Tell Us About Your Favorite New Deal Site
“Ready for Take Off!”
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Photo Courtesy hiddennewmexico.com
The old Albuquerque Municipal Airport takes me back the time in air travel when one would walk from a spartan passenger lounge onto the tarmac to board a waiting plane. Built in 1928, the passenger terminal was soon outgrown and in 1939 the Works Progress Administration constructed an adobe Pueblo Revival-style terminal to replace it. Millionaire aviator Howard Hughes took a personal interest in the decor, which features handcrafted vigas and latillas (timber beams and rafters), tin light fixtures and a kiva fireplace, produced by local artisans. Sculpture by woodworker Patrociño Barela and muralist Pop Chalee, a member of the Taos Pueblo, further adorned the interior. The New Deal-era terminal was retired in 1965 and a new airport was built nearby. The original 1939 terminal is now used for TSA offices. It has since been restored and looks much like it did in the 1940s. Standing inside you almost expect to see your DC-3 pulling up for your flight