Public Works Administration (PWA) Sites

Fire Station No. 14 of Fort Worth, Texas was constructed in 1938-39 under the PWA. The architect was Preston M. Geren and the Sr. Contractor was Quisle and Andrews. The building now serves as a YWCA Child Care-Community Center.

The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (Public Works Administration) provided funding for the construction of Fire Station No. 5 in Charleston, West Virginia. This is one of several fire stations built in the City of Charleston under the New Deal. Station No. 5 is located on the northeast corner of Bridge Road and Walnut Road in the Bridge Road Neighborhood near the Bridge Road Shops in South Hills, Charleston, West Virginia.

Constructed by the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1939. It is the oldest continuous operating fire station in the San Fernando Valley. There has been investigation since 2009 on whether to replace it or construct a new station elsewhere since the needs of the community have outgrown the building.

Fishburn Avenue Elementary School, which opened in 1926, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) between 1934 and 1935. In January 1934, the PWA allocated $9,380,000 to the Los Angeles Unified School District for the rehabilitation of schools damaged in the severe 1933 Long Beach earthquake.  One hundred and thirty schools would benefit from the system-wide loan and grant, with 2,500 men to be employed in rehabilitation work over 21 months. Upon receiving news of the PWA allocation, Board of Education member Arthur Eckman told the Los Angeles Times, “I am sure that every member of the board agrees with...

"This lighthouse stands on an island approximately 750 by 190 feet in size and Is midway between Stephens Passage and Frederick Sound. The tower, surmounted by a lantern, rises from a rectangular base which contains a combination living room and kitchen, four bedrooms, a bath, a radio room, an engine room, battery room, boiler room, and the necessary storage space. On the island are also a hoist house, a boathouse, and a short stretch of sea wall. All construction is fireproof and is reinforced concrete. The station is equipped with fog signals, and its 7,100 candlepower lamp has a range...

Palm Beach's old Flagler Memorial Bridge was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA supplied a $398,750 loan and $326,455 grant for the project, whose total cost was $735,490. Construction began in Jan. 1937 and completed in Jun. 1938. In 2014 the bridge was undergoing replacement and demolition. PWA Project No. 1085-D. The project is sometimes mis-attributed to another New Deal agency, the WPA. WPB.org: "WPA funds were also utilized to construct the Flagler Memorial Bridge which opened in 1938, replacing the earlier railroad bridge from West Palm Beach to Palm Beach."

A Public Works Administration grant of $310,909 funded new construction and improvement work on flood control in the Kapalama neighborhood of Honolulu. Docket No. TH-1004-DS.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded new construction or improvement work for a flood control project in Waialua, Oahu. The PWA grant amounted to $56,700. The work was carried out in 1938. The project, listed as Docket No. TH-1051-F, was part of the PWA’s non-federal projects expenditures for the Territory of Hawaii for 1938-1939.

Mercer ME, a small town of only 408 residents at the 1930 Census, received federal help for relief work, which included flood mitigation. Contributions from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Public Works Administration (PWA), and the Civil Works Administration (CWA) are mentioned in the 1936 Town Report. The Report lists following details about the relief work and flood control efforts carried out in 1936: Two people are listed in connection with a 1933 CWA project. Eighteen people and three companies are listed in connection with repairs after the 1936 flood. "Flood Project, WPA, Beech Hill Towns Portion $1,171.94."  

"This P.W. A.Moderne style school was constructed from 1937 to 1939 to plans drawn by architects John C. Austin and Frederick M. Ashley. The P.W.A. Moderne married the symmetry and classicism of earlier eras with elements culled from the fashionable Art Deco and Streamline Moderne idioms." - https://www.laschools.org/employee/design/fs-studies-and-reports/download/LAUSD_Presentation_March_2002.pdf?version_id=1895945

A pair of infirmary/ward buildings at what was then known as the Florida Farm Colony was constructed in 1936 as a New Deal-aided project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied a $48,402 grant for the project, whose total cost was $108,174. The exact location and status of the buildings on the campus (presently known as the Tacachdale Center) are presently unknown to Living New Deal. PWA Docket No. FL 1158-R

