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  • Murray Common School (Former) - Murray TX
    The Murray Common School was built in 1935 at a cost of $5,000, and was constructed in two months. The school building was still in use as a community center in 1972, however, the rock structure was demolished at some point after that. Workers from the Newcastle area were transported to Murray in a Ford Model T pickup truck owned by B. C. "Slats" Wooldridge. The project is not documented as to agency, however there was a CCC camp in nearby Graham which constructed other school buildings in the area.
  • New River Bridge - Calexico CA
    $5,000 in federal funds constructed a bridge carrying Route 98 over the New River near Calexico, California during the Great Depression.
  • Newark Airport Administration Building - Newark NJ
    The original Newark Airport terminal building, then known as Building 1, was built in 1934-35 with New Deal funding.  Newark Airport holds a special place in aviation history, with the first paved runway and the first terminal that provided a designated place for passengers and a restaurant. It has been called, by one preservationist, "...the single most important and historic passenger facility in the world" and a model for all that followed. (Quote here) It is an Art Deco gem, the work of architect John Homlish (an extensive tour of the building and its details, with fine photographs, can be found...
  • Newport News Shipyard Improvements - Newport News VA
    The New Deal made substantial improvements to the Newport News Shipyard in the 1930s.  Several federal agencies were probably involved, including  the National Industrial Recovery Administration, Public Works Administration (itself created by the NIRA), Civil Works Administration, and Works Progress Administration. The Public Works Administration (PWA) also financed the construction of two aircraft carriers at the Newport News Shipyard: tjhe Yorktown and the Enterprise. Indeed, Newport News Shipyard was one of the top warship producers at the time. As for improvements to the shipyard itself, we know from the Department of the Navy Bureau of Yards and Docks history website that U.S. shipyards,...
  • Nojoqui Pass - Las Cruces CA
    Within a group of federally funded road and highway projects that came out of the Haydn - Cartwright bill in 1934, 3.7 miles of the El Camino Real through the Nojoqui Pass were graded and paved.
  • Oak Fire Lookout Tower - Poplar Bluff MO
    This fire lookout tower was constructed as a New Deal project in 1941, potentially by the CCC. It is in reasonably good condition though it is no longer in use and the initial stair has been removed for safety reasons.
  • Old Route 4 - Santa Clarita CA
    $98,500 in federal funds was spent during the Great Depression on grading and paving 4.4 miles of California Route 4 from Saugus to the non-existant community of Oak Grove. A researcher's best guess based on a Wikipedia article about former Route 99 (or Legislative Route 99 as they were once termed) and an old topographical map, is that the route constructed is Railroad Ave north from Newhall to Magic Mountain Parkway to what is now I-5.
  • Orange County Hospital Addition - Orange CA
    The New Deal funded a hospital addition in Orange, California, during the 1930s.  Funds almost surely came from the Public Works Administration (PWA). There is a photograph of the building in the National Archives, but it only gives the city and no address (and no date).  Most likely, it was the Orange County Hospital, which was later flooded by the Santa Ana River and no longer exists at that location. The New Deal addition was no doubt torn down along with the rest of the old hospital.
  • Pacific Coast Highway - Long Beach CA
    A half mile section of the Pacific Coast Highway between Loma Avenue and Hathaway Avenue in Long Beach, CA, was graded and paved under a federal grant of $60,500 in 1935. At the time, it was known as State Street.
  • Peretz Square - New York NY
    An August 1935 Parks Department press release lists the site now known as Peretz Square as one of seventy-three play areas developed in the preceding year with "city, state and federal relief funds." The release describes this park as having play areas designed for mothers and infants and older children. The site was acquired by the Parks Department in May 1934. Although the press release does not identify which federal agencies were involved, researcher Frank da Cruz explains here that New Deal park projects developed before August 1935 would have been financed by one or more agencies including the CWA, FERA, the...
  • Piute High School (demolished) Addition - Circleville UT
    The original structure (Circleville Elementary) dates to 1921 - 22 (Pope & Burton, architects). High school attendance in this very rural area grew dramatically during the 1920s due to a new state law requiring compulsory school attendance until age 18. Thus in 1926, high school students were moved to the Pope & Burton structure and it was renamed Piute High School. In 1946 a WPA-funded addition was built for high school industrial arts and home economics as well as the Circleville town board office. The addition was to the right of the Pope & Burton structure, and comparatively large. The doors...
  • Playground of the Americas - New York NY
    Playground of the Americas was built circa 1935 with the help of the New Deal. The agency involved in funding or completing the work is unknown to the Living New Deal. During his tenure as Parks Commissioner, Robert Moses used New Deal funding and labor to build public park facilities, yet rarely credited the New Deal agencies that supported the projects. Because he prohibited the placement of New Deal plaques and corner stones, we have few sources that tie public parks in New York to New Deal agencies. However, several of Moses’ statements reveal that during the 1930s, most of...
  • Post Office Mural - Oak Harbor OH
    The New Deal mural "Early Oak Harbor," by Clarence Zuelch, was completed in 1940. The work, which can be found in the lobby of the historic Oak Harbor post office, was sponsored by the federal Treasury Section of Fine Arts.
