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  • High School / Gymnasium - Fairland OK
    The historic 1941 high school and gymnasium facility in Fairland, Oklahoma was constructed by the Work Projects Administration (WPA). With walls built half out of native stone and half of recycled bricks, the building was most unusual. The structure has been integrated into a larger educational complex that has been built around it.
  • High School Gym - Fletcher OK
    The Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed construction of the Fletcher High School Gym in 1938. The Waymarking site for this building says that, although the gym is still in use at Fletcher High School, it is now surrounded by newer buildings that block its view from the street. The Waymarking site goes to explain that: "At the corner of East Drive and Hornady Street is the Fletcher High School campus. At the center of the campus, behind newer buildings, this red brick WPA school gym and auditorium stands firm, anchoring the complex. It was built in 1938 with an appropriation of $27,270."
  • High School Gym (demolished) - Cokeville WY
    The former high school gymnasium building in Cokeville, Wyoming was constructed as part of a federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project during the Great Depression. Construction was completed in 1938. The building, which Living New Deal believes to have been located along Pine Street, has since been demolished and replaced with a newer educational campus. PWA Docket No. WY 1057-DS
  • High School Gymnasium - Gorman TX
    Located behind the current high school in Gorman, Texas is a blond brick two story gymnasium that bears a Works Progress Administration plaque, dates 1935-1937.
  • High School Gymnasium - Hallsville MO
    This gymnasium, built by the PWA in 1937, is on the south side of the Hallsville High school campus. It has a light red brick façade with windows on the south side for offices.
  • High School Gymnasium - Lihue HI
    The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded new construction or improvement work for a gymnasium at the high school in Lihue, Kauai. The PWA grant amounted to $26,280. The work was carried out in 1938. The project, listed as Docket No. TH-1064-F, was part of the PWA’s non-federal projects expenditures for the Territory of Hawaii for 1938-1939.
  • High School Gymnasium - Manville WY
    The Works Progress Administration built a high school gymnasium in Manville, Niobrara County. The exact location and condition of this facility are unknown to the Living New Deal.
  • High School Gymnasium - Martindale TX
    The Public Works Administration provided funding for the high school gymnasium in Martindale, Texas in 1939. The docket number was X2350. The gym's walls and roof trusses are still standing but the roof is gone. The gym and the 1921 schoolhouse next to it are now privately owned. An advertisement shows the school is available to rent as a bed and breakfast and indicates the gym may be remodeled into an event center.
  • High School Gymnasium - Rule TX
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a high school gymnasium in Rule TX in 1935. "Word has been received by Supt. U. U. Clark of the Rule high school that the WPA project of a new gymnasium has been approved at Washington and the money allocated. Work Is scheduled to begin In the next days. Mr. Sheppard, engineer of the government, has been appointed to supervise this work. The application for this project was put through the district office at Wichita Falls."
  • High School Gymnasium (Demolished) - Casa Grande AZ
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built an adobe gymnasium for the former Casa Grande High School.  That gym was torn down in the 1990s when the high school was repurposed as the current City Hall and a new high school was built at a different site. The WPA also built a city hall for Casa Grande, now demolished.  It is possible that the gym was paid for by the Public Works Administration (PWA), not the WPA; but we do not have definitive evidence of that.
  • High School Gymnasium (demolished) - Newcastle TX
    On January 28, 1936, consideration was given to building a gym as a WPA project at Newcastle.  On February 2, 1936, the school board committed a matching $3, 800 to build the gym.  Local WPA employee A. C. Duckett was assigned as the project superintendent. The gym was demolished in 1993.  Alumni erected a pavilion in its location, and a monument to the gym, although they incorrectly list the construction date as 1931.  Rocks from the old gym building were preserved in the sidewalk leading to the pavilion.  The 1936 date is consistent with Mr. Wooldridge’s account of the construction, also...
  • High School Gymnasium (former) - Taylor TX
    The Bartlett Tribune and News reported in 1935 that Taylor, Texas's new $35,000 high school gymnasium was financed in part by a PWA grant and loan. The old high school and gymnasium are now part of the Taylor Resource Center, which serves seniors and other community needs.
