Auxiliary Civic Facilities Sites

"The Yukon City Hall is a two-story light brick building constructed by the WPA in 1936. It faces north and has a centered entrance. The building has five bays, separated by decorative masonry pilasters, with engraving at the tops. The entrance is a single aluminum and glass door with a narrow sidelight and transom. Beneath the ground floor windows is a stone water table which surrounds the building. Each floors has a single fixed pane window with a stone sill. Across the top of the facade is a wide stone entablature which is engraved "CITY OF YUKON". The WPA shield...

A 1939 Report on WPA works in Southern California describes WPA involvement in the construction of this large city garage, which is still standing today. WPA Work Project No. 996 employed an average of 79 men for 7 months. "Sponsored by the City of Glendale, provided for the completion of a garage building started under the S.E.R.A. (State Emergency Relief Administration) This building, which is located on Isabel Street adjacent to the City Hall, is for the purpose of centrally storing and maintaining city owned trucks, passenger cars and other equipment. The structure is ell-shaped, having a one story portion containing...

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed a new/enlarged municipal garage just south of the Convention Hall (Memorial Hall), at the northwest corner of E Ave. B and S. Walnut St. in Hutchinson, Kansas. The Hutchinson News: "The city is acquiring lots just south of Convention Hall facing on Avenue B with a 148 foot front. On the new site is a brick building on the alley across tho court from Convention hall which is now used by the city. The plan is to enlarge it, with an extension to the south of a storage garage to be used for city trucks...

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers constructed a new city garage for Medford, Massachusetts. From a W.P.A. Bulletin: Medford's antiquated city garage built to accommodate horse drawn equipment will be replaced with a new Medford WPA city garage now in construction. The new building will contain offices, workrooms, and storage for motor vehicles at present kept in rented quarters. The exact location and present status of this facility is unknown to Living New Deal.

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed an addition to Hackensack, New Jersey's old River St. City Garage in 1936. The addition was used as a truck storage shed. As part of the project a brick wall was constructed between the new and preexisting structures and other work was undertaken at the facility. Visual analysis of old photographs places the garage along River St. near East Kansas St. The structures are no longer extant.

"The new Municipal Building at Ardmore replaces two old structures, one of which was used as the city hall and one as the police station, and makes possible the concentration of all of the municipal departments under one roof. The building is three stories in height and is 72 by 120 feet in plan. The police department, offices for the street super-intendent and health officer, and space for the fire-department apparatus are on the first floor. The second floor is devoted to the council chamber, water department, city manger's office, city engineer's office, and a dormitory for the...

"Brentwood is a suburb of St. Louis, a short distance west of the city, and had a population of 2,819 in 1930. Its new city hall is erected in a residential district and provides space for a council chamber, offices for the mayor and the aldermen, the police department, including a small dormitory and a jail, two fire trucks, and the necessary storage and utility room. The building is two stories and a basement in height and is of fireproof construction throughout. The exterior walls are red face brick trimmed with stone. The roof is covered with slate and is surmounted...

"The city hall at Canby is a good example of a municipal building designed to accommodate most of the departments of a small community. The structure provides quarters for the council chamber, light and water departments, police and fire departments, and adequate storage space. The construction consists of concrete foundation walls, brick exterior walls above grade, and frame floors, partitions, and roof. All trim is wood. The building was completed in March 1937 at a construction cost of $10,850 and a project cost of $11,642."

"Kansas City has a well-studied plan for its civic center and the city hall block in area and consists of a rectangular base six stories high from which a tower rises to a height of 429 feet above the basement floor. The building is planned not only to meet the space requirements of the present city government but to meet increased future requirements based on the expected normal growth of the city. The construction is fireproof throughout and consists of steel framing adequately wind-braced and encased in concrete. The exterior walls are carried on spandrel beams and are faced with limestone. The...

"The new city hall provides quarters for all of the municipal departments and is part of a civic center group which includes the Central High School and the Memorial Bridge. Its over-all dimensions are 285 by 90 feet and the tower is 156 feet high. It was completed in March 1936 at a construction cost of $393,460 and a total project cost of $448,042."   (Short and Brown) "The main body of the structure, dedicated in 1936, is four stories high, built of yellow brick and stone in modern design. The whole is surmounted by a high tower, an imposing mass of vertical...

"Before completion of the new municipal building, the town was making use of a temporary sheet-iron structure in which not only the fire apparatus but the permanent municipal records were kept. The new building is two stories in height with hollow-tile walls and partitions. Its stucco exterior, the arcaded entrance, and the tile roof give it the Spanish character which is native to the region. The first floor contains offices, a meeting room for State officials, garage for two fire trucks, firemen's quarters, and a hall for the use of civic organizations. The second floor is...

