initially funded the project, but closed it due to lack of WPA labor in Biloxi (The Daily Herald, 1941). WPA expended $27,937 on the school construction. The design indicated eighteen classrooms, home economics, science and manual training facilities. In addition to the WPA funding, voters approved bonds for $47,000. The bids for building, plumbing and heating exceeded the funding available (The Biloxi Schools, p. 7-8). Additional funding was sought from the Federal Works Agency to complete the building, and it opened in September 1943 (Biloxi Schools).

Works Progress Administration (WPA) project No. 3544 started 10/05/1935 included 3 additional fire stations. WPA funding supplied $13,495.01 and the sponsor $9,513.78 for payroll, materials, and equipment. Hook & Ladder, adjacent to L & N Depot, on Main Street. The Central Fire Station construction was begun 04/20/1937 with an expected cost of about $10,000. The formal opening of the new fire station was July 1 when the old Hook and Ladder Company hall was vacated with the final departure of a parade of equipment and personnel to the new station on Main Street. The new station was 46 x 71 feet,...

The jail annex and repairs to the city hall including beautifying and landscaping of city streets in addition to the construction of a 35 x 35 one-story jail annex. W. P. No. 1046 was started 02/01/1936 and completed 07/04/1937 for a total cost of $25,913.19 including payroll, material, and equipment. The federal funds provided$22,105.97 and the City of Biloxi as sponsor provided $3,807.22. The city hall repairs included modernization of offices. The landscaping included West Beach improvement and Central Beach Promenade. The building is no longer extant.

End End Homes was the third public housing project to be completed in Biloxi. Architects Matthes and Landry with John Thomas Collins designed the facility and it was constructed by Currie & Corley. Currie & Corley's bid was $225,576 for the 96 unit facility. Elmer Richards Electric Company secured electrical work for $9,994.50, Patton & Son awarded the plumbing, heating, and sewage contract for $36,990, and Ray V. Pisarich, sewage disposal system for $22,586. The work began Feb. 10, 1941 and was completed later that year. Damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 resulted in demolition and the Cadet Point Senior...

Howard No. 2 School, WP-50 was started Sept 25, 1935 and completed March 4, 1936. The project expended $2924.25 federal funds, $1100 sponsor funds. Workers included 20 laborers, 3 carpenters, 3 painters, 2 plasterers, a brickmason, timekeeper and superintendent. The project included the addition of three new rooms to the 1928 school, painting all outside windows, doors, sashes and exterior brickwork. Interior work included plastering, painting inside window stools and baseboards, flooring, and installation of radiators. Repairs to the cafeteria were made and the playgrounds were improved. The building is no longer extant, having burned in early 2000s.

Lopez School, WP-52, was started Sept 25, 1935 and completed Dec 13, 1935. Federal funds included $1003 and sponsor contribution was $296 for repairs and renovations to the 1925 1.5 story building. The front lawn was graded and prepared for drainage, and an adjacent lot graded for a playground. The exterior woodwork was painted, and some interior painting and plastering of the cafeteria ceiling completed. The project included payroll for 14 laborers and 9 skilled workers of $809.04. The school was demolished September 2000.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration operated two mattress and pillow factories in Harrison County, Mississippi, shipping finished products to areas in Mississippi without factories.

Building 228 at Keesler Air Force Base.

The oyster project was completed at an expenditure of $67,270.94 for bedding of 2,678 acres of oyster reefs with shells. The sponsor’s contribution was $4,683.18 and the Works Projects Administration funds $62,587.76. The project was approved 1935 to support the cultivation of oysters along the gulf coast. The oyster seedlings were planted on the state reefs of Pass Christian and Pascagoula and in the Bay of Biloxi. At the time, Biloxi was rated the largest oyster canning industry in the world.

The National Youth Administration built a recreational hall at the Naval Reserve Parkin Biloxi in 1938 as W.P. 4380. They also planted rose bushes, cedar trees, and dog wood trees and numerous flower beds along with the construction of the recreation building. The project employed 40 boys.

The city of Biloxi embarked on a city-wide street improvement program to surface streets and provide storm drains, funded by the Works Progress Administration between 1935 and 1937. WP-53, 2000 and 3483 for three street paving projects were completed. WP-53 and 2,000 expenditure was $72,753.50 federal and $18,938 sponsor contribution. WP-3843 was for $105,505 federal and sponsor $27,625. Work included grading and shelling, asphalt pavement, and concrete storm sewer installation .

As part of a major Works Progress Administration grant to the city of Biloxi in 1935-1936, a 500,000 gallon reservoir for storing water for drinking and fire fighting was completed at a cost of $20,127.31 for the City Water Works Department, along with repairs to the existing reservoirs. The sponsor contributed $5,025.71. The project entailed excavation, grading, backfilling, terracing and sodding, the making of concrete forms, pouring concrete and setting steel reinforcement, and installing water mains. Workers included 32 laborers, 14 skilled workers, 7 intermediate, plus a timekeeper and superintendent for the job. The new reservoir was located at the...

The West End Fire Station, West End Fire Company #3, was built in 1937 with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funding. The building is currently used as a fire station museum.