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  • Alvar Street Library - New Orleans LA
    Built by the WPA in 1940. The library flooded during Katrina, but has since reopened.
  • Appalachian State University: D.D. Dougherty Hall - Boone NC
    The Dauphin Disco Dougherty Memorial Library, now known as D.D. Dougherty Hall, was constructed by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) at what was then known as Appalachian State Teachers College in Boone, North Carolina. The building was completed in 1935. Historic maps and modern imagery suggest that the building has since been expanded.
  • Arizona State University: Matthews Center - Tempe AZ
    The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the old Matthews library building at the Arizona State Teachers College in Tempe.  It presently serves as the Matthews Center on the campus of today's Arizona State University. The building is a low (two-story) brick building in neo-classical style. It has a large footprint, no doubt to accommodate book stacks in the past.  It is unclear how much modification has been made for its new life as The Matthews Center.   
  • Arthur Johnson Memorial Library: Artwork - Raton NM
    "Located in the historic downtown area of Raton, New Mexico, Arthur Johnson Memorial Library building was originally built" as the community's post office in 1917, well prior to the advent of the New Deal. "Remodeling in the late 1990's opened the second floor for use, and included the addition of an elevator." The facility's significance from a New Deal standpoint stems from the "large collection of paintings representative of New Mexico artists of the New Deal period," which hang "throughout the library. A painting by the late Chiricahua Apache artist, Allan Houser, done prior to his moving into 3 dimensional art,...
  • Bandera County Library - Bandera TX
    The paper "A History of the Bandera Public Library" documents that a Civil Works Administration (CWA) project was secured to cover a portion of the cost to build a new building in 1934. In the book, History of Bandera County, Texas, the library is documented as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. It is speculated that the building began as CWA project and the WPA finished it as the former program ended and the latter program began during the time period the building was constructed.
  • Bass Museum of Art Improvements - Miami Beach FL
    Originally the Miami Beach Public Library & Art Center, this building was designed by Russell Pancoast in 1930. FERA later completed the interiors of the rooms on the ground floor.
  • Berkeley County Library - Moncks Corner SC
    It served as the Berkeley County Library from 1938 to 1970. The building was moved from Library Street around the corner to 221 First Street in 1969 and continued to serve customers until the grand opening of the new library (on the site of the original library) in 1970. From 1970 to 1988, the building was used by the Berkeley County Department of Social Services. It was then sold to Robert D. Calcote, DMD, and served as one of his orthodontist offices from 1988-2020.
  • Bernal Heights Library - San Francisco CA
    The beautiful Bernal Heights Library on Cortland Avenue in San Francisco was built in 1940 by the Works Projects Administration (WPA), after it had become part of the Federal Works Administration (FWA) in 1939. The library is built of reinforced concrete and finished in Mission Revival style with stucco exterior and tile roof.  The interior features lofty ceilings, large windows, and lovely hanging light fixtures. The floors, entrance and bathrooms are all tiled and the ceiling beams are hand-painted in abstract designs.   The shelving and furniture appear to be the original, made of solid oak, and the layout looks to be...
  • Borough Building - Wilkinsburg PA
    The historic Wilkinsburg Borough Building—also home to the public library—was built in 1939 as a New Deal project: the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $130,014 grant for the project, whose total cost was $407,643. PWA Docket No. PA 2209
  • Brooklyn College: Library - Brooklyn NY
    The Brooklyn College Library is one of the original buildings on the campus, part of a massive federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project undertaken in 1935-37. Construction on the library building began in 1936. The library houses WPA murals by Olindo Mario Ricci.
  • Bryant Park Outdoor Reading Room - New York NY
    The Works Progress Administration set up an outdoor library in Bryant Park. The "Reading Room" began in 1935 and closed in 1944. Today the park still serves as the site of an outdoor library, opened in 2003.
  • Carnegie Library (former) Expansion - Provo UT
    In the late 1930s, the historic Carnegie Library in Provo, Utah was greatly expanded with a grant and labor provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The Provo Library website tells us that, "On December 1, 1908 the Library moved into a new building provided by a grant of $17,500 from Andrew Carnegie. By 1924 it was noted that 'the institution is greatly in need of more room.' With $59,000 from the WPA the remodeled and expanded facility opened on July 28, 1939." The building is now privately managed.
  • Carnegie Library Building (former) Renovation - Washington D.C.
    The Carnegie Library building in Washington DC was the District's Central Library from 1902 to 1970. It was one of many libraries built with funding from the businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.  From 1935 to 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) refurbished the entire exterior of the building for the Library. As reported by the DC Government in 1938: "The W.P.A. project for cleaning, cutting out, and repointing mortar joints of exterior marble and granite stone on the central building was started in December 1935 and completed at a cost of $27,717.50 and closed out on March 20, 1938. The entire exterior...
