Education and Health Sites

In 1937, architects McClure and Walker of Kearney were hired to draw plans for a new men’s dormitory on the campus of the Kearney State Teachers College. Planned to house 120 to 140 men, the brick building was planned to be three stories tall, 155 feet long and 77 feet wide. In addition to a large cafeteria and dining hall, which would make up one arm of the first floor of the U-shaped building, the building would include between 60 and 72 sleeping rooms, most of them doubles. A large reception room on the first floor and smaller living rooms...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed work at the Menard Elementary School in Menard. At the site, there are two WPA markers that contain the same information—"Works Progress Administration 1938-1940." One of the structures is a school building and the other is a gymnasium; one plaque resides by the entrance to each. There has been extensive modernization to the entrances and they now have a new metal roof. A rock wall surrounds the perimeter of the property, but there is no WPA marker on the wall.

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Mendon School in Mendon, Cache County, in 1935. The building had four classrooms, and it was part of a larger effort to modernize schools across the United States. The school was designed by the architecture firm K.C. Schaub of Logan, Utah. The contractor of record was Tolboe & Lichfield of Provo, Utah. The school was demolished on October 7, 1991.  

In 1934, the Public Works Administration (PWA) approved a loan of $4.2 million for a school building program in Fort Worth. Rufino Mendoza Elementary School (then called Denver Avenue Elementary School), built in 1910, received a new auditorium wing between 1935 and 1936. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) under the direction of Hare and Hare of Kansas City landscaped the school grounds from 1935 to 1937.

Menlo Avenue Elementary School, which opened in 1913, 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 the board agrees with...

Kent, Washington's Meridian Elementary School was originally constructed as a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project beginning in 1937. "Adding one more to the list of schools being built in the State of Washington by the Works Progress Administration, state administrator Don G. Abel, today announced a $80,211 school building and garage for children of the Meridian School near Kent, Washington. The school district is providing $31,620 of the total account, for materials. The project, scheduled to get under way by November 22, calls for the construction of a one-story tile and concrete building and a separate garage to house the...

The "Stripped Classic, Art Moderne" (Mississippi Department of Archives and History) 2 story brick with limestone trim building was completed for a construction cost of $591,489 and project cost of $688,195 (Short & Stanley-Brown, 1939, p. 216). The project also included a separate gym, which was converted into a library in 1964, and Ray Stadium, the adjoining sports field. The school is still a functioning high school. From contributor Susan Allen: Ray Stadium features "two steel-reinforced concrete stadium bleachers facing each other are set in a man-made slope. The bleachers are supported at the rear by concrete columns attached with segmental...

In 1938, the Public Works Administration (PWA) completed additions to the existing 1920 school and constructed a new gymnasium for the Merigold Public Schools.  Both buildings have been demolished.

This monument marks the spot where the explorer Meriwether Lewis (of the Lewis and Clark duo) died as he was traveling along what later became part of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The site had been marked as early as 1848. "In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration and CCC workers camped at the site built a cabin museum a few feet southwest of the Grinder's Stand site . While their original objective was to duplicate the design of Grinder's Stand, no reliable description could be located." (wikipedia)

Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (FEAPW) workers built this elementary school together with the nearby Elim Elementary and the Lander Gym which was part of the Hilmar Union High School. The Merquin School was built in 1938, two years after the other projects, "as a special emergency public works project."  

Merritt Middle School was built in 1942-43 with funding by Public Works Adminstration (PWA) (part of the Federal Works Agency) to the DC Commissioners for the Board of Education.  It is unknown if the district government paid a portion from its own funds. The school closed in 2009 and the site has been retrofitted as a district police headquarters.   The look of the present building – 1960s brutalism – suggests that the school had been rebuilt since the New Deal.

The structure originally built as the Lehi School Auditorium in northern Mesa, Arizona was constructed as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1936. Located on the east side of N Horne south of Lehi Rd., the building is now part of the Mesa Historical Museum Annex complex. Waymarking.com: "In 1936, a WPA project added an auditorium to the Lehi School on Horne and East Lehi Road. It was so well built that it was designated as the community bomb shelter during the cold war. Further, when the building was no longer needed, due to its sturdy construction, it would have...

Multiple websites report an unusual WPA project that took place in rural Texas: "Archeological digs employed WPA labor, including excavation at the site of the Odessa meteor crater in Ector County, Texas." (Marist) "nterest swelled after a theory was put forth that the meteor responsible for the impact was more than 500 feet wide and was very likely buried beneath the surface. In 1939, the state, the county, the University of Texas and the Works Progress Administration combined forces to locate the specimen." (Weird U.S.) "To explore the Odessa meteor crater, WPA crews constructed an 8' by 12' wooden lined shaft 165 feet...

