Public Works Administration (PWA) Sites

The Volunteer Fire Department building in Winnemucca, Nevada, was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds in 1938-39. The building, located on South Bridge St. in central Winnemucca, is still in use today. The structure contains four bays for fire trucks and a residential space upstairs. The stucco facade is a good example of Art Deco style of the 1930s and has been well maintained.  The PWA contributed a grant covering roughly half the cost of the project.

The Public Works Administration built the Alexander Bridge over the West River in South Londonderry. Docket No. 5828-(Vt.). The structure was engineered by the Vermont State Highway Engineering Department and was built as a 4-span concrete bridge.  

Original school erected in 1916. Under the auspices of the New Deal, the Public Works Administration [PWA) administered the School Building-Aid Program that provided funds for much-needed additions to the Adamson High School building in 1938. This project added wings on the east and west ends of the original building, extending the main hallways which provided a long-awaited art room on the first floor as well as a chemistry lab and choir suite. On the east end were a biology lab, physics lab, woodshop, basement facilities for the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), and a football locker room, so that student...

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Wade Hampton State Office Building in Columbia SC. According to Historic Columbia, "This structure was built using funds from the federal Public Works Administration to alleviate the state’s constant need for office space. Its Stripped Classical exterior and Art Deco interiors are typical of other buildings constructed under the New Deal and compliment the State House and the John C. Calhoun State Office Building next door. Built with separate bathrooms for African American citizens, the building housed the State Department for Education throughout the state government’s stalwart defense of racial segregation in public...

Newnan, Georgia's historic Wadsworth Auditorium was originally constructed as the community's Municipal Building in 1939. The building was "originally constructed in part with funds provided by the Federal Public Works Administration. The three story tan colored brick building designed in classical style with Art Deco influences was designed by R. Kennon Perry." The PWA supplied a $55,841 grant for the project, whose total cost was $93,030. Construction occurred between December 1938 and December 1939. According to the City of Newnan website, "The auditorium was christened 'The Charles Wadsworth Auditorium' in 1998 in recognition of Wadsworth's contributions and nation-wide preeminence as a gifted and talented piano...

Wadsworth Avenue Elementary School, which opened in 1912, 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...

The Wagner Performing Arts Center in Monroe, Washington was originally the auditorium of Monroe Junior High School, built in the late 1930s with the help of PWA grant funds. Construction of the auditorium and school began in September, 1938 and was completed within a year. The dedication ceremony was held September 15, 1939. Governor Clarence D. Martin was the keynote speaker, and declared the building to be one of the finest of its kind in the state. PWA representative Francis Grant was in attendance, as well as architect William Mallis of Seattle, Mr. Tait of the Tait Engineering Company of Everett, and...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded additions and improvement work for the Boys’ School (also known as the Waiale'e Home for Wayward Boys or the Waiale'e Industrial School for Boys) on the North Shore of Oahu. The PWA grant amounted to $61,364. The work was carried out in 1938. The project, listed as Docket No. TH-1033-F, was part of the PWA’s non-federal projects expenditures for the Territory of Hawaii for 1938-1939.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded new construction or improvement work on a school in the Waikele neighborhood in the City and County of Honolulu. The PWA grant amounted to $74,700, and the work was carried out in 1938. The project, listed as Docket No. TH-1091-F, was part of the PWA’s non-federal projects expenditure for the Territory of Hawaii for 1938-1939.

In 1935, a contract was awarded for the construction of support buildings and dorms at the Waimano Training School and Hospital (WTSH), originally named the Waimano Home for the Feeble Minded. The facility was originally an incarceration facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. The contract, listed as Public Works Administration Docket No. T. H. 8029, included “a new unit for boys at Waimano Home, Pearl City, for the sum of $177,341, of which $53,200 was a federal grant.” These auxiliary buildings have been slated for demolition as of 1999, but current status of the structures is unknown to the Living New Deal. The...

Wakeman School #2 (Western Reserve High School #1) in Wakeman, Ohio was constructed in 1937 as a New Deal project, with funds from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA provided a $45,000 grant for the project, whose total cost was $100,100. The school was demolished in 2003. PWA Docket No. OH 1379

Walk Hill Street in Boston, between Hyde Park Ave. and Harvard St., was reconstructed as part of a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project.

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Walker County Home in Jasper. The exact location or condition of this facility is unknown to the Living New Deal.  

"The Stadium at Cary Field was constructed in 1935 at a cost of $138,395 under a grant from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Public Works Administration. The namesakes of the stadium are Walter (W&M class of 1937) and Betty Zable (class of 1940), who made a $10 million contribution to William & Mary in 1990, adding the Zable moniker to the existing Cary Field. The construction of the stadium is distinct in that the primary entrance to the stadium is at the 50 yard line on one side, eliminating prime midfield seating locations. In order to secure the stadium, college officials...

