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  • Library - Honokaa HI
    Honokaa Public Library was constructed as a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project during the Great Depression. Construction is sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), as it is on a plaque on the building. The library, which was designed by Harry K. Stewart, was completed in 1936. The building used the same design as the Molokai Public Library. PWA Docket No. T. H. 1038-B
  • Library - Horton KS
    The historic Horton Public Library building in Horton, Kansas was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project. The PWA supplied a $10,273 grant for the project, whose total cost was $22,838. Construction occurred between Aug. and Dec. 1938. PWA Docket No. Kan. 1348
  • Library - Metuchen NJ
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the Metuchen Borough Library in 1935-6. The library is still in use today. Quote "The Dawn," a monthly WPA newsletter, June 1936: Laying of the cornerstone for the new Public Library in Metuchen was marked with appropriate ceremonies on May 3. The Library, which was begun on December 19, 1935, is a WPA project sponsored by the Borough Council and is being built by funds provided jointly by the Works Progress Administration, the Metuchen Library Association and the estate of the late Professor Theododore Hunt of Princeton. The Federal contribution total $68,444.00. The sponsors...
  • Library - Morrill NE
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the public library in Morrill, Nebraska in 1936.
  • Library - Nehawka NE
    On November 9, 1933, President Roosevelt signed an Executive Order creating the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and providing $400 million from the Public Works Administration funds for the new organization. The goal of the Executive Order was to put four million of America’s unemployed to work by January 15, 1934. By November 16, 1933, all relief work beneficiaries and projects were transferred to the CWA. Within another month, well over two million people were already employed on CWA projects, and the CWA had advertised that funds were available for building projects. The Nehawka Public Library was no doubt one of...
  • Library - Oakland NJ
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a municipal building, now the town library, based on the design of—and using stones from—Oakland's Old Ponds Church. In fact, the building's façade was designed as an "exact replica of the old church."
  • Library - Purcellville VA
    Purcellville, Virginia received a new public library in 1937 with the aid of a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) grant. Virginia.edu: "In 1936, however, the Blue Ridge Library board elected to build a new building for a Purcellville Public Library and Community Center. Funds came from benefit concerts and shows and a grant from the Federal Public Works Administration, and the new library was completed on 13 September 1937. The Purcellville Library still exists today as part of the Loudoun County Public Library System." PWA Docket No. VA 1199
  • Library - Sabetha KS
    The library in Sabetha, Kansas was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project. The PWA supplied a $21,375 grant for the project, whose total cost was $43,665. Construction occurred between Dec. 1936 and Jun. 1937. The building bears no cornerstone and no dedication plaque was on-site as of 2023. However, the building does bear multiple original fixtures. Per The Belleville Telescop, the library was also home to one of a number of Works Progress Administration (WPA)-established local county museums. The entire top floor of the new library in Sabetha was utilized for one of these WPA museums. PWA Docket No. 1186
  • Library (demolished) - Columbiana OH
    The Public Works Administration contributed $7,605 towards the construction of a library in Columbiana. The building was designed by Frank Smith of Youngstown and built by J.G. Madden & Sons of East Palestine. The building has since been demolished.
  • Library (demolished) - Linden NJ
    The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a grant for construction of the the former library in Linden, New Jersey. The building was completed in 1939, and was demolished in 2010 to make way for the "modern facility behind it on the same East Henry Street site." PWA Docket No. NJ 1212
  • Library (former Post Office) - Fairborn OH
    Originally constructed as the Osborn (later renamed Fairborn) post office, this New Deal building was constructed in 1940 and now houses Fairport's public library. An example of New Deal artwork created for the building has been relocated to the community's current post office.
  • Library (former Post Office) - Stephenville TX
    The historic Stephenville Public Library building was originally constructed as the city's post office. The building, which was funded by the Treasury Department, was built in 1935. The architects of record were Mark Lemmon and Louis A Simon.
  • Library (former) - Altadena CA
    This library, which was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938 for $47,000, was designed by Frederick Marsh. The city built a new library a few blocks away back in 1990s. This site in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains was the location of the Altadena Public Library (still engraved on its pediment that faces Lake Avenue), from its construction in 1938 with WPA funds secured by William B. Davies (who helped establish Farnsworth Park further up Lake Ave.) up until the opening of the current location of the Altadena Libraries' Main Library location (built 1967, opened 1968,...
  • Library (former) - Beemer NE
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed a one-room library in Beemer, Nebraska. Built with CWA and city funds, the former library was located on Main St., near Highway 8. The structure had "built-in shelves, coat closets, fuel, and closets for surplus magazines."