  • Post Office Sculpture - Claremont CA
    A carved wood sculpture entitled "Eagle" by sculptor and film actor Stuart Holmes was installed at the post office in Claremont, CA. It is unclear when the sculpture was completed and whether it was funded by the Treasury Relief Arts Program (TRAP) or the Section of Fine Arts. Unfortunately, this sculpture is now missing. Note: TRAP (1935-1939) was the smallest of the programs to hire unemployed artists to create public artworks. The Section of Fine Arts (1939-1943) succeeded the Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture (1934-1938) and the Treasury Section of Fine Arts (1938-1939) in overseeing artworks created to enhance public...
  • Queens Road Extension - Charlotte NC
    "Between 1932 and 1935 communities throughout North Carolina, including Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, benefited from a broad array of public works funded primarily by Washington.  These included ... the extension of a section of Queens Road to connect with East Morehead Street ..."
  • Railroad Yard Viaduct - San Bernardino CA
    This New Deal federal public works project was a product of joint state, federal, county, and private funding. The viaduct had a 40-foot reinforced concrete roadway with a 3-foot 6-inch sidewalk on each side and an overall length of 1016 feet with flared approaches giving easy access at either end. The work was accomplished in part by cutting through a new street and rerouting the Pacific Electric tracks. The complete project involved the relocation of the street railway tracks at an estimated cost of $14,000 and yard changes by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company at an estimated...
  • Reed Creek Bridge - Marysville CA
    The bridge carrying Rancho Road over Reed Creek in Marysville, California was 1 of 7 bridges widened in Yuba County, California as part of a $50,000 federal grant during the Great Depression. There is a date stamp of 1935 on each end of the bridge.
  • Renaissance High School for the Arts - Long Beach CA
    Long Beach High School (the current site of Renaissance High School for the Arts) was built in 1935, likely with New Deal funding. The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake destroyed hundreds of schools throughout Southern California. “On August 29, 1933, Long Beach citizens approved a $4,930,000 bond measure for the rebuilding of schools. Applications for approximately thirty-five schools were filed with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Public Works Administration (PWA); federal grants up to thirty percent of labor and material costs were obtained. To minimize costs, building materials were salvaged from damaged buildings, some schools were rehabilitated, and new schools were...
  • Richmond Township School - Richmond RI
    The New Deal funded the construction of this school, now Richmond Elementary, in Richmond Township in 1934.
  • Riverside Ave - Riverside CA
    3.5 miles of street were graded and paved under a New Deal federal grant of $115,000.
  • Robert Mills Manor Public Housing - Charleston SC
    The Robert Mills Manor public housing project in Charleston, South Carolina was constructed with New Deal funds, likely under the auspices of the Public Works Administration (PWA). The Library of Congress: "The Robert Mills Manor Remains as Charleston's earliest and most intact example of a locally initiated public low-income housing project. During the 1930s, the Federal government began a subsidy programs for the development of low-income housing and for slum clearance. The City of Charleston quickly took advantage of these programs, developing several large low income projects, the first of which was the Robert Mills Manor. Its associations with prominent local architects...
  • Rock Hill High School Gymnasium - Rock Hill SC
    "The federal government’s New Deal programs, specifically the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration, also played a direct role in Rock Hill’s economic recovery. Building projects included ... a gym at Rock Hill High School ..." (sc.gov) "1935: The first separate high school gymnasium is built, thanks to federal money." (https://rh.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/)
  • Route 20 - Upper Lake CA
    2.5 miles of highway was graded and surfaced near Clear Lake at a cost of $95,000 thanks to federal funds. Work began on this project during December 1934.
  • Roy B. Inks Bridge - Llano TX
    A disastrous flood in June 1935 washed away the existing highway bridge across the Llano River in Llano, Texas. The Texas Highway Department designed a new bridge in the fall of 1935 and built a new two-lane four-span Parker through truss bridge using Federal Emergency Relief funds made available through the Hayden-Cartwright Act of 1934, although no specific federal agency is noted for administration of the funds. The Austin Bridge Company constructed the bridge in 1936 at a cost of $155,724. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure to the Llano County Courthouse...
  • San Jacinto River Bridge - Lake Elsinore CA
    $25,000 provided by the New Deal went into the construction of this concrete bridge.
  • San Marcos Pass Road - Santa Ynez CA
    The National Industrial Recovery Act helped construct 2 1/2 miles of road from the Santa Ynez river to Santa Ynez. Two bridges were constructed, one, a 765-foot reinforced concrete bridge across the Santa Ynez river, and a 128-foot reinforced concrete bridge over the Santa Argueda creek. Completion date: Nov. 1934 From Google maps street view, it looks as if further reconstruction has since occurred because the the bridge over the Santa Ynez river is no longer connected to the highway and is abandoned.
  • San Mateo Road (Route 92) - San Mateo CA
    2.9 miles of the San Mateo Road, from Skyline Boulevard to Half Moon Bay, were graded and surfaced in 1934 by federal funding under the provisions of the Hayden - Cartwright bill.
