Civic Facilities Sites

The United States Housing Authority (USHA) funded the construction of Knox Hill Dwellings in Washington, DC in 1942. The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) acted as manager of the development. It is unknown to the Living New Deal if any of the original structures still exist. There appear to be many homes in the vicinity of Knox Terrace SE, and these may have some relation to the original Knox Hill Dwellings. Nearby, the DC Housing Authority manages “Knox Hill,” a housing development for seniors and disabled residents, but this facility looks quite different from the original structures. The USHA was created by the United...

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted an improvement project at Knoxville National Cemetery, providing work for about 35 laborers.

Among the improvements hoped to be undertaken in the proposed NYA project include 316 feet of cement sidewalk 4 feet wide in front of the cemetery, 2 large columns at the double gate, with an arched entrance; 824 feet of cement curbing for driveway, 824 feet curbing for flower beds, pruning trees and white-washing them along driveway, graveling all grave mounds, fixing markers and clearing and beautifying entire cemetery. Saw evidence of a rock wall, a rock building, columns at the double gate with a steps at the left side, and an arched entrance with name.

"June, 1936, city water was taken to the cemetery, W.P.A. Labor laying the pipes, 8 3/4" freezeless hydrants were placed. Two rows of trees were planted from the highway to the cemetery gates ..."

The work relief division of the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA) conducted "extensive repairs to the patio" of La Fortaleza, the 16th Century governor's mansion in San Juan, capitol of the territory of Puerto Rico, ca. 1937. In 1940-1 the Work Projects Administration (W.P.A.) conducted extensive restoration work on La Fortaleza. Improvements included utilities upgrades, new roof, replacement of floor and ceiling beams, elevator installation, modern bathtubs & showers installation, and more.

The WPA built San Diego Fire Station No. 13 in 1937 to replace an older station. The building is still standing but the fire station moved to a new location in 1976. The WPA site is now occupied by the YMCA and is known as the La Jolla YMCA Firehouse.

La Marqueta "is a marketplace under the elevated Metro North railway tracks between 111th Street and 116th Street on Park Avenue in East Harlem in Manhattan, New York City. ... In its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, over 500 vendors operated out of La Marqueta, and it was an important social and economic venue for Hispanic New York." federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The market was the first of eight similar projects in the city.

Now part of the Adult Enrichment Center run by the city of La Mesa, this self-designated "clubhouse" was built by the WPA in 1937.

La Salle Place is a 210 unit low income housing project that was one of 50 slum clearance and low income housing projects nationwide. It covers over 14 acres, cost $1,200,000 and was built on empty land. It was built for unskilled workers of nearby tobacco and motor factories of Louisville. The buildings were designed to be oriented away from the industries to the north toward the prevailing winds from the southwest. The facility is heated by a central unit. Each came with electric light, refrigeration, gas for cooking, and a rear-yard garden. E. T. Hutchings was the chief architect, The...

It is generally believed that General Martin Perfecto de Cos, a brother-in-law of Mexico’s President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, surrendered to the Texan commander, General Edward Burleson, after the five-day Siege of Bexar in December 1835 at the Villita Street building known today as the Cos House. This structure is considered to be the oldest building in the "Little Village" since it pre-dates the 1835 surrender. The building was restored through the efforts of NYA workers as part of the La Villita restoration project.

"La Villita, in the heart of San Antonio, was once the site of a Coahuiltecan Indian village. The first huts in the community were probably erected about 1722... The Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo colonial history of the section is preserved in the name of the streets and houses of La Villita: Guadalupe Street, Bolivar Hall, Juarez Plaza, Cos House, Canada House, and McAllister Corner. La Villita was restored as a result of a city ordinance of October 12, 1939, and is owned by the city and operated as a craft and recreational center. The National Youth Administration assisted in...

The Lafayette County Courthouse (built from 1940-1942) was funded 40% by the WPA (Arkansas Historic Preservation Program). It is in the Art Deco style typical of the period, which means it was more restrained than the earlier Art Deco style of architecture, prior to the depression. The architects were Clippard and Vaught.

The addition to the existing 1849 courthouse was accomplished with an almost seamless continuation of the style of the original.  The dental work below the eaves and over-all style was duplicated.  This was important to the townspeople because of its historic nature.  In the photo of the original courthouse, a cannonball from the Civil War Battle of Lexington remains embedded in the top of the pillar on the left.