"WPA workers constructed this solid, no-nonsense building with Art Deco cement panels on the faade. As one of the many plaques in-side the structure emphatically states, it was Built and paid for in 1938-39. From 1939 to 1962 the Roswell Police Department operated from here, along with other City officials. Today it only houses City government offices, including that of the Mayorthe ceremonial head of the Cityand the City Manager who actually runs things. In recognition of his achievements and pioneering spirit the City dedicated this building to James W. Stockard (1859-1924), mayor of Roswell from 1906 to 1908, who...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided about half the funds for construction of the original city hall in San Leandro CA – which had only recently incorporated as a city in 1933.  City Hall was built in 1938-39 and dedicated on June 22, 1939. Available sources disagree on the cost of construction and PWA funding. In late 1938, the Daily Pacific Builder reported that construction was to begin on the San Leandro City Hall the following month for a cost of $105,877.  By contrast, a 1940 city brochure declared that, "In August of 1938, the voters bonded the city for $185,000 for...

"The new city hall is three stories and a basement in height and houses all of the municipal offices, including the police, health, and water departments, as well as the judicial offices, a jail, a garage, and an auditorium seating 400. The structure is fireproof throughout, with a steel frame and reinforced concrete floor and roof slabs. The exterior walls are face brick trimmed with stone and granite. All sash are metal. Small spots of carved stone ornament are used over the main-entrance door. The building was completed at the end of July 1936 at an approximate project cost of $432,000."

The former combination city hall and library in Artesia, New Mexico was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds in 1939. The PWA provided a $13,975 grant for the project, whose total cost was $31,250. Construction began at the end of December 1938 and the building was completed in July 1939. Artesia Walking Tour: brought several City departments together under the same roof, including the City Clerk, City Manager, and the Public Library. The WPA Sewing Room also was there, as well as an assembly room for public meetings. In later years, the Police and Fire departments...

"The Crystal River Old City Hall is a historic building in Crystal River, Florida, in the United States. It is located at 532 North Citrus Avenue, off U.S. 19/98. On May 29, 1998, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The building now houses the Coastal Heritage Museum, operated by the Citrus County Historical Society. Exhibits focus on the early history of the west side of Citrus County, Florida and include a 1929 diorama of downtown Citrus Avenue, a fish house facade, and an original jail cell. Admission is free."

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the former city hall in Lordsburg, New Mexico. Operations have since been relocated. The site of the historic New Deal city hall is presently unknown to Living New Deal. "Another city with a list of projects is Lordsburg: Lordsburg City Hall, Hidalgo County Fairgrounds, Animas High School and the Sunset Canal Dam. The Lordsburg-Hidalgo Public Library is one that also originally housed the Health Department and Justice of the Peace. People often stop at the Library to revisit the place where they were married. Windows in the children's section were replaced with stained glass commemorating...

Santa Barbara City Hall was constructed in 1924, after the Santa Barbara earthquake.  In 1938, the Public Works Administration (PWA) funded an addition to the city hall for $100,000.  Work began in late 1938 and continued into 1939.

In a survey of federal projects constructed with PWA funding in 1939: "The population of Montgomery, the capital city of Alabama, was 66,079 in 1930. Its city hall was destroyed by fire in 1932 and shortly thereafter a grant from the P.W.A. made possible the construction of a new building, which was placed on a site adjoining the State capitol. It is two stories in height and accommodates the water department, police department, tax collector, health department, engineering department, and the mayor and his staff. In addition, it provides an auditorium with a seating capacity of 2,300, a stage, and miscellaneous offices. The...

A Boston Public Works Department report cited Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) labor as conducting the following work: "Extensive alterations were made to the office of the Bridge and Ferry Division, 602 City Hall Annex."

The city hall auditorium in Salem was constructed in 1940 as a PWA project, designed by architect Ernest Friton. This 3-story building includes office space and a city auditorium, and is presently in use.

"North Platte Country against the Mountains" was painted by John H. Fraser in 1940 for the Littleton post office, commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Art. It currently hangs in the City Hall.  "When the post office underwent renovations in 1962, the mural was removed, rolled up and stuck in a corner in the post office. It was discovered in the 70s, restored and installed in 1985 in the Littleton City Hall." ( Jimmy Emerson, here)

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a warehouse for the city hall in Plymouth, Indiana. The location and status of this facility is unknown to Living New Deal.

WPA Bulletin, 1937: "Worcester — The City Home chickens are going modern. A WPA Project is constructing individual cages for the hens now housed in a two-story structure built by WPA last December." The location of the old City Home is unknown to Living New Deal.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) constructed facilities at what was known as the City Home in Gloucester, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: At City Home, Gloucester, WPA razed a dilapidated wooden structure and built an all-stone garage and storage shed. These buildings will be used jointly by the City Home and the Welfare Department. The exact location and status of the facility is unknown to Living New Deal.

One of several fire stations built in the New Deal in Charleston West Virginia. This station was listed on as contributing on the Elk City Historic District (08000392). The building is no longer used for a fire station but remains in use for businesses. The bay doors are infilled. The immediate building to the northeast is connected to the firehouse but is unclear if it an older building attached to the firehouse or part of the entire project. The NRHP nomination states: KA-4883. 601 TENNESSEE AVENUE commercial BB&T Carson Insurance Services Fire House date: 1939 Kanawha County, WV County and State Page 9 description: Very...

