Education and Health Sites

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed the grounds of Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Georgia ca. 1936.

Text on a historical marker at the school reads: "In 1880, two years before the City of Gainesville created a public school system for all its children, Island Sparks, a young Mulatto, taught the black children of the city. In 1886, the city built a frame school building on this site for the community's black youth. Originally known as the Gainesville Colored School, the school adopted the name Booker T. Washington sometime before 1927. The original two-story facility was replaced in 1939 with a red brick, WPA project structure. Desegregation in 1965-66 resulted in the closing of Booker T. Washington as...

West Virginia University's Boreman Hall was constructed between May 1934 and October 1935 with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a loan of $446,080 and a grant of $179,876 for the project, whose total cost was $632,996. Originally known as the Men's Dorm, Boreman Hall is still in service. Construction of Boreman Hall is sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (WPA). PWA Docket No. WV 485

In June 1938 the PWA approved an $8,181 grant toward the construction of Borger High School's football stadium. However, due to delays in obtaining the grant the stadium had been already built. "The school board undoubtedly will seek to keep the money to make improvements on the stadium and increase the seating capacity," the Borger Daily Herald stated. The stadium was then two blocks north of the high school. Presently, the school system's football facilities are located at Johnson Park.

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

In a state-wide program to renovate and improve Mississippi institutions, the State Tuberculosis Hospital, using relief labor and ERA funding, carried out extensive painting and repairs and improvements in 1934-1935. $23,844.80 was expended on interior, exterior painting, floor refinishing, plastering, and new construction. Buildings improved included the two infirmary buildings, six smaller buildings including convalescent wards, nurses home, doctors apartments, staff residences, Preventorium, and service building. The carpenter shop, dairy barn, laying houses, and brooder were constructed. The Preventorium and some residences are still extant, but most other buildings have been demolished. The remaining buildings are used as the Boswell...

Constructed by the WPA, the "building known today as the Boulder Community Center was constructed in 1939 as the third Boulder school. An addition built around 1950 gave the school its present appearance and added two additional classrooms and indoor plumbing. The school was used for sixteen more years, after which time the School Board decided that local children would be bused to Pinedale schools instead. The Boulder School was closed in 1966."

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded a beautiful new high school for the city of Boulder in 1936-37, replacing an obsolete structure built in 1895. The project cost $550,500.  The school's design is Streamline Moderne (Art Deco) and one of the architects was Glen Huntington, the builder of the noted Art Deco Boulder County Courthouse (which is not a New Deal structure). The exterior facade is done in the same local "Colorado Red" stone as buildings on the University of Colorado campus. The original interior of the auditorium is intact and probably the cafeteria, as well, along with many of the details,...

This eight room frame building was constructed by the National Youth Administration for use by African American students in the segregated school system of Tate County, near the town of Senatobia, Mississippi. It was completed in 1938, replacing the one room shack previously used by the district.   W.P. 4656, Application # 115: (1937-38); NYA. I-A1-69" (Series 2018)

Contributor note: "Bowers School is located about six miles west of Wilburton off Highway 270. This is a two-room school about 28 x 68 ft. constructed of cut and coursed native sandstone, which is now painted a sand color. It is currently used as a community center, and used by the West End Fire Department, who have an additional metal vehicle building nearby. The school faces west and has a two-door entrance recessed beneath a porch gable roof, supported by four beams. The school roof is gabled and now covered with metal siding. Windows on the front are boarded, but the...

"In Brigham City, the PWA sponsored another public building, the Box Elder High School Gymnasium. This was a more ambitious project, one of twenty Utah school gymnasiums built during the 1930s. Of red brick, the building cost $106,000. Its construction provided work not just for Brigham City laborers but for the Joseph Nelson architectural firm, an Idaho general contractor, a city building inspector, a Utah plumbing/heating/ventilating contractor, and a roofing/sheet metal specialist. The design, acceptable for the time, provided for two gyms: a 7,000-square-foot boys' gym with seating for 1,000 and a girls' gym one-fourth that size. There was also a...

The Civil Works Administration built perimeter rock and concrete walls around the Boyce Street School, a public elementary school. Currently, the site is a public park and playground.