Lafitte project was constructed 1940-1941 and included 896 units. It was the fifth of six local housing units constructed in New Orleans following the Housing Act of 1937. The project was bounded by Lafitte Avenue, Orleans Avenue, North Claiborne and Avenue, and North Dorgenois Street. Architects were Sol Rosenthal, Jack J. H. Kessels, and Ernest W. Jones. R. P. Farnsworth and Company were the contractors for the $4,000,000 project. The units were built in a traditional New Orleans style townhouse with metal balconies and porch columns and railings. The project was originally slated for demolition in 1995 but postponed. It...

"Built in the 1920s, the renovated hospital campus contains more than a hundred contemporary and historical public artworks. The entryway to the main building displays five murals by WPA artist Glen Wessels. The WPA inspired three contemporary mosaic murals in the lobby depicting the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. A status of Florence Nightingale by FAP sculptor David Edstrom honors the founder of professional nursing." (Guide.)

"There were nine PWA-financed courthouses constructed in South Dakota during the Depression era. Although designs were not standardized, most were three or four story buildings designed in variations of the Moderne styles. Building materials and finishes included brick, stone, concrete, terra cotta, terrazzo floors, marble, wood, steel casement windows, and cast metal ornamentation. Most courthouses from this era are distinguished by their massing and form. Typically larger, block-like buildings on elevated bases, courthouses usually display symmetry with a central entrance and uniformly placed window bays. Detailed surrounds and/or projecting bays often emphasize the central entrance. Interior character-defining features generally include large...

The original 1905 courthouse, a wood frame Victorian, was renovated in 1936. J. H. McGuire and Company added a brick veneer, removed the Victorian tower, and replaced it with a 2-story Classical Revival style portico. In addition, rooms were added to the rear and the courtroom was renovated.

“One of the most conspicuous reminders of the CCC program located along any state highway in Oregon is the Lake of the Woods Work Center. Situated about 30 miles northwest of Klamath Falls on OR-140, these structures were built from standard plans provided by the U.S. Forest Service architects. The ‘pine tree’ cutout, a symbol associated with both the USFS and the CCC, is clearly seen on the ranger station. Beyond the highway are Forest Service campgrounds originally developed by enrollees from Camp South Fork near Butte Falls during the 1930s.” –“CCC Landmarks: Remembering the Past”

Jayne M. D'Onofrio: "In 1939, Wakefield Selectmen voted to ask the Special Town Meeting to build a bath house on Spaulding Street at Lake Quannapowitt, as well as other recreation projects... The building would not be made of brick as in the previous plans and would not be heated for winter use. The bath house could accommodate 100 boys and 100 girls and would be a modern building with asphalt shingles. On March 23, 1939, Special Town Meeting voted to build the bath house at a cost of $5,261 by a close vote. The Spaulding Street bath house was completed in...

In 1934 the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Lake Administration (FERA) constructed a dam to impound a recreational lake: Lake Tomahawk, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, as well as a community building and boathouse at its shore. The lake "was officially opened on Labor Day weekend in 1934." The community building featured shingle siding and a large room for social gatherings and boating and bathing facilities. The building is still in use today and the lake continues as a gathering spot. "The community house, built at Black Mountain, in Buncombe County, under project No. 11A-B11-2, is situated on the shore...

Lakeview Cemetery in Wayland, Mass. was improved by Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) labor.

"A slum area of 22 1/2 acres in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, was cleared for the construction of the low-rent development known as Lakeview Terrace Apartments. The site was purchased at a cost of $521,593, the equivalent of 69 cents a square foot. The development consists of 2- and 3-story apartment buildings and 2- and 3-story row houses which cove about 26 percent of the site area and contain an average of 104 rooms per acre. Included in the project are 118 garages. All structures are fireproof. There are 2,311 rooms divided into 620 apartments of which 44 percent are 3-room,...

Lamar Terrace was the second low-cost housing project for white families in Memphis. It contained 478 units, and cost $2,500,000. It was demolished in 2005.

This 1939 mural "Afternoon on a Texas Ranch" by Ethel Edwards was a winner of the Treasury Section's 48-State Post Office Mural Competition. It was originally located in the Lampasas post office constructed in 1938, but was moved to the city hall when the post office moved to a new location.

The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) funded the construction of a community building for the Langston Terrace Dwellings and surrounding area, ca. 1935-1940. 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 Langston Terrace Dwellings Community Building was part of the New Deal’s overall effort to provide more community and recreation...

The Langston Terrace Dwellings, a large-scale public housing project, was built under the New Deal from 1935 to 1938.  It was the first U.S. Government-funded public housing project in Washington DC and only the second in the nation.  Initial funding came from the Public Works Administration (PWA); later the U.S. Housing Authority stepped in to complete the job. The International Style complex was designed by prominent African-American architect Hilyard Robinson, a native Washingtonian. With its handsome art and style, it embodied Robinson's belief in the ability of fine buildings and art to inspire and uplift residents. Construction began in 1935, with African...

The Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) sponsored additions to multiple school buildings in Laramie, Wyoming, including to the former East Side School, now the Laramie Plains Civic Center. The building also houses examples of New Deal art.

The Works Progress Administration built the Latimer County Courthouse in Wilburton. Contributor note: "The Latimer County Courthouse is located at the intersection of N. Central and W. Ada. This is a beautiful two-story rock building that is painted a cream color. The gutters and downspouts are painted in a contrasting terracotta color which adds to the effect. The windows for the most part are 8-pane fixed units. There are recessed double-door entrances on the south and east. The courthouse has three bays with the center bay slightly projected on the east, and having a higher roof line. To the left of the...

Architects P. J. Krouse and L. L. Brasfield substantially redesigned the historic Lauderdale County courthouse, a 1905 Beaux Arts building originally designed by Krouse, and "transformed into an Art Deco structure" (Ford, 2004). The traditional features, including a dome, cupola, and classic portico were removed and additions of a 3-story setback tower with curved walls enhanced both space and architectural design. The Public Works Administration provided a grant of $127,147 and the county issued a $140,000 bond to fund the project as Mississippi W 1182. It was completed December 4, 1939.

Ripley, Tennessee's historic Lauderdale County Courthouse was constructed during the Great Depression with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The buff-colored Moderne courthouse was the fourth constructed for Lauderdale County, and the first of their PWA courthouses for architects Marr and Holman.

Lauderdale Courts was one of the first public housing projects undertaken under the New Deal, and one of the few housing developments originated under the New Deal that is still standing. The Market Street slums were cleared in order to build the apartments near downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The one, two, and three story group homes contained 66 buildings, 449 units, and held one-through-five-bedroom apartments. The project was one architecturally designed to "promote a sense of community" through a central mall/courtyard which connected apartments to the open shared space. One of the most famous tenants was Elvis Presley, who lived there from...

This free-standing brick façade laundry facility was completed in 1940 by the Public Works Administration to service the St. Louis City Hospital complex including the City Hospital, Malcolm Bliss Psychopathologic Institute, and clinic. It is a red brick building in the Georgian style and is along the same style as the original City Hospital Building. City Hospital closed its doors in 1985. In 2008 the building was repurposed as a private event space, retaining the building's original architectural features.

Now the Anderson-Murphy Community Center. It is a 17,964 square foot building constructed in 1927. This building served as the National Guard Armory before being purchased by the City for use by the Parks & Recreation Department. According to an index of WPA projects at the National Archives, the WPA improved and repaired the Laurel Armory in 1935.

The federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) undertook improvement work at the Laurel County Courthouse in London, Kentucky: "Wiring, Painting, Roofing, Stairways, Flooring, and Window Repairs," in addition to "Extensive General Repairs and Painting."

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor developed Laurel Hill Cemetery. WPA Bulletin, 1937: Eventual income of $450,000 to be derived from the sale of burial lots, will benefit this city when WPA work projects on Forest Hill and Laurel cemeteries are completed. Almost 200,000 square feet of waste land are being transformed into a fine cemetery by the work projects.

The Laurel Homes Historic District is an example of a project completed from the Federal Housing Act. They were built in 1933 and were one of the first examples of  integrated housing in the United States. They were the second largest PWA housing project in the United States. As of today only three of the original buildings remain as the rest were razed.

The Town Offices of Laurel, Delaware, were constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA provided a $14,122 grant toward the $37,246 project. Construction on the project began December 1936 and was completed July 1937. PWA Docket No. DE 1017.

Located in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, downriver from the French Quarter, Lautenschlaeger Market was constructed in 1901 as a public open air market. In the late 1930s, the City of New Orleans owned 19 public markets, many of which had fallen into disrepair and were threatened by demolition. The city turned to the WPA, which financed the improvement of eight of them under the Market Rehabilitation program, spearheaded by Mayor Robert Maestri. Maestri, a New Dealer elected to office in 1936, used work relief programs, according to historian Anthony J. Stanonis, “to change the physical appearance of the cityscape as...

The federal WPA (Works Progress Administration) constructed a lava stone curb wall along Ali'i Drive in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii during the Great Depression. The wall, located 6386 Ali'i Drive, bears a WPA plaque.

The three-story, brick and cast stone Art Deco courthouse was constructed 1935-36 as Public Works Administration (PWA) Project Miss. 1042. It was remodeled in 1976.