  • Library (former) - Charlestown IN
    "The Public Library in Charlestown, Indiana was constructed out of work shanties by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers in the early days of the Charlestown boom and is staffed by Works Progress Administration librarians. It has between three thousand and four thousand books and there is a demand for more technical texts on chemistry, steam fitting, mechanical drawing, mathematics and carpentry." The exact location of the former library is unknown to Living New Deal.
  • Library (former) - Eagle Pass TX
    Eagle Pass Public Library website: "According with the Eagle Pass News Guide published on February 27, 1997, at 1927 a group of women, who were studying art, music, literature, decided Eagle Pass should have a public library. On April 15, 1939, with the help of WPA labor, Maverick County erected a small building on Quarry St., housing 7,000 books." The exact location of the WPA building and its status are unknown to Living New Deal. The library is now housed at the old post office building at the corner of Main and Monroe Streets.
  • Library (former) - Glendale AZ
    The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) supplied funding toward the construction of a new library in Glendale, Arizona's Murphy Park during the Great Depression. Construction occurred between December 1937 and March 1938. Living New Deal believes the building to be no longer extant.
  • Library (former) - Gridley KS
    The Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed a library on Main Street in Gridley, Kansas. The library is now in a newer facility. The location and status of the WPA library is unknown to Living New Deal.
  • Library (former) - Rushville NE
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the stunning former library building in Rushville, Nebraska. The building is now a private residence. The current library is located in a former Masonic lodge built in 1940.
  • Library (former) - Syracuse NE
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed the former Syracuse Public Library in Syracuse, NE. The town had applied for Public Works Administration funds for a new library building, but the application was not granted. The town purchased and demolished the Syracuse Congregational Church and the new building that replaced it became the public library. The library held 4,000 volumes in 1934. The government funds for labor and materials amounted to $1,908.75. The building is located at the northwest corner of Plum St. and 6th St.
  • Library (former) - Willard OH
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed a public library in Willard, Ohio. The building opened in Jan. 1934. The location and status of this facility, which has since been replaced, is unknown to Living New Deal.
  • Library (former) Assistance - Puyallup WA
    A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 announced that $780 was "allotted for work in the Puyallup City Library." The old library was located on what is now Pioneer Park.
  • Library (former) Expansion - Tyler TX
    The Carnegie Public Library in Tyler opened October 3, 1904. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie provided a $15,000 donation to construct the building. With two large rooms on the first floor and an auditorium called Carnegie Hall on the second, the library was designed to hold 12,000 books and be operated by one librarian. An expansion in 1936 doubled its size, courtesy of a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) grant. The addition carefully reproduced the elements of construction on both the exterior and interior. This was made possible by a $25, 000 WPA grant. At the same time, modern lighting and Venetian blinds...
  • Library (former) Improvements - Carver MA
    The federal Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) worked to improve the conditions of the library in Carver, Massachusetts in 1935. "The Library has been cleaned, painted and varnished, thanks to the W. P. A. workers, and new shelves have been added this year." The site of the library in 1935 is not confirmed to Living New Deal.
  • Library (former) Improvements - Darlington SC
    The old Carnegie Library in Darlington, SC, now the , Darlington Museum of History and Fine Arts, was improved as a result of the New Deal. Some sources conflict as to which agency provided the funding for these improvements. Sciway.net posits that the building was "expanded in the mid-1930s with the support of the Works Progress Administration ," although documents of the Public Works Administration (PWA) specifically list a completed library project in Darlington undertaken from 1938 to 1939, a project for which the agency provided $7,906 in grant money toward the project's $17,668 total cost. (PWA Docket No. SC 1106.)...
  • Library (former) Improvements - Millville MA
    The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) furnished the labor for the expansion of the former library space at Millville, Massachusetts's former town hall, located at the northeast corner of Main Street and Preston Street (across from where the current library now resides). The project involved excavation beneath the facility. The building has since been demolished, and the town hall and library have relocated.
  • Library (former) Improvements - Monroe WA
    "City officials of the town of Monroe, were today advised that the Town Hall and the Library were due for remodeling to the extent of $2,400, it was learned from the office of Don G. Abel, State Administrator of the Works Progress Administration, through whose approval the city fathers were granted $1,822 of federal funds for this work. The city of Monroe is supplying an additional $578. The project is slated to begin on November 11 and will supply work for 15 men, taken from WPA rolls, for about two months. The improvements. will bring the public library and city...
