Libraries Sites

The O'Connell Library building in East Cambridge, Mass. was constructed as a New Deal project with Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The P.W.A. supplied a $22,500 grant for the project, whose total cost was $50,128. Construction occurred between Oct. 1938 and Aug. 1939. PWA Docket No. MA X1453.

"This structure is the first of the buildings which will ultimately compose the 'Capitol Group' on the plaza which leads to the State capitol. It includes the stack space which occupies the entire central rear portion, the vaults and rooms connected with the library, and also 57,200 square feet of floor space for the offices of various departments of the State government. The stack space is furnished with elevators and a book conveyor. The construction is fireproof and the exterior walls are faced with marble. The building was 98 percent completed in June 1939, the estimated construction cost...

Pennsylvania State University's Pattee Library was one of a dozen buildings constructed on the campus during the Great Depression as part of a massive construction project enabled by the federal Public Works Administration (PWA). The building, which has since been added to, is still in use today.

In December 1936, the Los Angeles Public Library opened an outdoor reading room in the heart of the city. Located in Pershing Square, the reading room was staffed by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers. The library circulated 24,000 books in its first six months of operation. The 1939 WPA guide to Los Angeles alludes to the Pershing Square Reading Room: "The character of the city is also reflected in the facilities for open-air living. Angelenos...patronize outdoor libraries—'parasol stations'—three of which are maintained by the Public Library in downtown plazas and parks" (Kipen, p. 8). The WPA assigned over one hundred men and...

The library on this site was built in the early 1900s and expanded by the WPA in 1939. It was closed and demolished in 1965.

"The city erected the new building which is one and part two stories in height. It contains a reading room for adults, a junior reading room, children's room, reference room, delivery room, workroom, and a librarian's room, as well as the necessary stack space. It is a semifireproof structure with light-colored brick walls elaborately trimmed with terra cotta. The foundation walls and floors are reinforced concrete. The project was completed in December 1935 at a construction cost of $80,019 and a project cost of $100,644."

The Poppenhusen branch of the Queens Library system, located in the College Point neighborhood of Queens, was constructed in the early 1900s. A WPA photo shows the WPA sign and explains that "new copper sheeting for roof is another improvement provided for the College Point Branch of the Queens Library system by the WPA," implying that other improvements were made as well.

The Transylvania County Administration building at 101 South Broad Street in Brevard, North Carolina was originally constructed as a New Deal post office. The post office was one of several similar Federal/Greek Revival-style facilities in western North Carolina. Per The Transylvania Times: "On Aug. 3, 1938 bids were received on 10 sites available in the downtown Brevard. A lot on the corner of Broad and Morgan streets was purchased from Mrs. Beulah Zachary for $4,000 on May 5, 1939. Groundbreaking took place on May 6, 1940. The Post Office began operating from the building in January 1941." "The building served as the...

The historic post office in Henryetta, Oklahoma was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds. The building was constructed in 1935 but no longer serves its original purpose; the building now serves as Henryetta's Public Library.  

"Dedicated by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt in 1941 as Georgia State Women's College Library and officially named for Richard Holmes Powell, the first president of the institution, in 1947. It served as the library for the college for 30 years before Odum Library was constructed. Powell now houses an auditorium, the offices of Career Services, Co-op Education, Testing, Housing, the Counseling Center, and Alcohol and Other Drug Education." (Wikipedia) The building "represented the fifth project designed for the campus by the firm of Edwards and Sawyard. Later, the completed building was dedicated by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1941 ..." (Wikipedia)

The Allenstown Public Library was erected in 1934 by Public Works Administration (PWA) workers at a cost of $13,138.00. This Colonial Revival structure was designed by Harold, Homes, Owen, Inc. The original contract stipulated that the majority of the construction work was to be by hand in order to employ more local workers longer.

In 1936 the National Youth Administration (NYA) constructed the Broken Bow High School building. It was later renovated in order to house the new Broken Bow Public Library which moved into the NYA building in 1990. A cornerstone located to the right of the entrance reads: Broken Bow Youth Center Sponsored by National Youth Adm. and Broken Bow Bd. of Edu. Houston A. Wright State Director, NYA Guy B. Massey, Supt. of School, B.B.O. James L. Womack Const. Engineer, NYA Cecil . Martin Supervisor, NYA

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided funds and labor to construct parts of the library in 1936.

