Auditoriums and Arenas Sites

The historic Dock Street Theater, known as America's First Theater, in Charleston, South Carolina, was the subject of a massive Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and Works Project Administration (WPA) renovation project between 1935 and 1937. The structure was designed by the local architecture firm Simons & Lapham. CharlestonStage.com: After the Civil War, the Planter's Hotel fell into disrepair and was slated for demolition. But in 1935, after Milton Pearlstine made the property available to the City of Charleston and at the urging of Mayor Burnet Maybank and other notable citizens, the original building became a Depression Era WPA (Works Progress Administration) project. At that...

Among the numerous projects conducted by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) at Fort Leavenworth was the construction of a theater. The project, sponsored by the Commanding Officer of Fort Leavenworth, cost $25,000. WPA Project No. 713-2-26

The Leander C. and Laurel L. Pritchard Memorial Auditorium in Falls City, Nebraska was constructed as a $100,000 Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1939.

600 Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers undertook a $300,000 reconditioning project for the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, in advance of the 1936 Republican National Convention. The WPA was concerned with "permanent improvements" to the facility.

The Works Progress Administration built the Recreation Center in Stephenville between 1936-1939. The two story white rock building has basketball courts and a stage. A metal plaque on the front notes the date 1938-1939, while a marble cornerstone has the date 1936-1938.

"The Robinson High School Auditorium-Gymnasium, also known as the RHS Gym was a historic gymnasium located on the campus of Robinson High School in Robinson, Illinois. The gym was constructed in 1939 using funds granted by the Public Works Administration. The Art Deco building featured fluted columns around its entrance, glass-block windows at the entrance and east and west sides, and curved metal awnings. Both high school athletic events and public events were held in the building, as Robinson had no other large public space suitable for hosting community events at the time." The building has since been demolished. PWA Docket...

At the behest of the city of Barrett, Minnesota, the Civil Works Administration (CWA) built a combination public auditorium and high school gymnasium in 1933-34.  The CWA provided the labor from the ranks of local unemployed workers and the city provided the empty lot and pitched in $5,000 for materials. The building was named Roosevelt Hall in honor of President Franklin Roosevelt. It served for around twenty years as the school gym and Barrett community hall. The 34' x 110' structure is wood frame, with Western Red Cedar siding and a shingle roof. The roof is rounded in a style roughly reminiscent of...

The Public Works Administration contributed $1,329,508 toward the construction of the Sam Houston Coliseum and Music Hall. The architect of record was Alfred C. Finn. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on November 4, 1936 and dedication was held on November 26, 1937. The buildings housed circuses, concerts, athletic events, stock shows and conventions. The coliseum and music hall were demolished in 1998. The former site of the coliseum was redeveloped into the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2003.

  "The building has an area of 50,000 square feet and consists of the auditorium which seats 3,500, a small theater seating 597, a meeting hall seating 499, 2 exhibition halls, 5 committee rooms, quarters for the chamber of commerce, and the necessary service rooms. The auditorium has a large and well-equipped stage. The project was completed in April 1936 at a construction cost of $422,628 and a project cost of $530,515." (Short and Stanley-Brown) "A building which might house anything from an opera to a circus, a basketball or tennis game to a great convention, or art exhibits and flower shows"...

Sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the auditorium / gymnasium addition to the Sandstone School constructed in 1936 was accomplished as a Public Works Administration (PWA) project. The PWA provided a grant of $24,966 for the project, whose total cost was $129,701. NRHP, re the addition: "It is a two story wing with a flat roof and constructed of a similar Kettle River Sandstone. The front entrance to this section is in the form of a semi-circular arch, complementary to the two entries to the original building. This addition houses an auditorium." "Throughout its history, the school served as both...

Barnum Hall Theater was one of three new buildings constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) at Santa Monica High School between 1935 and 1938 as part of the largest reconstruction project undertaken by the Santa Monica City School District following the devastating 1933 Long Beach earthquake. "The high quality of design of the new auditorium building suggested not only the importance of this facility to the growing high school, but also the degree of civic pride associated with this new community amenity. Designed by noted Los Angeles architectural firm Marsh, Smith & Powell, it displays the smooth surfaces, curved...

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed Rogers, North Dakota's historic school auditorium in 1938. There is no school in the community anymore; the exact location and current status of the facility is unknown to Living New Deal.