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center began life as the National Naval Medical Center under the New Deal. Congress appropriated the funds in 1937 and President Franklin D. Roosevelt selected the site in Bethesda, Maryland.   Architect Paul Cret designed a magnificent Moderne building with a tower that still delights (though much obscured by subsequent additions to the complex).  Construction began in 1939.  FDR laid the cornerstone of the famous tower on Armistice Day 1940, and the center opened soon thereafter (probably some time in 1941, not 1940 as most sources say). According to the official Center website, "The President’s vision was to...

Walter Williams Hall is on the northeast side of the University of Missouri and the arch is the main entry to the historical quad of buildings that are the oldest on the campus.The structures were constructed from 1935-37 with PWA funding and designed by architectural consultants Jamieson & Spearl. It is named after Walter Williams who was the creator of the first school of Journalism in 1908 and was the head of the Journalism School until 1930 when he became the president of the University of Missouri. The building was recently redone and still houses the school of Journalism.

Built in 1934 by the Public Works Administration, the Spring Hill high school building was constructed with $8,000 of PWA funding. It was destroyed by fire in 1940.

The former Walton Township Union School in Olivet, Michigan received an addition, constructed as a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied a $49,090 grant for the project, whose total cost was $117,409. The building, now presently owned, presently serves as an apartment complex. PWA Docket No. MI 1067

The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $81,000 grant for construction of a new school building in Wantage, New Jersey. Completed in 1937, the total cost of the project, which still operates as the Wantage Elementary School, was $181,206. PWA Docket No. NJ 1158

According to National Park Service photograph records at Antietam National Battlefield, PWA project number FP 420 (probably occurring between 1934 and 1936) was the repair of the War Correspondents Memorial Arch--a national historic monument--at what is now Gathland State Park. This appears to be one of several PWA-funded repairs of Civil War-related structures and sites in Frederick and Washington counties during the Great Depression. A wayside marker near the Arch describes its origin and unique design: “This stone Arch, the culmination of (George) Townsend’s architectural endeavors, was built in 1896 a permanent memorial to newspaper correspondents, artists, and photographers of the Civil...

"This War Memorial Building serves the city of Holyoke as a community center. The ground floor contains a large room for dances and entertainments, a kitchen, and a men's lounge in addition to the various service rooms. The first floor is entered through a portico and includes a lobby, an auditorium with a stage and dressing rooms, the memorial hall, a lounge, cardrooms, a billiard room, women's lounge, and offices for the commission and custodian. The second floor has the auditorium balcony, the organization rooms, and two offices. The construction is fireproof and the...

The Art Moderne building was Public Works Administration (PWA) Project Miss. 1279. Along with principal architect E. L. Malvaney, there were 8 architects, the builder/contractor, foundation contractor, and a sculptor who worked on the building.

Park City's War Veterans Memorial Building (and Public Auditorium) was a federal New Deal project funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA supplied a $57,225 grant toward the project, which was matched by local funds.  There is conflicting information in PWA records and on the plaques on the building whether it was built in 1938-39 or 1939-40; the former seems more likely, but, in any case, it opened in 1940. The War Memorial Building originally contained an auditorium, bowling alley, game rooms, meeting rooms and kitchen and dining room.  It is a handsome example of "Pueblo Revival" popular in the 1920s and 30s...

Photo description: "August 15, 1939. PWA Project No. Vt. 1097-F This view shows the completed pavement at the intersection of North Bend Street and Ward Street. The old road bed was scarified, reshaped and treated with stabilizing emulsion late in the fall of 1938 and a base course of asphalt penetration was constructed with one application of 85-100 penetration asphalt binder. A wearing surface of two inches of Plant-Max asphalt using tempering fluid was constructed during the early summer of 1939."

"Under the auspices of the New York Department of Sanitation, between 1937 and 1944, three new wastewater treatment plants were constructed — Wards Island in Manhattan, and Bowery Bay and Tallman Island in Queens. These facilities were designed to reduce pollutants in the Harlem River and in the East River, whose dark and murky waters had some of the lowest dissolved oxygen concentrations in the harbor. During the summer months, dissolved oxygen levels were often zero, which caused unpleasant odors. The city and its waterways benefited from an infusion of funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), an ambitious public...

Two construction projects for the Texas state highway department were undertaken in 1934 in Del Rio, Texas, with the assistance of Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. P.W.A. Docket Nos. TX 4233 and 4506. Maps suggest that this is the property along the south side of East Gibbs St. at the intersection of Ave. E (west side). The status of the original facilities is currently unknown to Living New Deal, although a building of similar dimensions to the below-described office building still exists at that site, presuming it was expanded during the 1960s; it bears an internal plaque from 1969. Per the...

The Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) supplied funds to enable additions to what was then the Warren County Almshouse. The exact location and building status is presently unknown to Living New Deal.