  • Library (former) Improvements - West Hartford CT
    Multiple New Deal agencies assisted in the improvement of what was then the library for West Hartford, Connecticut. The former library is now privately owned. In 1933 the federal Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) funded the labor for landscaping improvements and "the undertaking of odd jobs of carpentry, plumbing, electrical work and painting." In 1934: "With FERA labor and town "make work" help, it has been possible during the year to undertake a number of projects of various kinds. At the main library the exterior of the building and several rooms were painted; a bicycle rack was made; new electric lights were...
  • Library (former) Renovations - New Hyde Park NY
    From 1936 until recently, the New Hyde Park library occupied this building on the Jericho Turnpike. The building itself dates to earlier than 1936, but the NYA renovated the building in the 1930s in order for the library to move in. The building now appears to be occupied by the New Hyde Park Little League. A story discussing the relocation of New Hyde Park library services describes the buildings New Deal history: "The village library has been in existence for 83 years but it has been housed at its current location, in the basement of New Hyde Park Village Hall, corner of...
  • Library (Old Post Office) - Floral Park NY
    The historic former post office building in Floral Park, New York was constructed with Treasury Department and Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds in 1936. The building presently serves as the Floral Park Public Library. Postal operations have been moved to a new facility a few hundred feet down Tulip Ave. "Floral Park is a residential community in Nassau County on Long Island, on the eastern edge of New York City. Its population in 1930 was 10,016, and its postal receipts for 1935 were $47,624. The building is 84 by 90 feet in plan and is one story and part basement in height...
  • Library Addition - Kearney NE
    In September 1935, the Kearney City Council voted unanimously to approve plans drawn by Hugh McClure for an addition to the library. The plans, together with an application for Public Works Administration (PWA) funds, were then forwarded to Lincoln for possible approval. To promote the project, the Chamber of Commerce hosted an evening of speakers to educate members of the Chamber on all of the New Deal projects that were being applied for at the time. John G. Lowe, a long-time member of the library board spoke for the library expansion project. Lowe stated that additional space was badly needed,...
  • Library Assistance - Belfast ME
    The 1933 town report mention a C. W. A. Project for the town library, a beautiful classic brick structure built in 1888. "The assistance for approximately twelve weeks of Miss Frances Busse and Miss Doris McMahan made it possible to accomplish some necessary work for which outside aid has been needed for some time. The first project was the moving of the card catalog into a larger cabinet, the old one being outgrown, and in a dilapidated state. As the cards were put into the new case any errors in filing were corrected. The catalog of juvenile books still remains in the...
  • Library Assistance - Harlowton MT
    Among the dozens of WPA projects approved for the state of Montana during July 1938 was $1,651 for "public library assistance" for the town of Harlowton. The details of this project are unknown to Living New Deal at this time.
  • Library Assistance - Murrells Inlet SC
    According to the Georgetown Times in 1962, the WPA provided clerical and other assistance for library programs in Murrells Inlet, SC. Following a relocation, the paper stated, "There will be several persons who will volunteer to check-out the books ... It is to be under the county library service as from the beginning, when the WPA with a local committee had the vision to not only serve them but thought of the future."
  • Library Hall Remodeling - Dexter IA
    The Works Progress Administration remodeled of a two-story brick structure into a one-story library and community hall, 1938-1939. The construction costs were $4,o62 in federal funds and $348 in city funds.
  • Library Improvements - Amherst OH
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) provided labor to undertake numerous municipal improvements in Amherst, Ohio, among which was painting the community's historic library.
  • Library Improvements - Ashland MA
    The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) provided assistance and conducted improvement work at the public library in Ashland, Massachusetts's in 1934. "The assistance of the E.R.A. enabled us to have a good deal of almost necessary work done which we could not have paid for from the regular appropriation. The Library is much improved in consequence." Some E.R.A. workers even rebound books for the library.
  • Library Improvements - Claremont NH
    Annual municipal reports for the early 1930s show that the local library benefited from the CWA in 1933 and from the ERA in 1934. The reports also describe how the local library distributed many books during this period to CCC camps in Concord and elsewhere as well as to hospitals, clubs and schools.
  • Library Improvements - Danville NH
    From a 1938, "REPORT OF THE DANVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY" "During the past year there have been several changes and improvements made in the Library. The walls and ceilings have been repaired and whitened as a part of the W. P. A. project. This greatly improves the appearance of the room, and is much appreciated."
  • Library Improvements - Dover MA
    The federal Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) conducted "much needed repairs" to Dover Massachusetts's town public library building in 1933. Next year the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (F.E.R.A.) regraded the library grounds.
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