A pair of infirmary/ward buildings at what was then known as the Florida Farm Colony was constructed in 1936 as a New Deal-aided project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied a $48,402 grant for the project, whose total cost was $108,174. The exact location and status of the buildings on the campus (presently known as the Tacachdale Center) are presently unknown to Living New Deal. PWA Docket No. FL 1158-R

A pair of segregated dining halls at what was then known as the Florida Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory, was constructed in 1936 as a New Deal-aided project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied a $34,389 grant for the project, whose total cost was $84,517. The exact location and status of the buildings on the now-abandoned campus are presently unknown to Living New Deal. PWA Docket No. FL 1161-R

A pair of segregated dining halls at what was then known as the Florida Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory, was constructed in 1936 as a New Deal-aided project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied a $34,389 grant for the project, whose total cost was $84,517. The exact location and status of the buildings on the now-abandoned campus are presently unknown to Living New Deal. PWA Docket No. FL 1161-R

A girls' dormitory building at what was then known as the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind was constructed in 1936 as a New Deal-aided project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied a $34,190 grant for the project, whose total cost was $76,013. The building is located at the northwest end of campus. It is possible that additional construction was undertaken at the School with federal funds. PWA Docket No. FL 1134-R

The Public Works Administration (PWA) was involved with multiple construction projects on the grounds of the Florida State Hospital in 1936-7. The PWA supplied a $300,355 grant for construction as part of one combined project, whose total cost was $670,428. PWA Docket No. FL 1135-R. (A second project, Docket FL 1240-R, provided $42,853 for "miscellaneous buildings"—total cost: $95,447.) "The acutely congested condition of the hospital wards and the general housing problem has been somewhat relieved during the biennium with the completion of eleven major buildings with the assistance of federal funds. The structures, all completely fireproof, are designed and built to conform with the needs...

Landis Hall was completed in 1938 as a 202-room dormitory for student nurses and other employees working at the Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, Florida. It replaced the old nurses home which was destroyed in February 1937. The construction contract was financed in part by the PWA and awarded to Batson and Cook of West Point, Georgia. The building was named for the late Florida Attorney-General, Cary D. Landis. PWA Docket No. Fla 1372-DS.

A hospital at the Florida State Prison (in some documents referred to as the "Florida State Farm"), was constructed in 1936-7 as a New Deal-aided project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied a $137,296 grant for the project, whose total cost was $339,851. The exact location and status of the building are presently unknown to Living New Deal. It is also possible that the project included the construction of other facilities on the prison grounds. PWA Docket No. FL 1160-R

The former Florida State Tuberculosis Sanitarium was constructed during the last 1930s as a New Deal-aided project. The Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied a $320,000 loan and $310,890 grant for the project, whose total cost was $804,005. Construction began in 1936 and, according to a PWA document, construction continued well to 1939. (Dedication occurred well before this date. See below.) Florida Memory: "P.W.A. project, docket 1034-R. Also known as: the Central Florida Tuberculosis Hospital, the Sunland Training Center for Retarded Children, and the Sunland Hospital of Orlando. Dedicated in January 1938. The building, located at 7500 West Silver Star Road, was later...

The Flying Yankee train was built in 1934-1935 at a cost of $275,000 (about $5.8 million in 2021 dollars). The Public Works Administration (PWA) financed the train’s construction with a loan. The Flying Yankee’s route started in Portland, Maine and ended in Boston, Massachusetts, and it ran from 1935 to 1957 for the Boston & Maine and Maine Central railroads, sometimes under different names, such as “The Business Man.” When it first arrived on the scene it was viewed as a futuristic, technological wonder, with many innovations. It was lightweight, quiet, economic, capable of 100+ mph, and made of stainless steel....

Folger Park on the south side of Capitol Hill was named for Charles J. Folger, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1881 to 1884. Part of the original L'Enfant plan of Washington DC, the park was significantly improved in the late 19th century – probably at the same time it was renamed. Folger Park was substantially redeveloped under the New Deal, with funds provided by the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1935 and work carried out by Works Progress Administration (WPA) relief labor in 1936.  This was part of a sweeping program of parks and playground renewal across Washington undertaken by...