The Works Progress Administration built a combination auditorium-gymnasium for the school in Aguilar. The structure was built of native limestone. It is located at the south end of the educational campus in Aguilar that includes the elementary school, on the west side of Balsam Ave. south of E Cedar St, though it is unclear whether the facility is still in use.

In 1938, the Works Progress Administration built a gymnasium/auditorium combination for the Elm Mott School. Interestingly, the records show that they put "used" bleachers in the building. This is a two-story, red brick building that now sets behind a locked chain link fence. In 1955, Elm Mott and Lakeview Schools combined to create the Connally School District.

The one-story, Art Deco School Gymnasium/Auditorium was erected in Moulton TX in 1939 by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. Kai J. Leffland was the Architect and J.E. Dickey the Contractor.

The historic municipal auditorium, a.k.a. Seacrest Auditorium, in Zanesville, Ohio was constructed as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project that started in 1937. Various construction and financial delays hindered completion until 1940.

The Works Progress Administration built the Showboat Theatre in Seattle WA. According to the UW Magazine, the theater was, "uilt by the Works Progress Administration in 1938, the Showboat opened in September of that year with a production of “Charley’s Aunt.” For many years it was the center of Seattle’s nascent theatrical community." "For almost 10 years the University and a group of drama alumni, the Showboat Foundation, tried to save her. The cost of restoring the building—estimated at $1 million in 1984—far exceeded the cost of removing or demolishing the structure. To move it, the structure would have to be dismantled and...

"After withdrawing an application to the PWA, St. Augustine's municipal officials initiated the St. Augustine Civic Center project through the CWA. ... In 1935, residents and administrators celebrated the completion of the building under the FERA banner." (NRHP Nomination) The St. Augustine Civic Center is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Works Progress Administration built a school in Stratton CO, in Kit Carson County, School District # 57. The reinforced concrete structure includes four classrooms and a combination auditorium and gymnasium, which accommodated 4,000 persons. The construction cost was $35,354.

The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) provided funding for the remodeling of the 1893 Opera House building, converting much of the four-story building into municipal offices. The building houses Sumter's city hall to this day. Wikipedia: "The building was remodeled in 1936, converting the first floor into a movie theater and the second floor opera house into offices." SumterSC.gov: "The cornerstone was reset in May, and a $120,000 renovation transformed the Opera House into a moving picture theater. This project also provided jobs for 300 workers in the midst of the Great Depression." "The very first film shown at the Opera House was Earthworm Tractors....

"The theater originally was constructed in 1930 and expanded and renovated in 1937 using Texas Centennial funding. The architect for the 1930 project was Harvey P. Smith, who was joined by George Willis and Charles T. Boelhauwe to design the 1937 project. The old quarry wall forms the western (back) edge of the theater site, providing an open-air setting with natural acoustic features. The 193- design included stage and classical wings, while the 1937 expansion added dressing rooms and stage support buildings, restrooms, seating, and a concrete floor for the seating area. The 1937 project was constructed by WPA workers, while...

As early as July 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Tekamah Fire Association investigated the possibility of constructing an auditorium in Tekamah that would also house the town’s fire-fighting apparatus. An application was submitted to the WPA requesting the erection of a $25,000 building, requiring a local outlay of only $6,000. The project was approved by the WPA within the next calendar year, and plans began to proceed. The community was “liberal with praise for the firemen who sponsoring the long-needed improvement.” By the end of October 1936, the foundation was being excavated by unskilled WPA labor. Plans...

The Midway Town Hall, originally the Midway Recreation Center, was constructed with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds and local labor in 1941. The building reflects the popular style of Midway, which early on adopted a Swiss look to go with the combination of the Wasatch Mountains to the west and the main local industry in the Heber Valley, dairy cattle.  It has characteristics of the Arts and Crafts and Tudor Revival Styles with its rustic wooden lintels, brackets on the gable ends, steeply pitched roof, half timbering, and scribed wooden pendants, and it is built of local limestone known as Pot...

The gym has been torn down. While still standing, it was used by the schoolchildren and also used by the people of the community as a recreational hall.