The WPA allocated $12,100.41 in 1935 to assist with miscellaneous repairs to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The New York Times reported in Sept. 1935: "A shooting gallery to make the guards more proficient in the use of firearms is only one of the many improvements at the Metropolitan Museum of Art begun within the last two months with WPA funds ..." The WPA also washed the building's exterior, in addition to "pointing up brick and stone masonry and washing it down with muriatic acid." They also constructed what was known as Gallery E-15. Inside they washed the building and undertook "masonry...

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of facilities for the Mexico School in Mexico, NY. Excerpt from the Mexico Academy & Central School District, Mexico High School History: "On June 19, 1937, the cornerstone was laid for the new $500,000 high school building. The architect for the project was Mr. Harold Fullerton from Albany and the project was administered through the Public Works Administration . The building is of Georgian Colonial style and was built to house 1500 students and last for 150 years. Substantial materials besides the brick exterior include terrazzo flooring, marble, and brass. Additionally, the original building library is...

Originally constructed as a high school, what is now Micaville Elementary School was built in 1936* with assistance from the Works Progress Administration (WPA); it was one of five schools built by the WPA in Yancey County, North Carolina. * While one source cites 1938, an inscription on the building states 1936.

Micheltorena Street Elementary School, which opened in 1905, 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 the board agrees with...

"The I-shaped plan of Abbot Hall was designed as part of a four-dorm complex for male students, including its partner Mason Hall as well as Synder-Phillips residences. Shared common areas including the kitchen and bakery were originally built to link Abbot to Mason Hall. However, in 1958 renovations to basement corridors were completed to allow residents to walk from one hall to the next. Created as the residential complement to the female dormitories in the West Circle Complex, Abbot Hall is similarly Collegiate Gothic in style. The building, named after Theophilus C. Abbot, the third president of the University, features...

"In 1938 the Public Works Administration allocated more than $500,000 toward the final cost of $1,025,000 for an auditorium to accommodate the academic and cultural activities of the growing MSU student body. Designed by O.J. Munson, the Gothic-inspired pointed arches and lancet windows on the entrance facade, and oak paneling, chandeliers, and white marble flooring of the lobby interior, reflect a desire for an elaborate structure to suit its cultural purpose. The limestone spandrels of the three identical entry portals are decorated with images of comedy, tragedy, musical instruments, and vines. Munson’s building houses two theaters, the large Auditorium at the...

"Designed by O. J. Munson and funded by the WPA/ FAP and a gift from the Class of 1937, the Band Shell was located where Bessey Hall now stands (see map). As captured in this 1954 photograph of a performance of the Michigan State College Band, the open-air stage was frequently used for musical performances as well as commencement ceremonies and pep rallies."

"Partially funded by the PWA, Campbell Hall is part of a complex of six residence halls originally for women. It was named after Louise H. Campbell, a state home demonstration leader from 1920 to 1930. The Tudor-style design, with its high-pitched gabled roofs, metal casement windows, slate roof, and Renaissance detailing, recalls medieval estates."

"In 1938 PWA funds were secured to expand the Veterinary Clinic, erected in 1913 on the southeast corner of Farm Lane and East Circle Drive. Designed by the Bowd-Munson architectural firm, the addition blended well with the Collegiate Gothic style of the existing structure. In 1952, a Veterinary Clinic added, joining the Department of Anatomy and Animal Pathology to form Giltner Hall. This building honors former professor and Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Ward Giltner (1882 – 1950) and houses scientific laboratories and classrooms."

"The estate of alumnus Frederick Cowles Jenison and the PWA funded this building, originally designed to house male athletic activities. Characteristic of early 1940s architecture, the horizontal and vertical elements culminate in a monumental entrance, accentuated by low reliefs. From left to right, these glass-brick limestone reliefs depict basketball, football, and baseball athletes. The main entrance hall is embellished with Art Deco details from the brass and wood staircase railing to the streamlined, geometric lighting in the foyer and main lobby."

"The hipped roof, limestone trim and simple design of the PWA-funded Music Building complement the Collegiate Gothic and other architectural styles of this historic section of campus. The large, metal-framed windows, however, allude to future stylistic developments. Samuel Cashwan, supervisor of the Michigan Sculpture Program for the WPA, designed the Art Deco limestone reliefs framing the southwest entrance. They depict images of dance and performance, such as children dancing to the beat of drums."

"This PWA building by architect Ralph R. Calder, built in memory of Richard M. Olin, M.D., was considered “modern in every detail.” Although additions to the building were made in 1956 and 1969, the bulky massing, textural variety, and minimalist limestone trim distinguish this building from others nearby. Samuel Cashwan designed the twelve symbolic reliefs that frame the main entryway. He chose the fitting subject of the healing arts, framing the building’s name with two Greek goddesses of health, Panacea and Hygeia. The two pilasters display themes from modern medicine. On the left, in descending order, they are “Medical Magic,”...

