South Carolina Sites

The American Legion building is a Colonial Revival-style stone building that was built by the Works Progress Administration from 1936 to 1937 as a meeting hall for Post 28 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It still serves that function today. The American Legion Post 28 building is in the Duncan Park area Spartanburg.  It is up a hill from West Park Drive, with a loop driveway around the building.  The building faces northeast.  The building has a large lawn in front of it, which includes a Civil War monument (built in 1910, moved to the site from elsewhere in 1966).

The federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) contributed to the development of Rock Hill's Arcade-Victoria School. "School buildings and classroom additions went up at Central School, Northside School, Arcade-Victoria School, and Ebenezer Avenue School, with A. D. Gilchrist the architect for all these PWA projects." The former Arcade-Victoria School has since been demolished.

The historic National Guard armory in Hartsville, South Carolina was constructed by the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1940. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"The Ashwood community was created by the New Deal resettlement program to convert defunct plantation or farm land into a self-sustaining community of independent farms with educational, agricultural, and commercial support facilities."

"The Ashwood School Gymnasium and Auditorium is situated south of Bishopville, South Carolina just off U.S. Highway 15 on Ashwood School Road near Ashwood Lake, all namesakes and products of the rural New Deal resettlement community of 'Ashwood Plantation.' The gymnasium/auditorium was completed in December of 1938 for a total cost of $63,888.81 by the Goode Company of Charlotte, North Carolina, contracted by the Farm Security Administration." (NRHP Registration Form)

The old county courthouse in Beaufort, South Carolina was built in 1883, architect Robert McGrath. The building was remodeled extensively in 1936 with the support of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. This served as the county courthouse for decades until a new building was constructed; from 1994 to 2014 the building served as a U.S. Courthouse. Its current use is unknown to Living New Deal. The PWA provided a $14,760 grant in support of the $33,124 total cost of the courthouse renovation project during the 1930s. Construction occurred between February and November 1936. (PWA Docket No. SC 1146)

The building was the county police headquarters and 40-bed capacity county jail from 1938 until 1993 when it was razed to make way for a 220-bed facility.

It served as the Berkeley County Library from 1938 to 1970. The building was moved from Library Street around the corner to 221 First Street in 1969 and continued to serve customers until the grand opening of the new library (on the site of the original library) in 1970. From 1970 to 1988, the building was used by the Berkeley County Department of Social Services. It was then sold to Robert D. Calcote, DMD, and served as one of his orthodontist offices from 1988-2020.

“Bishopville High School, located in Lee County, was built as a project in 1936. The school was designed by well-known Bennettsville architect Henry Dudley Harrall. Shuttered in 2000, attempts have been made in recent years to save this important Depression-era landmark.” Described as “one of the most modern school plants in the state” when it was completed, “Bishopville High School is an excellent example of the type of school architecture that flourished as a direct result of the educational reform campaign in South Carolina in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Additionally, it is a noteworthy example...

The federal Civil Works Administration constructed the old entrance, Huntington's Gate, to Brookgreen Gardens outside Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Living New Deal believes that the old gate is no longer extant. "Huntington's Gate, Route #49, CWA Project #99. Archer and Anna Huntington built Atalaya, a Moorish-style home between 1931-33. At that same time, they were building Brookgreen Gardens, which was intended to preserve the native flora and fauna and display objects of art within that natural setting. Brookgreen Gardens continues to operate as a National Historic Landmark and a display garden for figurative sculpture." (Georgetown County Digital Library) A photo of the...

"The federal government’s New Deal programs, specifically the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration, also played a direct role in Rock Hill’s economic recovery. Building projects included ... Byrnes Auditorium on Winthrop’s campus." (sc.gov) "While a U.S. senator, Byrnes arranged for Works Project Administration funds to be used with matching state funds to construct three campus buildings – the auditorium, Thurmond Building, and Macfeat Nursery School, now the Macfeat House, a reception area created from the former Academic Computing Center. Byrnes exemplifies the monumental architectural style prevalent in Depression-era public buildings." (winthrop.edu)

The federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) contributed to the development of Rock Hill's original North Side School. "School buildings and classroom additions went up at Central School, Northside School, Arcade-Victoria School, and Ebenezer Avenue School, with A. D. Gilchrist the architect for all these PWA projects." The former Central School has since been demolished and replaced.

Formerly known as the Aiken Federal Court House, this PWA structure exemplifies the Georgian Revival style popular in the South in the 1920s and '30s. The National Register describes the building's history: "Constructed in 1935, the steel-framed building has housed the federal courts and federal agencies since its completion. It is among the most notable buildings constructed in Aiken in the 1930s, and retains must of its historic integrity and design character. The building also contains a ca. 1938 mural titled "Justice as Protector and Avenger" commissioned under the Section of Painting and Sculpture of the U.S. Treasury Department that...

The courthouse contains a 1938 Section of Fine Arts mural by Stefan Hirsch entitled “Justice as Protector and Avenger.” During the 1930s, this mural sparked an intensely racialized controversy: "The central female figure is a reference to the Renaissance Virtue Justice—familiar to us all because she is regularly deployed in courthouses around the world. But the WPA artist explained that his 'figure of "Justice"' was 'without any of the customary . . . symbolic representations (scale, sword, book . . .).' He said that the only 'allegory' he had permitted himself was 'to use the red, white and blue for...