One of several fire stations built in the City of Charleston under the New Deal.

Originally the Adams County Courthouse. "The 1906 Adams County Courthouse is an excellent local example of the Classical Revival style. The courthouse exhibits such key elements as a prominent pedimented portico with Tuscan columns, pilasters, and keystones in the window lintels along with a wide frieze and prominent cornice. The building is a direct result of the creation of Adams County in 1902 and the election of Brighton as the county seat. By 1939, Adams County had outgrown the existing building and the county received money for an expansion project through the Public Works Administration, one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. Denver architects Richard O. Parry and Lester L. Jones designed...

WPA Bulletin, 1937: "Pittsfield's employees in the Sealers of Weights and Measures office will be thankful to WPA on completion of a concrete and steel building to house weighing equipment and instruments at the City Yards, Housatonic Street. Previously testing of equipment had been done outside, no matter the weather, and the process was often uncomfortable and unsatisfactory. Thirteen men are finishing up the job which is expected to be ready by November 1."

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers constructed storage building at New Bedford's City Yard in 1936. WPA Bulletin: The New Bedford WPA City Yard Storage Building Project is designed to store machinery and other city equipment which has been deteriorating from being placed in an open yard. The building is solidly built with concrete piers extending through fill and peat to hard-pan. The exact location and status of this facility is unknown to Living New Deal.

"This structure stands in a 37-acre tract of land which includes a park, a high-school site, fields for baseball, football, and tennis, and extensive automobile parking space. The building contains a gymnasium-auditorium with 3,156 permanent balcony seats and 2,200 additional removable seats, Boy and Girl Scout headquarters, camera clubs, practice rooms for drama, offices for the recreational director, and a complete lay-out for exercise and minor sports, including a swimming pool. It is fireproof throughout, faced with brick, trimmed with limestone. Its volume is 2,250,000 cubic feet. It was completed in May 1938 at a construction...

In 1933-34, a large number of civil improvements were made to Twin Falls, Idaho by the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Idaho Emergency Relief Administration (IERA). The works were done by relief workers hired from local jobless rolls in the depths of the Great Depression. Both CWA and IERA were funded by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), to the tune of around $250,000. The civic improvements included the City Park band shell, work at the water treatment plant, tennis court at Harmon Park, painting Shoshone Street bridge, grading over 200 blocks of city streets, and graveling 95 blocks of streets.

This building is currently listed under the National Historic Registry. Built in 1936 as the Fifth Street School, it replaced a school that had burned down in 1934. It was remodeled as an annex to the Clark Country Courthouse and is currently used as an arts and culture center, with a gallery. Funding for construction of the school, also known as Las Vegas Grammar School, at 400 Las Vegas Blvd. South was provided by the federal Public Works Administration (PWA). According to a local historic district nomination: "Then, following a major fire in May 1934 which gutted the city's old high school (which...

"The site of the Clay County Courthouse is bounded by four important city streets allowing a wide main entrance approach, an entrance to the first floor from the rear, and an entrance to the ground floor on one side. The building is rectangular in plan and three stories in height. On the ground floor are offices for the superintendent of schools, the welfare department, the coroner, the county engineer, the supervisor, the county agricultural agent, an assembly room with a platform, a women's lounge, and the necessary utility rooms. The first floor is occupied by the probate and county court rooms,...

The New Mexico Humanities Council and the New Mexico Chapter of the National New Deal Preservation Association list Columbus City Hall on their map of New Deal structures built in New Mexico.

The county office facility at 116 Adams Street in Plymouth, NC, was constructed as the County Agricultural Building in 1938 with the assistance of federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor.

"The growth of the petrochemical industry in the southern part of Jefferson County in the early 1930s resulted in the need for extended county government services. State legislation was required in order to enable the county to build a "subcourthouse" in Port Arthur. Introduced in the Legislature by local elected officials, a bill was passed on April 30, 1931, and plans were made to build a new south county office facility to serve this part of the county. Funded as a project of the Federal Public Works Administration (PWA), construction of the building began on August 10, 1935, and was...

The Works progress Administration (WPA) installed a new vault and made other  improvements to the Contra Costa County Finance Building in 1935-36, and perhaps later. According to WPA Project Cards from the National Archives, the vault was to be built of reinforced concrete and lined with steel and additional work was to be done to partition off additional space for the Treasurer's office.  The total amount allocated for the project was around $5,000. We know that improvement work was done because of reports in the Contra Costa Gazette.  One notes that additional painting was done on the county assessor and school administration...

Originally built by the WPA in 1942 as a group of Arvin county office buildings, the adobe complex is now a business incubator and retail complex. A local newspaper of the time had this to say: "Another large project reaching completion this month is the county office building in Arvin, This group of buildings, including a sizable auditorium, will afford the citizens of that community with a central location for the efficient conduct of county business." - Dart The building has had some remodeling recently.

Among the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects identified as in progress in an El Paso Times article from June 7, 1936 was the "construction of a county warehouse at Fabens." The location and status of this project are presently unknown to Living New Deal.