This neoclassical building was completed with funds and labor provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Haleyville, Alabama's historic public library building was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds during the 1930s. The city has utilized the building as the community's library since the post office moved out in 1970. The building also houses a New Deal mural, presently in questionable condition.

"The 1937 building of stuccoed cinderblock represents the successful culmination of the organizing and fundraising efforts of the Julesburg Woman's Club to establish a permanent town library and community meeting facility. The project combined local funds with a grant from the Depression era Works Progress Administration."   (www.historycolorado.org)

Text From the state historical marker reads: Kilgore's first public library opened in 1933 under the direction of two local women's clubs. With funding from the Federal Public Works Administration, support from the city, and labor from the Works Progress Administration, this structure was completed in 1939. Designed in a style reminiscent of cottages in the French province of Normandy, it stands as a visible reminder of Kilgore's depression-era progressivism and continues to serve local citizens. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1990

"The Lockport Public Library project was begun as the result of two generous bequests from citizens of the town. It was carried out with the assistance of municipal and P.W.A. funds . The building is H-shaped in plan and is set back from the street, which provides a small yard in front separated from the street by an iron fence. It contains an entrance hall, 2 reading rooms, exhibit room, stack room, an office for the librarian, cataloging room, and a director's room. In the basement are receiving and stack rooms, the children's room, and an auditorium seating 250. The construction is...

"n 1937 a new library was constructed under the Workers Progress Administration.  An addition was added to the library in the 1960’s. Okemah Public Library is still located in this historic rock building. The library is located by scenic Noble Park with the WPA canal and is one block from Okemah’s middle school. Unique to our library are the two original stone fireplaces that lend a quaint charm to the library’s interior."   (https://www.okemah.okpls.org/) Note: the Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory form lists the date of construction as 1935.

The Rutland Public Library was renovated with the help of Public Works Administration funds. (Docket No. Vt. 1059-DS) The work consisted of installing interior partitions and painting and restoring the architectural details of the façade. The Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted restoration work on the facility as well. "The Rutland Free Library was started in 1886. Originally housed in various storefronts and at the old Memorial Hall on West Street, the library has been located in the old courthouse and jail on Center Street since the 1930s."   (https://rutlandfree.org) In the 1935 town report, the mayor Henry H. Branchaud said: "Taking the PWA projects voted...

Fort Worth's first library opened in 1901 thanks to a $50,000 donation from wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. By the late 1920's the need for additional space became critical, but a bond issue for a larger library failed. When funds became available through the Public Works Administration in 1933, library supporters pushed to secure money for a new building. After years of wrangling with the city council and the PWA, the Carnegie Library was demolished, and the new library project was completed in June 1939 at a construction cost of $370,688 and a project cost of $390,861. A new central library opened...

The library was completed in 1936 with funds provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It has since been demolished.

After the Ohio River flood, in 1937 the Lawrenceburg public library—along with libraries in Aurora, Jeffersonville, and New Albany—were furnished with materials and labor by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in order to get facilities back in “good condition.” This library has been demolished.

The public library building in Upper Marlboro used to be the town Post Office, built in 1936 – one of  1,100 post offices built by the U.S. Treasury Department as part of the New Deal.  Today, it serves as the Upper Marlboro branch of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System.  The building is a good example of  the Colonial Revival style of architecture used often in the eastern states under Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect for the Treasury Department.  A large mural painted for the post office by local artist Mitchell Jamieson still hangs on its interior west wall. 

On April 26, 1933, the City of Jacksonville issued a charter to the Jacksonville Library Association to reestablish the Jacksonville Public Library, which had closed in the mid 1920s. The City Commission granted use of space vacated by removal of the Jacksonville Building & Loan Association to its new location, and on July 10, 1933, there was once again a Jacksonville Public Library. In 1936, by vote of the people of Jacksonville, the library became city-supported. On October 11, 1939, citizens passed a bond package for sufficient expenditures to build a public library and also granted permission for it to be...

