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  • Adobe Art Gallery - Castro Valley CA
    "The Adobe building, located on the grounds of the Castro Valley Elementary School, was leased to the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District for use as a community center. The Adobe was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project designed by Mario Corbett of San Francisco and built in 1938. The building is located in an elm grove planted by the Castro Valley Boy Scouts in 1926. There are hundreds of 4x9x16 inch adobe bricks made by the W.P.A. from dirt excavated from the site of the Redwood School in Castro Valley. The walls of the Adobe are 16 inches thick....
  • Alamogordo Women's Club Building - Alamogordo NM
    "While a variety of public works programs emerged under the umbrella of the New Deal, the WPA with its specific goal of providing work relief for the locally unemployed exerted the greatest impact on small communities in New Mexico (Kammer 1994:48-67). Not only did it create local jobs, it resulted in much-needed public works that contributed to the quality of life in these communities. Administered at the state level and dependent upon local sponsoring authorities who often supplied the land and building materials as their share of the project's cost while the federal government supplied the funds to pay workers,...
  • American Legion Post #121- Paris AR
    "According to A Review of Work Relief Activities in Arkansas, April 1st, 1934 to July 1st 1935, this structure, referred to as a 'community hall,' was part of Projects 42-B15-2 and 42-B3-4 that operated from April 26th to October 13, 1934, utilizing 43 workers and entailing 9,122 man hours of work" (as cited in Arkansas Historic Preservation Program). "In addition to the community hall/American Legion Post Building, the WPA constructed a recreational park with Boy and Girl Scout cabins, stone walls, and a stone stepped path 'from the base to the top of the cliff,' which is also known as Pine...
  • American Legion Post 105 - Fayetteville GA
    The facility that now serves as American Legion Post 105, in Fayetteville, Georgia, was constructed as a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1935. "Lastly, I'd like to highlight the fact that we're rapidly approaching our 100th birthday. You might have noticed in my video, my home post, which I've got a couple of post members here, was built in 1935 by the WPA, and it's a log cabin. We're awful proud of what we do in Post 105 in Fayette, Georgia. We have a culture of growth. Since I've been a member, we've grown from 81 members to 307...
  • American Legion Post 28 - Spartanburg SC
    The American Legion building is a Colonial Revival-style stone building that was built by the Works Progress Administration from 1936 to 1937 as a meeting hall for Post 28 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It still serves that function today. The American Legion Post 28 building is in the Duncan Park area Spartanburg.  It is up a hill from West Park Drive, with a loop driveway around the building.  The building faces northeast.  The building has a large lawn in front of it, which includes a Civil War monument (built in 1910, moved to the site from elsewhere in 1966).
  • Arco City Building - Arco ID
    "The Recreation Hall in Arco, Idaho was constructed in 1937-38 as a Works Progress Administration project. The building was built as a gymnasium and was constructed of basalt. The project was a challenge to the WPA masons because the basalt could not be shaped into regularly shaped blocks. Instead irregular stones were mortared together and then small “seams” were traced into the mortar to give the appearance of tightly fitting stones. The building was renovated (including a new roof) in the 1990s and now includes city offices in addition to recreational facilities. On June 8, 1948, President Harry S. Truman greeted...
  • Armory (former) - Raton NM
    The National Guard Armory in Raton, New Mexico, now the Raton Convention and Recreation Center, was built by the WPA. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Project description: "Construct Armory and improve grounds" Official Project Number: 165‐1‐85‐110 Project cost: $232,527.00 Sponsors: New Mexico National Guard and Board of Education, City of Raton
  • Auditorium / Gymnasium - Farmersburg IN
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a community building in Farmersburg, Indiana. Here and in Shelburn "combined gymnasiums and auditoriums are being erected as additions to school buildings to provide both educational and recreational facilities." Work was completed by 1936. The location and status of the structure is unknown to Living New Deal.
  • Auditorium / Gymnasium - Shelburn IN
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a community building in Shelburn, Indiana. Here and in Farmersburg "combined gymnasiums and auditoriums are being erected as additions to school buildings to provide both educational and recreational facilities." Work was completed by 1936. The location and status of the structure is unknown to Living New Deal.
