Education and Health Sites

In 1934 additions to Jefferson Elementary in Shawnee, Oklahoma were built with the support of the Federal Public Works Administration (PWA). The building's cornerstone that is located to the left of the entrance says that this construction project was the first Federal Public Works project in Oklahoma. The additions included an auditorium and more classrooms. These were much needed add-ons to the one-story building that had been hastily constructed on the site of the original Jefferson Elementary in order to replace the one that had been built in 1904 but had been destroyed by a tornado in 1924. A catalogue of Pottawatomie news...

In October 1942, the Washington Post reported the allocation of $19,627 to the Federal Works Agency (FWA) for new construction and improvements at the Jefferson Recreation Center adjacent to Jefferson Middle School in the city's southwest quadrant.  In a previous article in July 1942, the paper reported the allocation of five acres for a Southwest Sports Area at the same site, which must have become the Jefferson Recreation Center.  The site is now called simply "Jefferson Field".  Jefferson Field includes a baseball diamond, soccer field and tennis courts, plus what appears to be the original field house (with a modern ramp).  The Jefferson...

Collaborating with the Portland Public Schools, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a 1000 seat stadium for Jefferson High School in the summer of 1941.  The $14,000 project (1941 dollars) consists of an uncovered structure with restroom and concession facilities built in the rear.  The Oregonian, Portland’s morning newspaper, noted when the stadium structure was dedicated in October 1941 that the adjacent athletic field was also a WPA project, completed over the previous two years. Jefferson High School is notable as the high school of the historic African American community of north Portland.  Also worth noting is the 'mascot' of the...

The 16-story Jefferson Hospital was completed in 1940 and opened in February 1941. Financed with a PWA grant and Reconstruction Finance Loans, the 575-bed hospital had 11 operating rooms, maternity section and all-electric kitchens. It was renamed Jefferson Tower in 1979 and is part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center.

Notes: The Jefferson Junior High Auditorium was Federal Public Works Project N. 3701, erected in 1934. It is a multi-use Auditorium for stage productions and sporting events, particularly basketball. The seating was replaced within the last 10 years, but there have been very few other changes to the physical structure of the building which is currently in active use by the Columbia Public Schools.

Jefferson Leadership Academy (formerly Jefferson Junior High School) was rebuilt with New Deal funding after the original structure was destroyed in the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. Designed by Warren Dedrick in WPA/PWA Moderne style, the academic and arts/sciences buildings were constructed in 1934; the shop building in 1935; and the boy’s and girl's physical education buildings, library, and cafeteria in 1936. The 1933 earthquake destroyed hundreds of schools throughout Southern California. “On August 29, 1933, Long Beach citizens approved a $4,930,000 bond measure for the rebuilding of schools. Applications for approximately thirty-five schools were filed with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and...

The PWA constructed this school in 1938. It was a well-maintained large school project ($358,000 total for both this and the Garfield School) that is currently in use as Jefferson Elementary School. The school it is located on the north side of St. Louis, just south of Interstate 70 in a tree-lined residential area.

Jefferson Elementary school is one of three built by the WPA. Contributor note: "Jefferson Elementary School is located at 500 E. Garvin at the corner of S. Cherry Street. This is a one-story L-shaped school with a flat roof, capped with Spanish tile. Red metal siding has been added to the upper walls, with a shallow gable roof. The windows are three-pane set in singles, doubles and triples. On the west side of the school, there are two brick bay window units with tile roofs. A 1-1/2 story brick tower is located at the northwest corner, which has a tile pyramid roof...

Jenkintown, Pennsylvania's historic Jenkintown Elementary School was constructed with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $101,899 grant for the project, whose total cost was $226,893. Construction occurred between December 1935 and November 1936. PWA Docket No. PA 1007

Jennings High School is a single story school constructed in 1941, possibly by the WPA. It is still in use, but has been significantly added onto since its construction.

The New Deal Public Works Administration (PWA) constructed this school building for the community of Jermyn in 1936 at a cost of $50,000.  The project was supervised by W. J. Walker, PWA engineer, and completed by Gurley Construction Company. The school is no longer extant, though the exact date of demolition is unknown.  The entrance doorway and slab foundation remain.

The old Jersey City Medical Center complex along Montgomery Avenue was constructed in stages beginning in 1928. Several buildings at the facility were constructed as part of federal Public Works Administration projects during the Great Depression. NJCU.edu: "After its completion in 1941, the Medical Center was the third largest health care facility in the world." Medical institutions including the B.S. Pollak Hospital and Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital contributed to the larger Jersey City Medical Center complex. The buildings that contributed to the Medical Center have all since been re-purposed; most are now privately owned and used for housing, with the...