  • Carnegie Library Extension - Paso Robles CA
    The Carnegie Libraries web page summarizes the history of the structure: "A men's group, the Paso Robles Improvement Club, initiated the first library in 1901, and the ladies auxiliary persuaded the city to establish a free public library in 1903. A Carnegie grant of $10,000 was received in 1906 for the building; the park, a full city block between 11th and 12th and Spring and Pine streets, was selected as the site. William H. Weeks, California's most prolific Carnegie architect, designed the building and R.O. Summers was the contractor. A small addition to the rear was built in 1939 by the...
  • Carrier Library (JMU) - Harrisonburg VA
    James Madison University's Carrier Library was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $63,000 grant for the project, whose total cost was $140,010. Construction occurred between Oct. 1938 and Sept. 1939. JMU.edu: The library building that is now known as Carrier opened in 1939. Originally named Madison Memorial Library, it was the first standalone library building on campus. The library was only two floors at the time. The first floor for non-academic books and magazines, the second for the main circulation desk and main book collection. PWA Docket No. VA 1255
  • Cedar Avenue Complex - Lancaster CA
    The Cedar Avenue Complex was constructed in 1938 with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). It began life as a county civic center in Lancaster CA, forty years before that city was incorporated (1977).   It included a library, memorial hall, courthouse and sheriff's office, as well as an older jail from the 1920s.  The simple Art Moderne (Art Deco) design was by Los Angeles County architect Edward C. M. Brett.   The Cedar Avenue Complex was successfully nominated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1990s. The entire complex was renovated by the city in 2014 and...
  • Central Library (former) Expansion - Jamaica NY
    The former Queens Central Library, located at 89-14 Parsons Blvd., "opened in 1930 and was expanded with WPA funds in 1941." "The current Central Library is a product of its era. In the mid-1960s, instead of renovating the existing library at 89-14 Parsons Boulevard, officials chose to build an entirely new structure at 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, six blocks east. The older building was recycled as a courthouse. Its facade has since been incorporated into an apartment building called the Moda."
  • Central Library (replaced) Maintenance - Seattle WA
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) carried out maintenance work on the Old Central Public Library in 1935, as well as helping with clerical tasks. That library building had been funded by Andrew Carnegie in 1906.  It was replaced in 1960 and then replaced again in 2004 by the current asymetrical, cantilevered structure with its striking diagonal metal and glass grid, designed by Rem Koolhaas.
  • Central Library Improvements - Brooklyn NY
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) undertook a sizable public building improvement project in Brooklyn, New York beginning in 1935.  The project involved the "Improvement of Public Buildings and Offices" at more than 30 locations, including the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library.
  • City College Library Wing - New York NY
    The main buildings of City College were constructed between 1903 and 1907 and the library was built in 1929. A new wing to the library was constructed in 1939 with funds labor provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
  • City Hall - Alpine UT
    The historic Alpine City Hall was constructed in 1936 as a New Deal project with Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor. It included meeting rooms, an assembly room, public library, jail and fire station. The architecture is a melange of New England Colonial and Renaissance Revival styles, with a bell tower and entry flanked by capped stone pilasters and urns and topped off with a sunburst under the archway.    The Utah State Historic marker, placed in 1992, declares: "...this building represents the significant impact of New Deal programs in providing both jobs and public facilities. It is one of over 240 buildings constructed...
  • 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 - Salina UT
    The WPA helped build this municipal building for the town of Salina. From A History of Sevier County: "A municipal building was constructed in Salina in 1936-37 with the assistance of the WPA, which paid 50 percent of the building's cost."
  • City Hall (former) - Artesia NM
    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...
  • City Hall (Old Library) - New Smyrna Beach FL
    New Smyrna Beach's city hall was originally built as the city's library. The building was constructed by federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor during the Great Depression.
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • Columbus Branch Library (former) Improvements - New Rochelle NY
    The federal Work Projects Administration worked to improve New Rochelle's, New York's former Columbus Branch Library (a.k.a. Feeney Park Library; opened 1931) during the 1930s. The exact location and present status of the building that housed the library, which was used as such until 1980, is presently unknown to Living New Deal. One WPA project, which involved numerous municipal buildings in New Rochelle including this one, was described by the WPA in its project rolls: "Work includes performing carpentry, masonry, and sheet metal work; excavating and constructing walls; painting, placing tile, and roofing." WPA Official Project No. 665-21-2-635.
  • Community Center - Pence WI
    The gorgeous community center in Pence, Wisconsin, located on the south side of Trezona St. between Maple St. and Cedar St., was constructed by the Work Projects Administration (WPA) in 1941. Lake Shore Visitor: "Last year, through a WPA project, a community center was erected. It contains a large gymnasium, a library, a meeting room, garage, and fire-fighting equipment space. A recreational program providing entertainment facilities for all age groups has been established."