  • Sato Academy of Mathematics and Science - Long Beach CA
    Hill Classical Middle School (now Sato Academy of Mathematics and Science) was built in 1935, likely with New Deal funding. It is unclear if the 1935 structure(s) survived a 1957 addition/remodel. The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake destroyed hundreds of schools throughout Southern California. “On August 29, 1933, Long Beach citizens approved a $4,930,000 bond measure for the rebuilding of schools. Applications for approximately thirty-five schools were filed with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Public Works Administration (PWA); federal grants up to thirty percent of labor and material costs were obtained. To minimize costs, building materials were salvaged from damaged buildings,...
  • Sawyer Free Library Murals - Gloucester MA
    The fresco murals at the Sawyer Free Library, "Scenes of the Region", by Frederick Stoddard and Howard Curtis were painted with the help of New Deal funds. They are located in the east entryway stairwell and 2nd floor reference room.
  • Sgt. William Dougherty Playground - Brooklyn NY
    This modest playground near the Northern edge of Brooklyn was developed under the New Deal. A Department of Parks press release from April 1, 1935 announced the opening of this playground "constructed with Work Relief Funds" and went on to describe the park's development and new facilities: "The playground at Vandervoort Avenue and Cherry Street has an area of nearly an acre. The land was acquired by the Sinking Fund Commission by purchase at a cost of £22,500 and it was turned over to the Department of Parks on April 3, 1924, for development as a playground, but the land lay...
  • Southeastern Louisiana University: Fayard Hall Murals - Hammond LA
    This series of seven oil-on-canvas murals, painted by Xavier Gonzalez in 1937 and entitled "Strawberry Farming," were hung in the post office until 1970, when they were moved to Southeaster Louisiana University. "Much of Gonzalez's work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture… and its smaller affiliate, the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP)." (knowla.org)
  • Southern Pacific Railroad Bridge - Redding CA
    $40,000 was expended by the federal government on the grading, paving, and structure of a bridge and its approaches over the Southern Pacific railroad on Eureka Way. The bridge is marked BR 6-35 on the railing at its northeastern corner.
  • State Highway 79: Red River Bridge - Waurika OK to TX
    State Highway 79 Bridge at the Red River which connects Jefferson County, OK with Clay County, TX. "State highway #79 bridge at the Red River is a camelback pony truss bridge built in 1939... This type of bridge is rare and this particular example maintains a high degree of integrity. It is also important for the role it played in facilitating major economic development in the region.  Listed in the National Register, 12/20/1996."   (https://www.ocgi.okstate.edu) The exact source of federal financing is unclear, but an application was made to the Bureau of Public Roads.
  • State Route 10 Improvements - Morris Plains NJ
    New Deal funds contributed the the development of the road system in Morris County, New Jersey. State.NJ.us: In the 1930s New Deal public works funding increased the pace of bridge construction with projects that included Route 10 from 1931 to 1935; Route 23 in 1934; and the dualization of Route 6 (present US 46) from 1937 to 1941.
  • State Route 211 Improvements - Ferndale CA
    $13,000 Federal highway funds was spent on shoulder construction and curve correction over 5.8 miles of State Route 211 between Ferndale and Fernbridge in Humboldt County CA. The money would have come to the California State Highway Department from the Bureau of Public Roads, which might, in turn, have been funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). Our source does not provide any funding details, however.
  • State Route 220 - Ryde CA
    3 miles of former route 100 (today State Route 220) between Ryde and Howard Landing on Grand Island in the Sacramento Delta were graded and surfaced courtesy of a federal grant of $30,000.
  • State Route 23 Improvements - Riverdale NJ
    New Deal funds contributed the the development of the road system in Morris County, New Jersey. State.NJ.us: In the 1930s New Deal public works funding increased the pace of bridge construction with projects that included Route 10 from 1931 to 1935; Route 23 in 1934; and the dualization of Route 6 (present US 46) from 1937 to 1941.
  • State Route 5 - French Camp CA to Stockton CA
    $114,000 was spent under a federal grant for the grading and paving of 3.4 miles of highway between French Camp and Stockton, California.
  • State Route 83 Grade Elimination - South Dennis NJ
    State.NJ.us: The last major grade elimination was in 1940-41 when a three-span encased steel stringer bridge (0512150, Dennis Township) over the PRSL was built as part of the South Dennis bypass (now NJ 83), a New Deal works project providing local employment (Dorwart, p. 222).
  • State Route 88 - Markleeville CA
    State Route 88, 1/4 mile west of the California Nevada state line looking west towards the “California Alps” This oil base road was graded and a asphalt concrete surfaced was put down in 1935. State Route 88, connects Markleeville the county seat for Alpine County with the Carson Valley. According to the Jan. 1935 issue of California Highway & Public Works, 2.6 miles of highway were graded and surfaced in Alpine County from the state line west as part of a large number of federally funded projects in that fiscal year. $33,000 was the cost.    
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