  • High School Gymnasium/Auditorium - Fulton KS
    In 1936, Works Progress Administration workers tore down Fulton's 1885 school building and erected a gymnasium/auditorium with reclaimed rocks.
  • Hillsborough High School Gymnasium - Tampa FL
    The Hillsborough High School was built in 1927 but soon thereafter the Great Depression caused a halt to construction of the gymnasium and the track. These were eventually built in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration under the supervision of Mr. E.H. Foxworth. This structure has come to be known by the students as the Barn due its architectural style.
  • Hinckley High School Gymnasium (former) - Hinckley UT
    The Hinckley High School Gymnasium was built in 1935-36 with funding from the federal Public Works Administration (PWA).   It was part of a larger project for the Millard County School District that included a mechanical arts building at Delta High School and a gymnasium at Millard High School in Fillmore.  Total cost for the three buildings was $130,000. Lyman and Newell (1999) suggest that the Hinckley Gym was "fully constructed under the P.W.A. program." The architects of all three were Carl W. Scott and George W. Welch. The contractors were Talboe and Litchfield.  The Hinckley gym is an example of stylized...
  • Hinds Community College: Denton Gymnasium - Raymond MS
    Public Works Administration project W1183 constructed a boys’ dormitory and boys’ gymnasium. A grant for $151,986 was approved June 22, 1938 toward the total cost of $322,153. Construction started November 14, 1938 and was completed December 4, 1939. The Denton Gymnasium is a Stripped Classic, two-story brick designed by architect James Manly Spain and constructed by builder/contractor Newton & Schmoll. The first floor contained locker rooms, club room, supply room, visitors quarters, office, first aid, showers and dressing rooms. The gymnasium with a seating capacity for 700 people was located on the second floor. It remains in use.
  • Hoehne School and Gymnasium - Las Animas CO
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Hoehne School and Gymnasium in Hoehne, Las Animas CO. The gymnasium addition was two-stories high. Other WPA-built facilities included a shop and home economics classrooms.
  • Hoosier Gym - Knightstown IN
    Originally constructed in 1921, the Hoosier Gym (best known for its role in the 1986 basketball movie Hoosiers) was improved and expanded the gym in 1936. "The project included an exterior facelift with a new front entrance and lobby, and the creation of basement dressing rooms." No longer used regularly as a gym, the building has been turned into a museum and community center.
  • Hunt Recreation Center - Concord MA
    Hunt Recreation Center in Concord, Massachusetts was constructed as a New Deal project. It was built in part with federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The P.W.A. supplied a grant of $27,653 for the project, whose total cost was $61,494. Construction occurred between Nov. 1935 and Aug. 1936. PWA Docket No. MA W1028.
  • Idabel Middle School Gymnasium and Classroom - Idabel OK
    The red brick gymnasium and classroom buildings were constructed by the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938-1939. The buildings originally belonged to Gray High School. Today, the gymnasium is used by Idabel Middle School. However, the gymnasium was rebuilt following a fire in the past year (2017). The extent of the reconstruction and how much of what we see today is original cannot be determined. Although the one-story brick classroom building still exists, it is not in use. It has been boarded up.    
  • James E. Roberts Memorial Building - Connersville IN
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a community building and gymnasium, now known as the James E. Roberts Memorial Building, in Connersville, Indiana. "At Roberts Park in Connersville, a brick community house 120x50 feet is practically completed. The structure is part of a general program of park improvement being carried on in that city."
  • James M. Shields Memorial Gymnasium - Seymour IN
    The Works Progress Administration built the James M. Shields Memorial Gymnasium in Seymour IN. Former high school gymnasium, now (February 2023) all but abandoned by a private owner. Perennial presence on Indiana Landmarks' Ten Most Endangered list.