"Although the original structure of the MSU Union, built in 1924 by Pond and Pond, was not government sponsored, in 1936 $150,000 was secured in WPA funds to add the east wing. The Michigan architectural firm Bowd-Munson completed this addition."

Designed by Robert R. Graham of Middletown, NY, Tupper Lake, New York's then-high school was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration funds during the 1930s (PWA Docket No. 6423). It is possible this project consisted of just the school's auditorium; further research is needed to clarify this point.

The Middle Intervale School was one of several schools that were improved with Civil Works Administration (CWA) funds in Bethel. The work consisted of painting the interior and exterior of the building, and the labor was paid for the most part with CWA funds. The CWA expenditure was $1236.00 for all school improvements in Bethel. The exact location and condition of this facility are unknown to the Living New Deal. Excerpt from the Annual Reports of the Officers of the Town of Bethel: "1933 Superintendent of Schools Through the funds furnished by the Civil Works Administration milk has been provided each school day to meet...

Catskill, New York's middle school was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration funds during the 1930s (Docket No. NY 1173). The building was originally known as the Union Free School. Today the building is part of an expanded education complex that includes Catskill's high school.

Lawrence Middle School in Lawrence, New York was originally constructed as the town's high school during the 1930s. The project was aided by federal Public Works Administration funds (PWA Docket No. NY 2724). The building replaced an old high school on Central Avenue. According to PWA documents at the National Archives the building "is located on an 11-acre site with a 500' frontage on the main thoroughfare of Lawrence ." "The red face brick walls have a limestone base and are trimmed with limestone and wood. Exterior doors and windows are wood and the roof is slate. The building is rectangular...

Marcellus, New York's Chester S. Driver Middle School was originally constructed as the Central Grade and High School during the 1930s. The project's construction was aided by federal Public Works Administration funds (PWA Docket No. NY 1159-R).

The Morgan Middle School contains a building that was formerly named the Morgan High School Mechanical Arts Building.  A new high school was built one block east of this site, but the Morgan Middle School still uses the building. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the building in 1936 as part of a $155,000 Public Works Administration (PWA) building program in the Morgan County School District.  Also included in the project was the construction of the Morgan Elementary School and extensive remodeling at Morgan High School. The architects of the building are not known for certain but are likely Scott & Welch...

The PWA provided funding for the construction of a new high school in Sidney, MT -- now the town's middle school. "The loan and grant to school district No. 5, Sidney, Mont., is for construction of a three-story, fire proof high school building to accommodate 300 students. ... The PWA estimated work can start in one month, giving approximately 65 men employment for six months."

What is now the Virginia City Middle School was an educational facility constructed between April and September 1936 as part of a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project. The building replaced the historic 1876 Fourth Ward School (now a museum). The New Deal middle school has since been altered and features a newer addition to the original structure. The PWA provided a grant of $14,727 for the school's construction; the project cost $34,727 in all. (PWA Docket No. NV 1016)

The PWA constructed a large gymnasium, auditorium, and additional classroom space with entry hall at Knob Noster Middle School in 1939, at a cost of $40,296.

The Works Progress Administration built the Middleberg School in Middleberg OK. Contributor note: "This school was constructed by the WPA in 1938 with an appropriation of $9,000. It is located on Old Highway 62 in Middleberg on the public school campus. The building is rectangular, one-story with a gabled roof. The building has been covered with what appears to be concrete slab veneer. The double windows have been updated and now consist of two-pane fixed units. The building is painted white and has a metal roof facade. The main entrance has two glass doors recessed within a brick arched porch, with the name...

The Works Progress Administration completed an addition for the Middlefield High in Middlefield CT, circa 1937. The exact location and condition of this facility are unknown to the Living New Deal.

Middleton Street Elementary School, which opened in 1932, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) between 1934 and 1935. The school appears to have been rebuilt yet again in the 1950s or 60s, although the PWA auditorium may remain—confirmation is needed. 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,...

"Located in the rural area of Midlothian, southwest of Chandler, (from the intersection of Hwys 66/18, south on Hwy 18 4 miles, then West 2.25 miles on Midlothian Road (CR950), this two-room schoolhouse was constructed by the WPA in 1936-1937. It is a one-story rectangular building with a double gabled roof, and native sandstone walls. The entrances on the south and west have a typical WPA arched entrance, sheltering single doors. The windows throughout have been boarded with wood and painted a rust color. Behind this boarding on the east side is a row of ribbon windows in each classroom....

Under project number 665-66-2-153, the Works Progress Administration (renamed the Works Projects Administration by the time the project finished) built a new school in Milano, Texas between 1938 and 1940. The school had eleven classrooms and a combination auditorium and gymnasium. Per the Austin American Statesman: "Milam county received a WPA allotment of $43,098, and will match it with $38,578, employing 100 workers, to construct a new school building at Milano with 12 classrooms and gymnasium."