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted construction and other improvement work at Charleston Field, today the joint military-civilian airfield site of Charleston Field and Charleston International Airport. "During the 1930s, airport operations expanded to keep pace with advances in general and commercial aviation being experienced throughout the country. Despite the Great Depression, the Federal Government stepped in to assist the city with modernizing the airport. In 1935, the Works Progress Administration literally poured $313,000 into the airport. Workers paved one 3,500-foot-long runway (1,100 m) and constructed a second 3,000-foot one (910 m). The project also improved upon the existing...

"Cheraw State Park is located in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of South Carolina. This large park is best known for its championship 18-hole golf course and the 300-acre (1.2 km2) Lake Juniper, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Visitors can rent kayaks, canoes, and non-motorized jon boats to explore the lake as well as fish for the catfish, bass, and bream found in the lake. The park also has several cabins available for rent with views of the lake. There is no charge for admission to Cheraw State Park. In 1934 the U.S. Government, as well local citizens, donated...

The federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted much work in and around Georgetown, South Carolina during the early years of the New Deal. The Georgetown Times wrote: "Started by the CWA and completed by the FERA, the paint job which was put on the old City Hall at the foot of Screven Street has rejuvenated the ancient landmark." The old City Hall, erected in 1843 on Front Street, is home to the Town Clock.

"The federal government’s New Deal programs, specifically the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration, also played a direct role in Rock Hill’s economic recovery. Building projects included ... a new City Hall building ..." The PWA supplied a $45,617 grant for the construction of the city hall/jail, whose total cost was $119,441. Construction began October 1936 and was completed October 1937. (PWA Docket No. SC W1120.) Rock Hill has a new City Hall building; the exact location and status of the New Deal City Hall is unknown to Living New Deal.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a swimming pool in Greenville’s Cleveland Park between 1939 and 1940. The city officially dedicated the pool on June 26, 1940. The total cost of the project amounted to $63,000. Children paid a dime to swim. The pool was but one of several WPA-sponsored projects in Greenville during the Depression, including park improvement and landscaping proposals. In 1961, the NAACP filed a lawsuit targeting segregated recreational facilities, including the Cleveland Park Pool. The following year, courts ruled that segregated park facilities were indeed unconstitutional, and the pool shut down for good in 1963. The city council...

On 27 October 1937, the Radcliffe-King House was pulled down for the new College of Charleston Student Activities Building/Gymnasium building. The new building was funded by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, and was designed by Simons & Lapham, a well known Charleston, South Carolina architectural firm, which participated in may New Deal projects. The building included some rooms for dorms for out of county basketball players who attended the    College of Charleston. See Blevins (2001): https://livingnewdeal.org/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/5-1524db4e8f93549db7fec5d73ae429b8/2018/01/CofC-Gym-pages-98-101.pdf In 1994-1995 the building was renovated. The gymnasium’s rubber basketball floor was removed for a modern floor, an indoor walking track was suspended from the ceiling,...

Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina was constructed in 1823 with additions constructed in 1936 and 1939. Short and Stanley-Brown: "This project consisted of additions to the courthouse and the construction of two-story reinforced-concrete jail."

"This project consisted of additions to the courthouse and the construction of this two-story reinforced-concrete jail. The jail contains the warden's quarters, dayroom and two cells each for white and colored women, two day rooms and four felony cages for men, isolation wards, and two juvenile cells. It was completed in November 1937 at a construction cost of $43,776 and a project cost of $46,864." The exact location and current status of this project are presently unknown to Living New Deal.

The federal Public Works Administration provided funds for the construction of a community building in Hartsville, South Carolina during the mid-1930s. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikipedia: "The Center Theater in Hartsville, South Carolina is a theater located at 212 N Fifth St. The theater was built in 1936 using money from the federal Works Progress Administration, a component of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal agency. The theater contains 867 seats, almost 200 of which are in the balcony. The building has historically been known as "Building A" or the "Community Center Theater", as it was...

"South of town, the WPA built a rustic club building for the 9-hole golf course at a new country club; the building, however, was heavily altered and later burned." The building "served as a city-owned recreation center until its conversion to the Rock Hill Country Club in 1954." (sc.gov)

What is now Palace Apartments started out as Williamson Mill (a cotton mill)—built in 1902. Sometime after that it was bought and plans were made to convert the building into a county multi-use building (basketball, boxing, tennis, indoor track, concerts, dances, etc.). WPA work included removing the upper part of the building, new roof installation, and upgraded utilities. The WPA spent $250,000 dollars on the project, which is about $4 million in 2013 dollars, so the conversion work must have been extensive. In later years, the county building became a popular venue for professional wrestling.

