Completion Year: 1938

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was created by Congress in 1914 and the FTC occupied various sites in the District of Columbia during its early years. It finally got a permanent home in 1937-38 under the New Deal, with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) and Public Buildings Branch of the Treasury Department.  The FTC building stands at the eastern apex of the Federal Triangle, at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, and was originally known as the Apex Building.  The New Deal completed several buildings in the Federal Triangle that had been started in the early 1930s, but...

The exterior of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) building is enhanced by several works of art commissioned by the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts in 1938. The large, cast aluminum grilles on the Constitution Avenue entrance have six images designed by William McVey portraying commercial transportation methods: Columbus's 15th-century ships, an 18th-century merchant ship, a 19th-century clipper ship, a paddlewheel steamship, an early 20th-century ocean liner, and a seaplane.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the State Capitol Annex Building in 1938. The University of Arizona Libraries Digital Collections information page on State Capitol murals mentions that PWA funds were used "to hire Jay Datus to paint a series of murals entitled 'The Pageant of Arizona Progress.' Datus came to Arizona in 1937 at the age of 23, already an accomplished and well-known artist. He spent two years in research for these works in order to accurately depict the dress and actions of his subjects. His figures include Native Americans, miners, explorers, missionaries and pioneers." According to C.W....

The New Deal's Resettlement Administration (RA) built permanent housing units for migrant farm workers in Farmersville CA in 1938.  The exact location is unknown.  It is unlikely that these buildings survive.

The post office in the old downtown of Richmond, CA was built by the Treasury Department in 1938. It is an elegant example of Moderne (Art Deco) architecture of the age. Richmond's downtown, including buildings around the post office, was cleared away  by the city's massive (and ill-considered) urban renewal program of the 1960s.  Then, the interior of the post office was gutted in a 1976 renovation. Happily, the exterior retains its original appearance. In 2017, the USPS threatened to close this post office, but popular protest led the city of Richmond to protest and the branch remains in operation. It future...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded a Recreational Building in Huntington Beach, California. The building was completed in 1938 and cost $58,889. The large building was said to have the capacity to accommodate 1000 people.  It was commonly referred to as "the Pavilion" and was a popular venue in the community for dances and entertainment. The Pavilion also hosted picnics and conventions. The building was located on the beach near the start of the Huntington Beach Pier. The first story was built for use as a lunchroom while the second story was used as a dance floor. Outside of the Pavilion, there...

The State Emergency Relief Administration (SERA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built many buildings for Valencia High School during the New Deal era.  The school was initially founded in 1933. Then in 1935, SERA built an administration building. This was followed by a gym and pool funded by the WPA in 1937. “Today the school serves a student body of approximately 2,500 students. It is one of four high schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District." (Wikipedia)

The Pixley Enterprise reported in 1938 that a Ranger Station had been built in Fountain Springs, at the head of the road to California Hot Springs. The building was made of adobe brick in old California Ranch style. It was a joint project of the Civilian Conservation Corps CCC), National Youth Administration (NYA) and state workers. We have not been able to locate this building and presume that it has disappeared.

In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a three-story lifeguard station in Long Beach, CA. Originally located at the foot of Linden Avenue, it was moved to Cherry Avenue in 1961.

The elegant New Deal post office in Santa Monica, CA, was constructed in 1937-38 with Treasury Department funds. It was sold off by the US Postal Service in 2012 (the fate of many classic post offices in the 21st century). Efforts to stop the privatization of the old post office failed, but the building was landmarked and the facade and lobby were saved. "In December 2013, 1248 5th Street LLC purchased the Santa Monica Post Office as creative office space for Skyspace Productions. Prior to the purchase, Santa Monica City Council agreed to accept a preservation covenant for the post office's exterior...