• City Hall - Austin TX
    On September 30, 1937, the City of Austin accepted a grant from the Public Works Administration not to exceed $112,500 to aid in the construction of a city hall and central fire station. The new city hall was a renovation of the existing 1906 city hall with new extensions added. The architectural firm of Page and Southerland designed the new building in the Art Moderne style. The city let the general contract for construction to the Schwarzer-Barron Company on November 22, 1937 for a bid of $145,594. The city council held its first meeting in the building on November 23,...
  • Rosewood Courts - Austin TX
    On September 1, 1937, President Roosevelt signed the United States Housing Act of 1937. This created the United States Housing Authority (USHA) and provided $500 million for subsidies to be paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies (LHAs) to improve living conditions for low-income families. The Austin City Council established the Austin Housing Authority on December 27, 1937. The housing authority made an application to the USHA for $500,000 to build 186 units of public housing at three sites. Austin’s housing agency became the first in the country to receive funding and to start construction on its USHA...