  • John Jay Park Improvements - New York NY
    The New York Times reported in Sept. 1941 that the WPA worked on the "reconstruction of John Jay Park along the East River Drive, between Seventy-sixth and Seventy-eighth Streets." Specific improvements included the installation of a new diving pool with concrete bleachers; the remodeling of an "old bath building" to "include a recreation room, gymnasium and auditorium"; and a new "completely equipped playground." A May 1942 Department of Parks press release further reported that the WPA had relocated the concession building, paved areas of the park, installed benches and planted trees.
  • Jordan High School Gymnasium – Los Angeles CA
    The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of a girl's gymnasium at Jordan High School (formerly David Starr Jordan High School) in Los Angeles, CA. The gymnasium, completed in 1937, was one of two structures on Jordan High School's campus built by the PWA. The other was a loggia, built in 1935, connecting the Administration Building to the North Annex. Jordan High School's five original buildings, the Los Angeles Conservancy writes, were also retrofitted and renovated "with a unifying PWA Moderne style." The PWA allocated $9,380,000 to the Los Angeles Unified School District in January 1934 for the rehabilitation of schools damaged...
  • Joy Gymnasium - Wynnewood OK
    The Works Progress Administration built the Joy Gymnasium in Joy, about four miles south of Wynnewood OK. Contributor note: "Joy is a small rural community in Murray County, Oklahoma. It got its name from the name of the school that was established when three local towns consolidated their districts. It was named Joy when that name was chosen in a 1922 student contest. This gymnasium is located on State Highway 77 at County Road 1670 (Joy Road). The Joy Gymnasium was built in 1939 as a WPA project. It is located behind an earlier brick school which is no longer used. The school...
  • Keller Recreation Center - Keller TX
    The Keller Recreation Center, also referred to as the Rock Gym, was constructed in 1933-34 by the Civil Works Administration. The structure is made of native sandstone and petrified wood, and cost $16,000. It included meeting rooms, locker rooms, two basketball courts, a stage and a fireplace for heat. The building was given a new purpose when bond issues in 1992 and 1995 included $3.2 million for renovations for the gym and adjoining Keller Elementary School. The campus became the Keller Independent School District Education Center. The building still hosts a variety of district and community events.
  • Kellyville Elementary School - Kellyville OK
    In 1939, the WPA built a school and gymnasium in Kellyville, OK. A 1985 Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory surveyed the site and gave the following description of the school: "This large school of ten rooms or more is a single-story, rectangular (94' x 223') building constructed of uncut and beaded native stone of auburn and buff colors. The masonry of the building is random rubble. The roof is flat with parapets... Pilaster strips along the walls and at the corners of the school give it an art deco flavor. There is a beautiful stone fence with a spectacular entrance in front of...
  • Lakeside Gymnasium - Chisago City MN
    The Lakeside School was built in 1918 in Chisago City, MN. The original school was not built with an auditorium or anywhere for entertainment, plays, etc. and after 30 years the gymnasium in the school had fallen into disarray and many schools in the area refused to play in the gym that had a narrow floor, low ceiling, and no room for spectators. In 1934 the WPA selected Chisago County among 13 other counties to receive a WPA project. The school board submitted an application for federal aid in August of 1938 to make improvements to the school. In September...
  • Lambert Fieldhouse - West Lafayette IN
    Construction of Lambert Fieldhouse was enabled by Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds in the form of a $293,000 grant. The total project cost was $712,164. Construction occurred between Dec. 1936 and Nov. 1937. PWA Docket No. IN 1018
  • Lava Elementary School Gymnasium (Lava High School Gymnasium) - Lava Springs ID
    Construction on this Public Works Administration (PWA) funded building took place in 1934 as an addition to the town's high school (built in 1911). While retaining the New Deal era gymnasium, the current Lava Elementary School structure replaced the high school in 1979. The Lava School Gymnasium received National Register status in 1997 based on its significance to both local history and architecture. In the application's statement of significance, it was argued that the gymnasium is associated with "the continued development of this small southeastern Idaho town during the Great Depression" and its ability to demonstrate several primary contributions of the...