The Tyler Little Theater opened on May 16, 1939. It was built with funds from private donations, the City of Tyler and the Works Progress Administration. Designed by in the late Art Deco style by architect Shirley Simmons and constructed by R.L. Clanahan, the brick building featured two auditoriums. When World War II began, there were no longer enough men to continue performances and the theater shut down. The building is currently used as a church.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided funding toward the construction of the University of Alabama's Foster Auditorium. Originally built in 1939, Foster Auditorium was named in 1942 for Richard Clarke Foster, president of the University of Alabama from 1937-41. In its original capacity, Foster served as home for intramural sports, graduations, concerts, lectures and campus meetings. It also served as the home of several varsity athletic programs over the years, including men's basketball from 1939-68, women's volleyball from 1974-81 and 1989-95, women's basketball, which played selected games in Foster, from 1975-81, and gymnastics from 1975-84. Additionally, the women's athletic program, including...

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the auditorium at the University of Arizona, Tucson campus. It was designed by campus architect Roy Place. The venue opened in 1937 and hosted musical programs, plays, and lectures for students and the general public. The auditorium is known today as Centennial Hall.

The Arts and Sciences Auditorium, originally known as the Liberal Arts Building, on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project during the Great Depression. The P.W.A. provided a $213,700 loan and $100,600 grand toward the project, whose total cost was $366,755. Construction occurred between Feb. 1935 and Jun. 1936. PWA Docket No. WY 5152

The Shasta County Veterans Memorial Building was constructed with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) and completed in 1939. There is a bronze plaque near the entrance marking the contribution of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, i.e., the PWA. A 2009 article in the Redding Record Searchlight said the following about the hall: "Built with New Deal economic stimulus money during the Great Depression, the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Redding turns 70 this year and it's probably never looked better - belying decades of often tense relations between local veterans and Shasta County officials over the hall's operation and maintenance..." The...

The Veterans' Memorial Building was constructed in 1934-36 with financial aid from the federal Public Works Administration (PWA) and unemployed workers drawn from the State Emergency Relief Administration (SERA), which was funded largely by federal government assistance.   It is a beautiful example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, designed by local architect Rudolph Polley. It features a bell tower, a large auditorium, a serene courtyard and some interior detailing. It is in excellent condition to this day (2019). A park was laid out at the same time across the street, using county funds and probably relief workers, as well. The building (and park) passed...

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...

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 federal Works Progress Administration helped to construct an old convention center at what is now the northwest corner of Stewart Ave. and N. Las Vegas Blvd. in Las Vegas, Nevada. A National Register of Historic Places registration form states: "For several years a convention center had been supported by Las Vegas's forty or more fraternal lodges who had repeatedly suggested that the town build a multi-storied structure with a hall and offices sufficient to host large convention meetings. Financing would come from the lodges renting space. But it would not be enough. A solution was finally reached in the Fall of...

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...

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Watertown Auditorium. The facility has two basketball and volleyball courts. It also has a stage with theater seating. For years it was used for rec league basketball and volleyball leagues and youth basketball camps and tournaments.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed Festival Hall, an auditorium, at the Wells County Fairgrounds, located at the southeast corner of North Dakota Highway 15 and U.S. Highway 52. "Also constructed during the depression years was Festival Hall (1938). A WPA project, it was purportedly designed by Wells County agent and fair manager, E. W. Vancura. The main floor of the 136' x 44' building is comprised of a wooden-floored auditorium with a large stage at its north end and a very small stage midway along the building's west wall. The basement was designed to house industrial exhibits during the...

Originally called the Auditorium and Commons Building, this 553-seat auditorium was built in 1938 with Public Works Administration funding. It's named for George Wilner, the first head of Wichita State's speech and theater department. It is still in use.

"At the time of the Centennial Exposition held in Fort Worth in 1936, the city officials determined to erect several permanent buildings that would maintain their civic usefulness after the closing of the exposition. Among the most important of these were the Coliseum and the Memorial Tower. The Coliseum provides an area 125 by 250 feet in which horse and stock shows can be held, as well as rodeos and athletic exhibitions. The building is 232 by 405 feet in over-all dimensions. The arena is surrounded by tiers of seats under which is a concourse 17 feet wide extending around the...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the Civic Auditorium, now known as William L. White Auditorium, in Emporia KS. The structure's current usage is mostly as a basketball arena, but it also houses graduations, shows, concerts, etc.

The Art Deco auditorium, also known as Memorial Hall, was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and and dedicated on September 30, 1937. The structure has been used for community events and also houses city and police offices, the American Legion, etc.