A large allocation of WPA funds for school construction and improvement projects for the state of Montana was issued in late 1938. Among the construction provided for was a new school building in Boyes, Montana. The location and status of this structure is unknown to Living New Deal. The allocation for the building appears on Montana WPA Roll 25 under project number 665-91-2-62.

Brackenridge Hall was completed in 1916. A fourth floor was constructed during the 1930s with federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The building, since demolished, has since been replaced by the Brackenridge Student Union.

The Reptile Farm had originally opened in 1933 in close proximity to the Witte Museum. It would move twice before coming to this final location in 1937 when permanent stone structures replaced the temporary structures made of planks, barbed wire and old sheet metal. The NYA assisted museum employees in constructing the large tank and surrounding snake houses. It is on the edge of the Witte Museum property which is in the boundaries of Brackenridge Park. The Reptile Farm was a huge success from the time it opened. Attendees paid a dime to walk through the amphitheater-like enclosure to view snakes,...

This small linear school was constructed as a PWA project in 1937. It features two gabled ends with a carved rock symbol of a lamp of knowledge. It is very similar to other schools of similar size in Missouri and presently is a private residence.  

In 1935, Brainard was given a grant of $24,000.00 from the Public Works Administration (PWA) for the construction of a new school. The total cost of the school was estimated to be $52,000.00.

The WPA completed this law school building in 1938-39 when it was known simply as the University of Louisville Law School. The project submitter reports that the building's WPA heritage is locally known, and is also referenced in a letter dated May 13, 1938 from Adele Brandeis, Director of the FAP for Kentucky to Thomas Parker.

“The greatest legacy of the WPA in Oklahoma may be the hundreds of WPA-built buildings that are still in use. To most citizens, the public buildings are the most visible remains of a work relief program that truly benefited the taxpayers both at the time and generations later." "More schools were built by WPA in Oklahoma than in any other state. The Final Report lists 825 new school buildings and 185 substantial additions to existing schools. The number of school projects made up nearly one-half of the public buildings constructed with WPA funds. Other buildings constructed by WPA totaled 1,309.” “The Antlers...

After the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) allowed improvements to the original La Brea Olinda High School and bleachers. Following the earthquake, the Field Act called for stricter building codes to ensure architectural integrity of academic buildings in the case of future natural disasters. La Brea Olinda High School (former) lost some of its original architecture such as its facade and columns. The new architecture was more in the Art Deco or Greco deco style.   The original La Brea Olinda High School was demolished and the lot was sold in the...

Breese Gymnasium was completed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939 on the campus of Western Carolina Teacher’s College, now Western Carolina University. It was named for William E. Breese, a trustee of the college who was influential in its construction. It was the first indoor basketball facility in the region, and also housed a swimming pool. In addition to sporting events, many dances were held there and in the 1950s it was listed as a nuclear fallout shelter. Today, it is used by physical education, musical theater and dance students. The formidable stone structure is just one of...

"Constructed with locally available building materials in the traditions of the Rustic Style, the Brenham High School Gymnasium combines a native fieldstone veneer with metal factory-sash and massing reminiscent of the International Style. Ranging from 1 to 3 stories, the structure is composed of geometric building blocks which express the different functions housed within... The gymnasium was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939-40. It is similar to the WPA constructed gymnasium on the Blinn College campus. The property is an excellent example of Rustic architecture that characterized labor-intensive craftsmanship, government building in the 1930s. Its use of local stone...

Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet (formerly Brentwood Elementary), which opened in 1916, 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...

This school was supposedly constructed by WPA funds that were then matched by the community. The school has been heavily altered but the original outdoor amphitheater remains behind the gym.

The stone wall at Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina, was erected by the Works Progress Administration in 1936-37. Portions run along French Broad Avenue and North Broad Street. At the intersection of the streets, the walls are connected with a graceful stone arch entryway to the Brevard College campus. The wall originally enclosed the athletic field (another WPA project), which has since been moved. Tradition dictates that the smooth stones were collected from the nearby Davidson River. Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina, opened in 1934, the merging of two Methodist colleges in the area. Weaver College in Weaverville and...

Bridge Street Elementary School, which opened in 1907, 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...