  • Banneker Community Center - Bloomington IN
    Originally (1915) school for African American children, the Banneker Community Center - Bloomington IN was used for Works Progress Administration (WPA) after-school and recreation programs. The sidewalk and retaining wall around the building was built by the WPA in 1938.
  • Barry Farm Dwellings Administration and Community Building - Washington DC
    The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) funded the construction of an administration and community building for the Barry Farm Dwellings and surrounding community, ca. 1941-1943. It is unknown to the Living New Deal if this building still exists. The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced unsafe alley dwellings in Washington, DC with more modern and affordable houses and apartments. The ADA existed from 1934-1943 as a federally controlled special authority. It then slowly evolved into today’s DC Housing Authority, an independent agency of the DC Government. The Barry Farm Dwellings Administration and...
  • Bartow Civic Recreation Center and Pool (former) - Bartow FL
    The Bartow Civic Recreation Center and pool were built ca. 1933-1935.  Records suggest the project was started by workers in the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and completed by workers in the Work Division of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). Around 1969-1973, the recreation center became the Oaks School.  In 2005, the Oaks School closed, and the current use of the building is unknown.  The pool no longer exists.  (A new civic center was built in 1967, on Floral Avenue.) The construction of the building was described in great detail by Mary E. Adkins, in the January 27, 1934 edition of the...
  • Beaver Creek Recreation Hall - Newcastle WY
    The Works Progress Administration built the Beaver Creek Recreation Hall in Newcastle, Weston County. The exact location and condition of this facility are unknown to the Living New Deal.
  • Beely-Johnson Post 139 American Legion Hut - Springdale AR
    Located in downtown Springdale, the Beely-Johnson Post 139 American Legion Hut was built in 1934 by American Legion members and local citizens. A kitchen was added to the building’s interior in 1937 by the Legion Auxiliary. The one-story building is constructed of rough-cut native stone quarried from a mountain east of Springdale. There have been no major changes to the building over the years. At first, Legion members met in the upstairs rooms of various downtown businesses. By 1929, plans were under way for the construction of a post hut, but due to a drop in membership during the early years...
  • Biloxi Beach Community House - Biloxi MS
    The community house was approved as Works Progress Administration (WPA) project 20,814 in 1938. The wood-frame Colonial Style building was constructed to replace the former community house, on the same site. The design featured a banquet hall, recreation room, 850-seat auditorium and 350-seat balcony (Approve Biloxi Community House, 1938). The portico and columns were planned to be used from the existing community house. Biloxi provided $6,287 of the total cost of $17,051. The building was "nearing completion" in January 1939, and scheduled for dedication in late February or early March. It was demolished following Hurricane Camille damage in 1969.
  • Booker T. Washington Community Center - Staunton VA
    Originally the Booker T. Washington High School for Coloreds, this Art Deco community center was constructed in 1936 with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a grant of $30,991 for the project, whose total cost was $75,760. Construction occurred between Jan. and Oct. 1936. Expanded in 1960, the building is listed on the National Register of historic Places. PWA Docket No. Va. 1098
  • Boulder Community Center - Boulder WY
    Constructed by the WPA, the "building known today as the Boulder Community Center was constructed in 1939 as the third Boulder school. An addition built around 1950 gave the school its present appearance and added two additional classrooms and indoor plumbing. The school was used for sixteen more years, after which time the School Board decided that local children would be bused to Pinedale schools instead. The Boulder School was closed in 1966."
  • Boy Scout Cabin (former) - Casper WY
    In 1934 the Federal Emergency Relief Administration constructed a cabin Wyoming for use by the Boy Scouts. According to the Casper Star-Tribune the cabin "comprises a large assembly room, kitchen and cloak room." Work at the site also included tree planting and landscaping. The project cost $2,955. The exact location and condition of this building are unknown to the Living New Deal. According to the Casper Star-Tribune the building was located in 'south Casper' "in the old city tourist camp." An additional reference to it states that it is located near Durbin and Fifteenth streets, by the site of the old...
  • Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls - Wichita Falls TX
    The Wichita Falls Boys Club (now the Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls) at 1318 6th Street, Wichita Falls, TX, was dedicated on November 22, 1942. The one-story stone building was sponsored by the Rotary Club and constructed by the Work Projects Administration (WPA). Philanthropists J.J. and Lois Perkins of Wichita Falls were important benefactors of the project. The building contained club rooms, a library, an auditorium-gymnasium, and a workshop. It now serves as the administrative office of the Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls and home to the Central Club.