Ford Boulevard Elementary School, which opened in 1923, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) between 1934 and 1935. In January 1934, the PWA allocated $9,380,000 to the Los Angeles Unified School District for the rehabilitation of schools damaged in the severe 1933 Long Beach earthquake.  One hundred and thirty schools would benefit from the system-wide loan and grant, with 2,500 men to be employed in rehabilitation work over 21 months. Upon receiving news of the PWA allocation, Board of Education member Arthur Eckman told the Los Angeles Times, “I am sure that every member of the board agrees with...

The historic Forest Hills Elementary School in Danville, Virginia was originally planned as a high school. Plans changed prior to construction and the school became an elementary school. It has operated as an elementary school since its construction.  The project was undertaken with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds.. PWA Docket No. VA 7126. As of 2024, Forest Hills Elementary is in the beginning stages of renovation and expansion planning.

"This structure houses rare and beautiful plants, trees, and flowers, and is an important unit of the general park improvement program for St. Louis. The steel frame of the building supports structural glass panels on its vertical surfaces which are reasonably hailproof, and the horizontal roofs are metal covered. Great care was taken with the lighting, which was carefully studied with a model of the building before installation. The interest of the public in the displays is so great that more than 1,000,000 people have visited the 'jewel box' since its opening. It was completed in May 1937 at a construction...

"Named for the historic mining district, the Crown King Ranger Station includes numerous structures and buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1934 and 1938. The office and residence were designed in the Bungalow/Craftsman style with timbered gables and wide front porches fronted by square columns on pedestals. The buildings were designed according to standard Forest Service plans. Each complex is unique however -- modified to make use of local materials and to adapt to the landscape itself. Horsethief Basin facilities were funded by the Public Works Administration as part of a large recreation project for Phoenix residents. CCC...

The New Albany City Hall was designed by Mississippi architect E. L. Malvaney, who designed many modernist buildings in the state. The two-story Art Deco style building (with Art Moderne characteristics) is a Mississippi State Landmark. Joan Embree, 1996, described it as "...rectangularly-massed, has a flat roof, concrete entry, walk, and stair to the first level." It was described as "...a monolithic concrete structure by E. L. Malvaney" in the Federal Writers Project. Art Moderne, a late form of Art Deco, was popular during the 1930s and forward. It often made use of concrete, was subdued in color, and had...

Originally called Fort Humphreys, this Army post was established during World War I. The name was changed to Fort Belvoir in 1935. "Title I of the Work Relief and Public Works Appropriation Act gave $13,942,572 in WPA funds and $52,283,400 in PWA funds for Army housing. Spent at 64 posts, 285 projects, 1091 sets of quarters. These projects had to be substantially completed by Jan. 1, 1940...Both Jadwin Loop Village and Gerber Village expanded in 1939 with the addition of row houses using PWA workers."   (https://www.fortbelvoirhousinghistory.com) WPA work on the site in 1938-40 included: "Improve grounds at Fort Humphreys…including rehabilitating roads and sidewalks,...

Originally the Fort Bragg High School, the building now houses the Fort Bragg Middle School. The high school has moved to 300 Dana St.

The Public Works Administration carried out major repairs and renovation work at Fort Christian in St. Thomas. Public Works Federal Project No. 11. The PWA work cost $1,995.35.

Fort Douglas was expanded during the New Deal, including several buildings and improvements to the water and street systems.  The CCC took over a warehouse (building 101) and added stables and quarters along both sides.  The PWA funded the construction of large new barracks (building 100). The WPA added several homes for senior officers (buildings 621-625 on the central parade grounds, along De Trobriand Street) and non-commissioned officers (buildings 658, 600, 664, 665, 666 on Connor Road), along with entrance columns.  The WPA also built a recreation building and swimming pool (no longer extant), bath house and a gas station (modified from...

Fort Douglas was expanded during the New Deal, including several buildings and improvements to the water and street systems.   The PWA funded the construction of large new barracks (building 100).   The CCC also took over a warehouse (building 101) and added stables and quarters along both sides. The WPA added several homes for senior officers (buildings 621-625 on the central parade grounds, along De Trobriand Street) and non-commissioned officers (buildings 658, 600, 664, 665, 666 on Connor Road), along with entrance columns, and other improvements. More photos of WPA work during the 1930s are in the archives of the library at the University of...