Bridgton Academy is an all-male college preparatory in Bridgton, Maine. Founded in 1808, the school sits at the northern tip of Long Lake in North Bridgton, Maine. The school has been NEASC accredited since 1934, making it one of the oldest accredited schools in the country. In 1933, the Civil Works Administration was involved in "repairs and redecorating at the Academy buildings." according to the town selectmen in the annual report. In the 1934 report it was noted that "Some of the projects at Bridgton Academy are completed while others are in the air and the probability is that a continuance...

Text from the state historical marker reads: "The community's first school was housed in a multi-purpose building erected here in 1870. The Bristol School district was established in 1877. Youth from throughout the area attended Bristol schoolhouse built in 1886 and 1913. A new brick school containing five classrooms and an impressive auditorium and stage was completed here by the U.S. Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1940. 130 pupils attended the 9-grade, 6-teacher school in 1940-41. The school served the area until 1955. In 1957 its facilities and grounds were deeded to the Bristol Cemetery Association."

Brockton Avenue Elementary School, which opened in 1918, 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 Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) constructed the former high school building and attendant perimeter wall in 1938-9. A W.P.A. plaque remains on site. It is located in front of the new high school, on the remains of the step entrance to the old building.

The Brookland Education Campus at Bunker Hill, NE, encompasses the former Bunker Hill Elementary School, which was built during the New Deal era.  The new facility includes middle school. Initial plans were made in 1938 for a full, two-story building for the Bunker Hill Elementary School to replace an earlier school building, but it ended up being built in stages. A grant of $111,200 from the Public Works Administration (PWA) allowed the construction of the basement and six rooms on a single floor, which became the west wing of the school. All but some finish work was completed in 1939 and the...

According to a Brooklyn Children's Museum history: 1930s "The Work Progress Administration (WPA) brings more than 200 docents, artists, carpenters, printers, and clerks to work at the Museum during the Depression. Over 200 volunteers support museum projects including the construction of exhibits, wooden jigsaw puzzles, and collection boxes. "

Brooklyn College was created in the 1930s with the assistance of the New Deal.  The five original buildings, including a library and gymnasium, were built with PWA funding and the grounds were landscaped by WPA workers. The college's web page tells the story as follows: “Founded in 1930, Brooklyn College was New York City’s first public coeducational liberal arts college. The school was envisioned as a stepping stone for the sons and daughters of immigrants and working-class people toward a better life through a superb — and at the time, free — college education… Despite being in the throes of the Great Depression,...

Boylan Hall is one of the original buildings on the Brooklyn College campus, serving originally as the Administrative and Academic Building.  It was constructed as part of a massive federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project undertaken during the Great Depression.

The Heating Plant at Brooklyn College is one of the original buildings on the school's campus, constructed as part of a massive federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project undertaken during the Great Depression. Construction was completed c. 1936.

Ingersoll Hall is one of the original buildings on the Brooklyn College campus, constructed as part of a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project undertaken during the Great Depression, 1935 t0 1937.

The buildings of Brooklyn College were financed by a massive federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project undertaken during the Great Depression. After the buildings were constructed, Works Progress Administration (WPA) laborers worked on improving the campus, primarily through landscaping efforts, beginning in 1938. The above image of WPA workers doing landscaping on the Brooklyn College campus comes from the Brooklyn Public Library. The caption reads: "Planting new shrubs on the grounds of Brooklyn College, between the hockey field and proposed tennis courts, has kept WPA gardeners busy these fall days." The WPA even maintained a plant nursery and a tulip garden on the campus, as the lower image...

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.

Roosevelt Hall is one of the five original buildings on the Brooklyn College campus, then serving as the school's gymnasium.  It was built as part of a massive federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project undertaken during the Great Depression, 1935-37. Construction took place ca. 1936. Unfortunately Brooklyn College intends to demolish Roosevelt Hall. "A recent feasibility study determined that Roosevelt Hall and Roosevelt Hall Extension cannot be transformed into the science facilities envisioned by the 1995 Master Plan Amendment. This project will demolish the Roosevelt Hall buildings and construct a 180,000-square-foot science facility with high-tech instructional laboratories, general-purpose classrooms and support spaces."

The WPA contributed to several improvements at the Brooklyn Museum during the 1930s. According to the Federal Writers' Project: "During the past few years a WPA project has been making the useum one of the most modern and pleasantly arranged in the country. The most striking change has been the removal of a monumental stairway which originally gave access to the third story, and the building of a new entrance hall at the ground level."