The historic former public library building at 206 W 6th Street in Stillwater, Oklahoma was built by a Public Works Administration (PWA) grant funds in 1938. A two-story brick, hipped roof building, the library was built in colonial revival style. Most of the interior has changed over the years, but the outer construction is still unaltered. At the time of the visit, the now-privately-owned building was for sale and listed on multiple realtor websites. The cornerstone shows it was built by Federal Emergency Administration of Public Work Project No. Okla. 1095 DS R.W. Shaw Architect Dennehy Const Co. Builders. Agencies: PWA The library website has...

The Works Progress Administration built a library in Yale, OK in 1938. Contributor note: "This building screams 'WPA' so we had to climb the stairs and investigate. Sure enough, there was the iconic bronze shield showing WPA 1938 at the top of the stairs. This is a two-story native stone building which faces West onto South "B" Street. Its main entrance faces west at the end of a walkway that has stone side walls. The windows on the ground level are all boarded. On the north side, a stone walkway leads to a set of stone stairs leading to the back of the second...

The federal Work Projects Administration worked to improve New Rochelle's, New York's former Main Library (funded by Andrew Carnegie, opened 1914, and extended during the 1920s) during the 1930s. The library, which was used as such until 1983, is located at the southwest corner of Main St. and Pintard Ave. The building still stands, though it is now privately owned. 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...

The library was built in 1904. It was repaired by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) after the Ohio River flood in 1937. By 1938, the library was re-opened to the public with flood damage reconditioning work by the WPA. The building has been altered by replacement windows, a north elevator addition, and replacement doors. The building has been restored recently and has had some stones and parts of stones replaced. The interior is mostly new to accommodate the special collections foundation that was the building''s tenant until recently. The building is presently vacant and looking for a new tenant.

"Library additions were also constructed," by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) "such as the expansion of the Williston and Mandan Public Libraries ..." The exact location and status of the project in question is unknown to Living New Deal.

The public library in Mount Vernon, New York was expanded with a new addition during the 1930s, aided by federal Public Works Administration funds. The library is still in use today. The addition is located at the S. 2nd Avenue side of the building. PWA Docket No. NY 6504-D.

After the Ohio River Flood, the public library in Aurora—along with libraries in  Jeffersonville, Lawrenceville, and New Albany—were furnished with materials and labor to get facilities back in “good condition.” These were provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937.

Works Progress Administration (WPA) library construction projects in North Dakota included "work on the Dickinson Carnegie Library." That facility still forms part of the Dickinson Area Public Library complex.

After the Ohio River flood in 1937, the public library in New Albany—along with libraries in Aurora, Jeffersonville, and Lawrenceburg—was refurbished by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which provided materials and labor to get facilities back in “good condition.”

The "Flemish Revival" style Astoria branch of the Queens Borough Public Library was constructed in 1904, but heavily renovated by the CWA in the 1930s: "The angled corner was squared off, which created two new windows and made the structure three bays wide, two bays deep, and more rectangular.  The original saffron brick pattern and tripartite window designs were carefully replicated in the new corner walls.  A new stairway and main entrance were constructed, with narrow windows with stone sills and keystones on either side of the door.  A basement entrance for children was created and the basement windows were widened. ...

"The Rapid City Carnegie Library was constructed in 1915 at what is now 700 Kansas City Street. The library became part of the WPA legacy when workers carefully constructed matching extensions on each side of the central portion. Completed in 1938, the slightly recessed additions used the same yellow limestone that constituted the original structure and two window bays were added to each side. Pilasters and columns completed the corners of the extensions and complimented the rows of small windows that were located above the bookcases on the inside walls. Vacated after the completion of a new public library in...

The extension of the Richmond Hill branch library in Queens was undertaken as a sponsored federal WPA project during the 1930s.

A set of alterations to the branch library in Ridgewood, New York was undertaken as a sponsored federal WPA project during the 1930s.

Formerly named the Rockville Academy, this building now houses a private business. The current building replaced an even older building in 1890. It was remodeled by the WPA in 1935, when it was turned from the Rockville elementary school into a Library Association building.

The Work Projects Administration (W.P.A.) conducted improvement work at Maynard's former Roosevelt School—now the town's public library—in 1941. All school buildings in the town "on the exterior have been completely renovated by having the windows weather stripped, puttied and painted. The interior... are now being repaired with W.P.A. labor by installing new celotex ceilings where needed, replacing plaster ceilings that were beyond repairs, having the hallways, classrooms washed and painted. These repairs have added consiterabl to the appearance of our school buildings."