  • Lawn School Gymnasium - Lawn TX
    The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of a school gymnasium in Lawn TX. Excerpt from Abilene Reporter-News (1939): "Lawn Gymnasium To Be Dedicated The newly-completed Lawn gymnasium will be dedicated Friday night. according to H. 0. Keese, school board president, who was in Abilene yesterday. The gymnasium, a brick-tile structure, has been completed by Bonike Brothers of Abilene, contractors, for a total cost of $16,000. Funds were provided by a PWA grant of $7,400 and a $10,000 bond voted at Lawn. Remainder of the money will be used in repairing the old school building. W. B. Williams is superintendent of the Lawn school. School board...
  • Lincoln Community Center Gymnasium (destroyed) - Poughkeepsie NY
    Lincoln Community Center was established as a community center by Vassar College in 1916. The former Lincoln Community Center Gymnasium was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) in 1937. Arson destroyed the primary center in 1979, and Living New Deal believes the WPA-built gymnasium is also no longer extant. The exact location of the construction is also unknown to us at this time.
  • Long Creek High School Gymnasium - Huntersville NC
    The federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed the Long Creek High School Gymnasium and the school's attendant recreational grandstand in Huntersville, North Carolina. "The Long Creek High School Gymnasium and Grandstand are the only surviving structures from the initial phase of Federally-assisted school construction in Mecklenburg County." The structures "are tangible reminders of how the New Deal relief programs changed rural life in Mecklenburg County." (cmhpf.org) "Long Creek High School opened in 1923 as part of a program of comprehensive school consolidation in Mecklenburg County.  The Long Creek High School Gymnasium and Grandstand were constructed in 1934 initially under arrangements approved...
  • Madison Brown Gymnasium Improvements - Madison IN
    Originally the high school gymnasium, built in 1924, now a city recreation facility. Improved by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), including extensive repairs after the disastrous flood of 1937.
  • Madison-Ridgeland High School Annex - Madison MS
    Architects N. W. Overstreet and A. H. Town designed a 2 story, buff brick structure to serve as the gymnasium for the existing high school. It was connected to the earlier school with a 1 story walkway. Funded by the PWA, it is known as "a rare example of the Art Deco style in Mississippi, particularly as it was applied to schools" (Enzweiler, 1986). The addition features brick piers, circular windows, mousetooth detailing, concrete canopies, and stylized griffins sculptures on the front entrance. Total construction cost was $37,432 and the building was completed December 7, 1936.
  • Manteo School Gym (demolished) - Manteo NC
    The Manteo School Gym, a large white building near the corner of Devon Street and US Highway 64 was built by the Works Progress Administration. The building was recently demolished.
  • Morrison School Gymnasium/Auditorium - Morrison OK
    The Morrison School Gymnasium/Auditorium was constructed in 1939 by the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The Noble County Oklahoma Historic Preservation Survey of 1985 underscores the significance of this auditorium in that it demonstrates "...the involvement of the WPA in the development of educational and recreational facilities." It goes on to point out that "...the project created jobs for unemployed laborers in the area during the Depression as well as nurturing a sense of civic pride and providing space for community activities." The other notable feature of the WPA project, according to the Oklahoma Preservation Survey, is the scale and...
  • Mountain View School Gymnasium - Mountain View WY
    The Works Progress Administration built a gymnasium for the Mountain View School in Mountain View, Uinta County. The exact location and status of the structure are presently unknown to Living New Deal.
  • Municipal Auditorium & Gymnasium - Primrose NE
    In September 1935, the village of Primrose was notified that it had been given a grant of $7,363.00 from the Public Works Administration (PWA) for the purpose of building a municipal auditorium and gymnasium. The total project cost was estimated to be $19,700.00. Begun in March 1936, the building was complete by the end of September.
  • Municipal Gymnasium (former) - Goodlett TX
    "The Gym is one of only two remaining WPA Project Gymnasium in Texas and has been fully restored to its original appeal. The Gym offers 7200 sq. ft. of space for reunions, business meetings, trade shows and family activities. Included are food prep areas, restrooms, with large showers and a refinished Theatrical Stage. Ample parking is available."   (https://www.quanahnet.com) The gym is also apparently now the site of the Pease River Cowboy Church.
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