  • Bunch-Walton Post 22 American Legion Hut - Clarksville AR
    "The Lee Bunch Post #22 was formed in Clarksville in February 1919 when fifteen veterans applied to form a Johnson County post. It was named for Bunch, a resident of Batson who was the first Johnson Countian to die in World War I. The group initially met in local homes, churches and clubs, but in February 1932 the Civic Club sold the post for one dollar an island between the main stream and west fork of Spadra Creek near downtown Clarksville. In 1934, the Civil Works Administration, which helped build Legion huts across the state, approved Project No. 36- 34 T...
  • Burgaw Community House - Burgaw NC
    Burgaw Community House was constructed as a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1939.
  • Burson-Bethel Post 119 American Legion Hut - Des Arc AR
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) built the American Legion meeting place, a log construction building with a brick fireplace.
  • Caldwell Community Building - Caldwell KS
    A sign on the community building in Caldwell, Kansas identifies it as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project.
  • Canfield WPA Memorial Building - Canfield OH
    "The Canfield WPA Memorial Building was constructed by the Works Progress Administration, a federal government program instituted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as an effort to aid the United States in its recovery from the Great Depression of the late 1920s and 1930s. Local merchant Arron Weisner donated lands on the west side of Broad Street for the proposed project. A six member committee, comprised of two persons each representing the Argus Masonic Lodge, the American Legion, and the Village of Canfield, determined that the building be "a community building built around community projects." Through local subscription and $60,000 in...
  • Carrizozo Women's Club - Carrizozo NM
    "The Carrizozo Womans Club, founded in 1920, is a community service organization open to all women who enjoy volunteering their time for worthy causes. ... The Womans Club building is an outstanding example of Pueblo Revival Architecture built of adobe. The ceiling in the unique round room, which is completely free standing, contains viga logs in an intricate wagon wheel pattern. Built in 1939 by the WPA, the building is one of the showplaces in Carrizozo and is included on the State and Federal Registers of historic buildings." -Carrizozo Historic Sites
  • Chapel Hill Community Clubhouse - Utica MS
    In 1933 a group of women organized the Sunshine Club in Chapel Hill, a community near Utica in Hinds county. They secured the donation of land for a clubhouse, helped clear the grounds area and cut trees for the logs with which to construct the facility. In 1934, a work relief project of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was approved which included construction of the club room. The club was active in rural health work including sanitary disposal, protecting water supplies, prenatal clinic, and infant/pre-school education conferences through collaboration of the Hinds county health department. The facility was a log...
  • Charles R. Adams Park - Atlanta GA
    Charles R. Adams Park is a 32-acre public city park located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia. The park is surrounded by the neighborhood of Cascade Heights. Construction of the park began in the mid-1930s, and the dedication ceremony took place in 1940. The park used county funds, federal relief money and Works Progress Administration labor to construct many of the facilities and landscape features. William L. Monroe, Sr., a noted Atlanta landscaper, is credited with the design. "The property consists of a 32-acre designed landscape including passive greenspace, a lake and stream, and active recreational and community facilities. The...
  • City Hall - De Leon TX
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the municipal building in De Leon, Texas. The building has housed various municipal functions over the years, including  the City Hall, Fire Station, Auditorium, and Library. Official project No. 665-66-2-16. File card text: City Hall; City hall and fire station, including Auditorium; reinforced concrete foundation, brick construction, steel trusses in auditorium; also contains library. Two story brick building is still City Hall. But the building now houses a police station instead of a fire station. Plaque on building reads: Works Progress Administration 1938-1939.
  • City Hall and Fire Station (former) - Pinehurst NC
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) dramatically improved the former multi-purpose municipal building at 45 Community Road in Pinehurst, North Carolina. "In Pinehurst, Moore County, project No. 63-B4-5, transferred from the Civil Works Administration, has provided a combination city hall, fire station and public hall. An old community building was remodeled under this project to provide more adequate municipal facilities."