The historic Warren County Courthouse in Front Royal, Virginia was built with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $17,587 grant for the project, whose total cost was $62,931. Construction occurred between July 1935 and August 1936. The building is still in service. PWA Docket No. 7608

The Public Works Administration (PWA) of the Federal Works Agency funded the construction of the stately Warren County Courthouse in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works granted Warren school district $27,000 to build a new school and other facilities. The district built the Warren School in 1935. The firm of Steinman, Steinman & Golemon, better known for their Art Deco or Modern designs, chose a variation of the Italian Renaissance Revival style for the school. The school district used the building for classrooms until 1988, when it was converted to storage space. A plaque placed within the entry on the right lists building construction information, including the architects, contractor, and “Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works Project No. 2056.” Although...

Roanoke, Virginia's Wasena Bridge was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project between 1938 and 1939 by Contractor M. S. Hudgins, Wisconsin Bridges & Iron Company and Consulting Engineers, Barrington & Cortelyou . The bridge carries the traffic of Main St. SW (Route 221) above train tracks, the Roanoke River, and Wasena Park, between Old Southwest / downtown Roanoke and the neighborhood of Wasena. The PWA provided a $149,265 grant for the bridge's construction; the final cost of the project was $336,254. Construction occurred between August 1938 and August 1939. PWA and dedication plaques are located at the north end of the...

Washakie County's Courthouse and Jail in Worland, Wyoming was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration funds (PWA Docket No. WY 1006-D). The PWA contributed $51,750 in grant money for the $129,657 project. Construction began November 14, 1936 and the building was completed Nov. 4, 1937. The building was designed by J. G. Link of Billings.

The bridge carrying Washington Avenue in Brooklyn over the railroad tracks by Prospect Park was rebuilt during the 1930s as a Public Works Administration (PWA) project.

The PWA provided funds for the construction of Washington Elementary School in 1939-1940. From Wikipedia: In addition to Lincoln, the new elementary schools included Monroe, Madison, Washington, Jefferson, and McKinley. Lincoln was the only new facility to be built on the location of one of the older buildings. The floor plans for all six school buildings was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Smith & Childs, and they are all similar in layout. Local architects were employed to design the stylistic features for each building.  

Washington School was built with the funding of the federal Public Works Administration (PWA). The Art Moderne concrete school built to replace the Longfellow and Frances Willard schools. It was in use until 2011. Notable features include murals depicting Longfellow and Willard and a basement bicycle garage.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the reconstruction of Washington Middle School in Long Beach, CA, after the school was heavily damaged in the 1933 earthquake. The school reopened in 1935. According to the school's website, Washington Middle School was originally constructed in 1921 (with the addition of a shop building in 1926). The architects were W. Horace Austin of Long Beach and John C. Austin of Los Angeles. Curiously, the school history fails to mention the 1933 earthquake and the reconstruction paid for by the New Deal! Yet documents in the National Archives clearly state that the school was rebuilt...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the reconstruction of Washington Middle School in Long Beach, CA, after the school was heavily damaged in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. The school reopened in 1935. The school's website gives a description of the building's exterior artworks: "Washington's design details combine characteristics from all three phases of the Art Deco and Art Moderne architecture. The exterior has Streamline Moderne details. There is a low-relief profile of George Washington (1732-99) above the main entryway on Cedar Avenue. Recessed double vertical lines create the illusion of a two-story lobby area. The two Cedar Avenue entrances...

The Washington Monument grounds – the core area of the National Mall – was substantially altered and improved, including a major reconfiguration of the streets. The work was paid for by the Public Works Administration (PWA) from a fund of over $1 million provided for an overhaul of the entire National Mall.  Labor was mostly provided by Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relief workers. First, the Washington Monument grounds were raised and reconditioned with new topsoil, followed by reseeding of the lawns. Second, the circular roadway on the north side of Monument was eliminated and a highway in the line of...

The Washington Monument, one of the most beloved memorials in the country, was completely renovated during the New Deal. No repair work had been done since the monument was finished in 1884 and the exterior had cracked and spalled, resulting in leaching of mortar and leaking through the walls. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a grant for the work in 1934. Soon, a tubular steel scaffold was erected, which completely covered the shaft of the monument. Workers repointed, repaired and cleaned the entire shaft from top to bottom. The work was completed in February 1935. The cleaning, pointing, and repair...

Many improvements were made to the U.S Navy Yard and Naval Ammunition Depot (now called the Washington Navy Yard) throughout the New Deal, from 1934 to 1941. In 1933, the Washington Post reported that $325,000 had been allotted by the Public Works Administration (PWA) to improvements at the Navy Yard; the funds were dispensed in 1934 for the modernization of the heating plant.  A 1937 Navy report provides specifics on that work: “new concrete foundations, structural steel boiler supports, air-cooled boiler settings, stoker-fired furnaces, smoke breeching, coal chutes, forced-draft fans, operating platforms and walkways, boiler plant accessories, piping and electric wiring;...