Multiple New Deal-supported construction projects were undertaken on the campus of South Carolina State University during the Great Depression. "his large two-story brick building was designed by Professors Paul V. Jewell and John H. Blanche. Financed by the Work Projects Administration (WPA) as a trades building ..." (sc.gov)

Davis College, a building on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, South Carolina, presently houses the school's College of Library and Information Science. The building was improved with New Deal funds. The school's building history page states: "In 1934 a Civil Works Administration grant paid for repairs to LeConte, Davis, Sloan, Rutledge, and DeSaussure colleges and other buildings." Davis College is located south of Gibbes Green and the McKissick Museum.

The federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted much work in and around Georgetown, South Carolina during the early years of the New Deal. The Georgetown Times wrote: "CWA workers tearing down a house on Duke Street near Broad Street found about $75 in money behind a loose brick in the chimney." The exact property is unknown to Living New Deal.

DeSaussure College, the second-oldest building on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, South Carolina, was improved with New Deal funds. The school's building history page states: "In 1934 a Civil Works Administration grant paid for repairs to LeConte, Davis, Sloan, Rutledge, and DeSaussure colleges and other buildings." DeSaussure College is located along the south side of the Horseshoe.

Works Progress Administration (WPA) laborers worked to clear land in preparation for the creation of a seven-mile diversion canal that would connect Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, part of the Santee Cooper Project. South Carolina Encyclopedia: "Following a four-year court battle, construction began in 1939. At its peak, the project employed nearly fifteen thousand workers, most of whom came from Depression relief rolls. Living in military-style camps scattered throughout the Santee and Pinopolis basins, the laborers cleared more than 160,000 acres with handsaws and mule-drawn wagons. They hauled dirt and clay to dam sites, built railroads, relocated cemeteries, and aided in...

Fieldstone structure built by the Works Progress Administration in 1935 for grange meetings. Also has been used as a city hall and library. Still in use as a grange hall. According to Brian Scott (The Historical Marker Database) "Construction in 1935 by local Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor on land donated by W. Maxie Agnew, the building served originally as the home of the town hall, the grange, and the public library. Since its inception, the fieldstone building has been the meeting hall for the agricultural organization known locally and most commonly as the Donalds Grange."

On 3 September 1935, the city of Spartanburg signed a contract with the Works Project Administration (WPA) to building Duncan Park Lake. The city furnished equipment in the amount of $14,720. A second contract at the same time provided for the construction of the American Legion Memorial Building atop a knoll known then as “University Hill.” The Duncan family donors believed in the philosophy of New York’s Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmstead who said, “Where building begins, the park ends.” In the 1923 contract with the city, the donors specified that the land could be used only as a...

The federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) contributed to the development of Rock Hill's original North Side School. "School buildings and classroom additions went up at Central School, Northside School, Arcade-Victoria School, and Ebenezer Avenue School, with A. D. Gilchrist the architect for all these PWA projects."

Edisto Beach State Park is located on the coast of South Carolina, 50 miles south of Charleston, near the town of Edisto Beach in Colleton County. "Edisto Beach State Park, rich in Native American history, and was donated to the South Carolina Department of Parks and Tourism in 1935 by Edisto Company. Development of the park was completed shortly after by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was a New Deal program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The program was designed to provide employment during the Great Depression while addressing needs to conserve natural resources. The “CCC” played a large role...

"The federal government’s New Deal programs, specifically the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration, also played a direct role in Rock Hill’s economic recovery. ... PWA funds coupled with local bond money, improved several Rock Hill schools. A sewer system, assembly hall, and classrooms were added to the desperately overcrowded African American high school, Emmett Scott." The facility was demolished in 1952.

The historic former post office—now Federal Building—in Greenwood, South Carolina was constructed during the 1910s but received a large addition constructed with federal Treasury Department funds. The extension and remodeling work was completed in 1941.

What is now known as the C. F. Haynsworth Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse in Greenville, South Carolina was constructed during the Great Depression, completed in 1937 with federal Treasury Department funds. The building, which formerly housed the main post office in Greenville, presently houses the Federal Station post office.

An oil-on-canvas mural entitled "Meeting of the Original Directors of Clemson College" painted in 1941 by John Carroll and originally hung in the Clemson Post Office (now Mell Hall) downtown. It now hangs in Hardin Hall on the Campus of Clemson University.”  (flickr) This mural shows the grim group of men who started Clemson Agricultural College — originally an all-white male military school — now called Clemson University.

The old high school in Hartsville, South Carolina featured a large New Deal-funded addition courtesy the federal Public Works Administration (PWA). The exact location and current status of the site is presently unknown to Living New Deal. "The city of Hartsville, 70 miles northeast of Columbia in Darlington County, had inadequate school facilities with no means of giving courses in manual training or domestic science and no auditorium. The school authorities secured a grant from the P. W. A. and together with local funds carried out this project which included the addition of two 3-story wings to the existing high school,...

"Hunting Island is a 5,000-acre (20 km2) secluded semitropical barrier island located about 15 miles (24 km) east of Beaufort, South Carolina. It is the most-visited state park in South Carolina and is a part of the ACE Basin estuarine reserve area. It is one of the Sea Islands. Among the various natural activities, the park is also known for its 19th century lighthouse which bears its name... In the 1930s, the island was developed into a state park by the Civilian Conservation Corps as bridges were constructed to connect the outer Sea Islands with Beaufort. Despite the limited human development, the island...