Fort Douglas was expanded during the New Deal by the PWA, CCC and WPA.  The WPA added several homes for senior officers (buildings 621-625 on the central parade grounds, along De Trobriand Street) and non-commissioned officers (buildings 658, 600, 664, 665, 666 on Connor Road), along with entrance columns.  These are all still in use. There are several other WPA works at Fort Douglas that are harder to document or have disappeared:  a recreation building (pictured), swimming pool (filled in?), a gas station (modified from an earlier stone building that still stands), and improvements to the water and street systems (invisible). The only site marked...

The PWA helped in the construction of the main school building, while the WPA was responsible for the school's football stadium, tennis courts and much of the surrounding grounds. "New Deal funding relating to Fort Hill was formally initiated in November 1934 and September 1935, respectively, when the PWA committed federal funds not to exceed $230,000. The project was labeled PWA Docket #7323. Other sources brought the total amount pledged for the school to $600,000... While the PWA's funding provided for a major portion of the cost of Fort Hill High School, it was a $60,000 WPA funding package that initiated the...

"These barracks are one of several buildings erected at Fort Knox by the Quartermaster Corps of the Army and consist of 4 units of fireproof construction with concrete frames and brick curtain walls trimmed with stone. Another building, a 2-company barracks, is similar in design and construction, and both structures provide permanent quarters for 456 and 228 men, respectively. They are occupied by the First Cavalry, Mechanized. The project was completed in December 1935 and the P.W.A. allotment for the barracks and other buildings was $579,000."

The main campus of Fort Lewis College was moved to Durango, Colorado in 1956, but before then it was located at this site, 16 miles southwest of Durango on what was originally a military site, then a boarding school for Native Americans, then a high school, then a two-year college. Since the 1950s, this has been the site of the San Juan Basin Research Center and is currently connected to Fort Lewis College once more as an auxiliary campus used for agricultural research among other purposes. During the 1930s, New Deal programs contributed important resources to the campus: "Dean Bader faced...

In 1934 several New Deal Programs provided funding and employed Fort Monroe laborers in the construction of the Fort Monroe Bandshell in Continental Park. The new bandshell replaced the previous one that had been destroyed by hurricanes in 1933. Capt. Harrington W. Cochran designed the bandshell for the 2nd Coast Artillery Band which played there for the first time in April 1934. Robert Kelly, Casemate Museum Historian at the Fort Monroe Authority, notes that Capt. Cochran's diary "documents Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Public Works Administration (PWA), and the Civil Works Administration (CWA) all either funding projects and/or providing labor for improvements across the post."

"The Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River in northeastern Montana, approximately 20 miles southeast of Glasgow and near the town of Fort Peck, is being constructed by the Army Engineers under the supervision of the District Engineer. The primary purpose of the project is to improve navigation on the river below Sioux City, Iowa, to its junction with the Mississippi, a distance of 764 miles. Secondary and resulting purposes are flood control, prevention of bank erosion, hydroelectric power, and irrigation. In addition, the project was undertaken at a time when it was imperative to provide-work for the unemployed and 47,000,000...

"In the beginning of the P.W.A. practically every one of the national parks received financial assistance from it. Some of the parks and monuments were new and unimproved and others needed finishing. Among the many buildings were the Administrative Building and Museum near Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Administrative Building and Museum at Chickamauga, and the restoration of Fort Pulaski in Georgia. This old fort was built in 1810. The project consisted of repairs and rehabilitation and provision of space for a museum. The work was completed in July 1936 at a construction cost of $76,453."

The Public Works Administration (PWA) and Federal Works Administration (FWA) both funded improvements at Fort Reno Park in 1942. In October 1942, the Washington Post reported that the FWA would demolish a 5 million gallon reservoir to construct a 20 million gallon reservoir in its place. PWA work reported by the paper was not specified. The park is no longer a working reservoir. After WWII, it was a White House Army Signal Agency facility, and it is now best known for hosting a yearly free summer concert series. There are several play fields at the park and it is unknown if...

The Fort Wadsworth railway station was rebuilt as a concrete structure during the mid-1930s as part of a massive grade separation project along what was then the South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway. The station was located between Fingerboard Road and the intersection of Tompkins Ave. and Lyman Ave. Long since abandoned (as the line was discontinued in 1953), the structure has since been demolished. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $1.46 million grant for the $6 million grade crossing elimination project, which included work elsewhere in Staten Island and even in Manhattan. PWA Docket No. NY 4926.