The massive Building 'C' of the old Jersey City Medical Center complex was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds during the Great Depression. The building, which mirrored the center's primary Medical Building (and to which it was connected with a four-story wing), housed administrative offices, a general hospital and kitchen facilities. It abuts Beacon Way within the larger medical Center complex and possesses some Deco ornamentation. Building 'C' was constructed ca. 1938-1941. It now serves as part of the privately-owned Beacon residential complex.

The massive Health Services Building of the old Jersey City Medical Center complex was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds during the Great Depression. The building, whose former main entrance faces Baldwin Avenue along the west end of the old Medical Center, is 18 stories tall, possesses Deco motifs, and was connected to other buildings on the campus with wings. The Health Services Building possesses a 1936 cornerstone and was completed in 1938. The building now serves as part of the privately-owned Beacon residential complex.

The massive Medical Building of the old Jersey City Medical Center complex was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds during the Great Depression. The building, which faces Baldwin Avenue in the northwest corner of the Medical Center grounds, served as the primary entrance and lobby for the complex. The building possesses a 1936 cornerstone and was completed in 1938. The building possesses many Deco motifs and is connected to two other buildings on the complex with wings (one five stories tall). A cascading retaining pool lies in front of the building's old main entrance, which finishes with...

Murdoch Hall, part of the old Jersey City Medical Center complex, was constructed with the provision of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Constructed between 1940 and 1941, the Art Moderne-style building originally served as a nurses' residence, became a county-run healthcare facility, and is now privately owned. Further architectural description can be found in the National Register of Historic Places nomination form cited below.

The Works Progress Administration built a new school in Jessieville for the Jessieville School District No. 45, Garland County. The new school was called Rock School and was built on land donated by the US Forest Service. Construction was completed on July 19, 1936, in time for the beginning of the school year. Enrollment was 180 students. The project cost the District $6,092.18. The WPA provided the labor and 20% of materials.

Jewish Memorial Hospital, no longer extant, was constructed with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds during the 1930s. Located at the northeast corner of Broadway and 196th Street, the hospital closed in 1983 and the Art Deco facility has since been demolished.

Originally a high school, Junior High School 113 ("Richard R. Green", formerly Olinville Junior High) was constructed during the 1930s with Public Works Administration funds. The project was PWA Docket No. NY 1180.

The historic former Joaquin Elementary School in Provo, Utah was a New Deal project constructed with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds during the late years of the Great Depression. The building has since been demolished.

In 1935, the Works Project Administration (WPA) completed construction of a new Streamline Moderne–style campus for John Adams Junior High School (today's John Adams Middle School) in Santa Monica, CA. The original 1913 John Adams campus at Los Amigos Park was one of four Santa Monica schools demolished after suffering severe damage in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. System-wide renovations cost $3 million dollars.

John Bartram High School was constructed as a New Deal project in 1937-8. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $1,001,700 grant for the project, whose total cost was $2,385,307. PWA Docket No. PA 1562-1 Wikipedia: "On February 5, 1939, John Bartram High School, located at the intersection of 67th Street and Elmwood Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia, opened for the first time to 1,700 students. According to a history of the school published on its 50th anniversary, the school was originally planned to be built at 74th Street and Dicks Avenue, but the site was changed before construction started. It was...

This addition to what is now John Bassett Moore Intermediate School was built with assistance from the WPA.

John Burroughs Middle School (formerly Junior High School), which opened in 1924, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) between 1934 and 1935. In January 1934, the PWA allocated $9,380,000 to the Los Angeles Unified School District for the rehabilitation of schools damaged in the severe 1933 Long Beach earthquake.  One hundred and thirty schools would benefit from the system-wide loan and grant, with 2,500 men to be employed in rehabilitation work over 21 months. Upon receiving news of the PWA allocation, Board of Education member Arthur Eckman told the Los Angeles Times, “I am sure that every member of...

John C. Fremont High School, which opened in 1924, was renovated with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) between 1934 and 1935. In January 1934, the PWA allocated $9,380,000 to the Los Angeles Unified School District for the rehabilitation of schools damaged in the severe 1933 Long Beach earthquake.  One hundred and thirty schools would benefit from the system-wide loan and grant, with 2,500 men to be employed in rehabilitation work over 21 months. Upon receiving news of the PWA allocation, Board of Education member Arthur Eckman told the Los Angeles Times, “I am sure that every member of the board agrees...

The Public Works Administration (WPA) rebuilt the John C. Fremont High School in the years 1938-1939. The original John C. Fremont School was  built in 1901. In 1911, it served as an elementary school. Then in 1933, the school was severely damaged in the Long Beach Earthquake. This damaged version of the school was demolished in 1937 for the WPA project.  The school was named "for the California explorer, soldier, and presidential candidate of 1856." During the construction of the main building for John C. Fremont High School, there were two additional construction projects. One of the projects was a shop building...