  • City Hall and Library (old Cass County Agricultural Society Auditorium) - Weeping Water NE
    Originally constructed as the Cass County Agricultural Society Auditorium, Weeping Water's striking city hall and library building was constructed with a $40,000 Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant. Construction was completed in 1938, though the building was not formally dedicated until Aug. 1940. The Bouncing Czech: "The auditorium served the fair and the community until a new fairgrounds was built north of Weeping Water in 1967. The building was then sold to a travel trailer and camper dealer. The dealership closed in the early 2000's and the building was left to deteriorate. It was renovated and is again used as a community...
  • City Market - Rising Star TX
    The WPA approved $8,089 toward the construction of the $18,000 city market. The building was constructed of native stone, 80x120 feet, with 18 foot walls, concrete floor, and metal roof. The purpose was to provide space for the fall fair, storage space for peanuts, and a public market for farmers' produce. The building is currently used for community events.
  • Civic Center - Billings MT
    The W.P.A. constructed a Civic Center in Billings, Montana, ca. 1935-8. The exact location and status of this facility is unknown to Living New Deal. Official Project Number 65‐91‐6550
  • Civic Center - Great Falls MT
    Clean lines, formal monumental openings, and restrained revival details mark the 1939 Great Falls Civic Center as a municipal Art Deco style building. The Works Projects Administration provided most of the funding for the building. The Depression-era federal jobs program employed people doing everything from local history research to public works projects. Since WPA funds could not be used to purchase land, the city situated the Civic Center on parkland, angering residents who wanted to preserve Great Falls’ beloved Gibson Circle at the end of Central Avenue. A lawsuit that went all the way to the state supreme court failed...
  • Civic Center - Potsdam NY
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Temporary Emergency Relief Administration (TERA) constructed the historic Potsdam civic center. NRHP nomination form: "The Potsdam Civic Center shares salient associations with Depression-era New Deal programs and politics, particularly as manifested in the process that led to its construction. It is representative of local community planning efforts by those who endeavored to build it, and remains an important social history document given its use for a wide range of social gatherings since its completion in the mid-1930s. The building is additionally significant as an example of Neoclassical-style civic design, and one which incorporated an existing...
  • Civic Center (old Armory) - Lewistown MT
    The W.P.A. constructed an armory in Lewistown, Montana in 1936. "The history of the Civic Center starts with its construction in 1936, just prior to World War II. It was built under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) with the understanding that it would serve Lewistown as their new armory. It had a rifle range in the basement and a built-in vault (room) to be a safe storage for arms, ammunition, and other sensitive items belonging to the Lewistown National Guard. Being a civic center, it was not solely for the exclusive use of the National Guard. The large room, upstairs, with a...
  • Civic Center (old Armory) - Livingston MT
    The $100,000 civic center and armory in Livingston, MT was constructed by the WPA. The facility is still open for public recreational use today. W.P.A. Official Project Number: 65‐91‐6554
  • Civic Center Fair Barn - Horton KS
    This Fair Barn/Civic Center in Horton, Kansas was constructed by the WPA in 1937-39. W.O. "Tutes" Thomas was the designer and head of construction. The building is still in use for municipal functions and celebrations.
  • Colden Fire Hall (former) - Colden NY
    This brick fire hall was constructed as Colden's Fire Station #1 by the WPA: "In the 1930’s plans were drawn for a new Station #1 to be located across the street from the hall of the time next to Cazenovia Creek. Near the end of the Great Depression Colden managed to have this hall built through the Works Progress Administration. This hall included one truck bay, a downstairs meeting room and an upstairs gymnasium that was used for basketball games, dances, and other social events. In the 1940’s two additional truck bays were built on the side of the original hall."  ...
  • Colfax Grammar School (former) - Colfax CA
    "The Colfax Grammar School (shown below) was built in 1940 as a Administration (WPA) building. Later it became the Colfax Elementary School. In 1986, it was acquired by the Sierra Vista Community Center, which offers classes, programs, and community events." The school has been substantially altered since its original construction and bears no direct indication of WPA involvement. However, sidewalks and retaining walls on the grounds bear at least five separate instances of WPA imprint stamps.
  • Community Activities Building - Eleanor WV
    The structure initially housed community activities for the resettlement community in Eleanor. This is a long U-shaped side gable building designed in a roadside colonial design. It features double chimneys and had a center light tower that no longer exists.
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