  • Community Center and Historical Museum - El Monte CA
    In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a community center and adjoining public library (today's Historical Museum) in El Monte, CA. The adobe-style structures were built of reinforced concrete and stucco. The community center originally housed city offices, meeting rooms for clubs and organizations, a pair of auditoriums with capacities of 250 and 600, as well as a large kitchen and several kitchenettes. Today, the community center houses administrative offices and meeting rooms available for public use. According to his daughter, JoAnn Ells Ebele, El Monte's Depression-era City Engineer Joseph C. Ells traveled to Washington, D.C., to secure the approval of...
  • Community Center and Library - Mercer WI
    "In 1936, with funding supplied by the Federal Government through an agency called the "Works Progress Administration" (WPA), and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Town of Mercer started work on the Mercer Community Center/Public Library. Constructed entirely of pine logs from the area, it consisted of a main hall and a small area to house the library."   (https://www.mercerwi.com) "The WPA workers who built this hall were all Finish woodsmen. The building is made of hand hewn pine logs, cut to fit together without mortar."  (https://newdeal.feri.org) The building fell into disrepair in the late 1950s, but the town remodeled it in the...
  • Community House - Eupora MS
    The stone veneer facade, one-story stone and brick Community House was constructed with Work Progress Administration funding in 1938. One room of the Community House was designated for a library in 1966. The first known library in the county was established in the courthouse through the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression but was in existence only eight months.
  • Concord Public Library - Concord NH
    "The year 1938 is most remembered for the devastating hurricane and subsequent floods, but this was also the year steps were taken that resulted in a new library building being built. Although an urgent need for expanded library facilities had been felt for some time, the matter did not come to a head until the State of New Hampshire started condemnation proceedings to acquire the library property to make way for the State House Annex. Fortunately, sufficient funds were made available from the condemnation award, various library construction trusts and a federal PWA grant to finance at no direct cost...
  • Cooper Library Improvements - Wilmington NY
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a stone wall at, and made other improvements to, what is now known formally as the Wilmington E. M. Cooper Memorial Public Library. Google Street View imagery shows the wall present as of 2014.
  • Coral Gables Woman's Club - Coral Gables FL
    The Works Progress Administration built a community house and library in Coral Gables, Florida. The building now serves as the Coral Gables Woman's Club. "During the Great Depression, the national Works Projects Administration operated projects in cooperation with state and local governments throughout the country. Of the 17 projects approved for Coral Gables, a library and community building built on land donated by the City was completed in 1937. The coral rock building at 1001 East Ponce de Leon Boulevard was the Library’s location for more than 30 years. The building also housed the Woman’s Club which operated the Library until 1953...
  • Coronado Public Library - Coronado CA
    This 59" high woven tapestry "Fruits of the Earth" was designed by Donal Hord, and woven by Marian Kendall, V. Kelley, and F. Manchester. It was created in 1939 with support from the WPA Federal Art Project. It originally hung at the San Diego Administration Center.
  • Cotaco School Library - Somerville AL
    The Works Progress Administration built a vocational building for the Cotaco School. Correspondence with David Burleson, local source: "The last 8 pictures are of the Cotaco High School vocational building referred to in the 1938 work order At that time Cotaco was an elementary school and high school; grades 1 thru 12. In the late 1960’s or early 1970’s Cotaco and three or four other schools consolidated the high school grades into a new school in central Morgan County. That left Cotaco as an elementary school and middle school. Sometime in the 1990’s the vocational building was remodeled into the...
  • County Library Branch - Visalia CA
    The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided the funding for the Visalia branch public library, built in 1936. The design is Mission Revival, with tile roof, stucco walls and exposed beams. It has four wings extending from a central entrance with a raised roof. In 1926 the city of Visalia offered to furnish a site and pay one-half the cost of a new library branch, but the county declined the offer. Then the PWA stepped in and the building was constructed as a city library.  In 1961, an addition was made to the south wing. In 1976, a new joint Tulare County/Visalia City...
  • Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum - Heber City UT
    The former Heber City library was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project during the latter years of the Great Depression. Construction occurred between August 1938 and May 1939. The PWA supplied a grant of $13,275 toward the project, whose total cost was $27,529.  It was PWA Project No. UT W1142. The building served as the community's library until construction of the new Wasatch County Library during the 2000s. The New Deal facility now houses the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum. National Register of Historic Places nomination for for Midvale Library notes that the architects Ashton & Evans designed Heber...
  • Delta State University: Roberts Memorial Library - Cleveland MS
    The 1939 PWA library constructed at Delta State Teachers College (now Delta State University) was designed in an Italian Renaissance/Mediterranean style. It was used as the library until 1968, and has been used as the Fielding Wright Art Center since then. A rear addition was added in 1954, another addition in 1970, and the building was renovated in 1978.
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