As part of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), Arthur Ames completed two oil on gesso murals for the John C. Fremont School in Anaheim, California. They were painted for the entrance hall for the school auditorium. The original mural was 14 feet by 87 feet. The mural depicts a man, presumably a school teacher, surrounded by school children. The original murals are presumed to have been lost when the school building was redeveloped in the 1970s. The school closed because of high upkeep costs and low attendance. A housing tract was built.  A black and white image of one of the...

In 1936, the PWA built Damel Hall, named after John W Damel, who taught at Lincoln University for more than 40 years. Damel Hall was built to house the “Mechanics Arts Department” and currently houses computer sciences and other technology specialties.

New Deal funds built the John G. Carlisle School in 1937. In 1992, it was demolished and a new school was built in its place.

The John Gaston Hospital was constructed during the Great Depression in Memphis, Tennessee with the assistance of funds provided by the Public Works Administration (PWA). "With the Gaston inheritance, $300,000 from the city , $100,000 from the county , and a grant from the Public Works Administration, the Memphis City Hospital generated $800,000" (Regional One Health). The new Gaston Hospital was opened in 1936 to replace the Memphis General Hospital, and demolished in 1990 in order to expand the newer facilities of the Regional One Health Medical Center.

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.

In 1933 the federal "Public Works Administration pledged grant of $1,490,000 for erection of new John Marshall High School." The school (also known as Al City High School), which was completed in 1936, is still in use.

John Marshall High School is an iconic building in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles. Walt Disney and his family lived across the street from the "Collegiate Gothic" structure, and from 1927-1940 operated his Disney Studios and Animation School just one block away (Marshall High is the brick building visible in the background at center in this picture of the original Disney Animation Studio, c. 1939). At the same time Disney was producing his most well-known cartoons and films, WPA laborers were down the street installing Marshall High's concrete bleachers and pavillion, which are still used by students today. These WPA-built bleachers and...

This was 1 of 27 schools in the Pasadena CA school system that the New Deal was involved in demolishing, rebuilding, or re-inforcing after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. The school was originally built in 1925, but was badly damaged in 1933. Reconstruction was delayed to intermittent funding by federal grants that were supplied in November 1934, February 1937, & June 1939. With funding from the Works Progress Administration, the John Marshall School was finally completed in 1940.  

John Marshall School was completed in 1939 and dedicated January 9, 1940. The school was named in honor of John Marshall, the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The builder was Armagost and Son Construction Company in cooperation with the Public Works Administration. There were nine classrooms, an auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria, art room, music room, shop and two home economics rooms. A small library was located on the first floor with a part-time librarian provided by the City Library. C.E. Strange was the first principal. The staff included 15 teachers, a part-time librarian, a visiting teacher who spent part...

John Muir Elementary School, the largest school in Merced at the time, was improved with WPA funds. There is also still a WPA stamp on the sidewalk in front of the school.

Three 15' x 7.5' frescoes by David Park on the themes "Art," "Civilization," and "Nature." The frescoes surround the main entrance. The murals were done as part of the Public Works of Art Program (then funded by the CWA).

John Muir Middle School (formerly Junior High School), which opened in 1922, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) between 1934 and 1935. In January 1934, the PWA allocated $9,380,000 to the Los Angeles Unified School District for the rehabilitation of schools damaged in the severe 1933 Long Beach earthquake.  One hundred and thirty schools would benefit from the system-wide loan and grant, with 2,500 men to be employed in rehabilitation work over 21 months. Upon receiving news of the PWA allocation, Board of Education member Arthur Eckman told the Los Angeles Times, “I am sure that every member of...

Originally the City-County Hospital, this facility was constructed in Fort Worth, Texas in 1938-1939 in a design that reflected both Classical Moderne and Streamlined Moderne styles. Fort Worth architect Wiley G. Clarkson designed the building and the general contractor was Gurley Construction Company. It had a 185-bed capacity, with an isolation section for communicable diseases with 20 additional beds. It also had three air-conditioned operating rooms, a laundry, pharmacy, and X-ray room. Built during the era of segregation, it had separate entrances for whites and blacks on the front of the building. The cost of the PWA-funded facility was $475,000 (Project...

The plaque on the front of the John Twohig house gives a brief glimpse into the interesting history of this house which was moved by the WPA to its current location on the grounds of the Witte Museum: “In 1841, John Twohig – a San Antonio pioneer, Texas patriot, and prosperous merchant – erected this house on a site which was part of the Veramendi Palace within a curving bend on the San Antonio River at St. Mary’s and Commerce streets. Mr. Twohig’s house was unique in the community since few buildings in this area at that time could boast a...