Education and Health Sites

The Public Works Administration (PWA) and VA built the psychiatric hospital in Murfreesboro between 1936, when President Roosevelt authorized it, and 1940, when it was opened. It is presently known as the Alvin C. York Campus.

The WPA helped with a few projects at this Veterans Health Care facility in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Ongoing Projects Proj. 9870 - Veterans Admin. Facil. Improve Grounds San Fernando - Federal Funds $15,815 - Men employed per month 39 - Months Duration 6 Proj. 11024 - Vet. Admin. Facil. Paint Building and Equipment, San Fernando - Federal Cost $12,354 - Men Employed per Month 35 - Months Duration 5 Completed Projects Proj. 6322 - Vet. Admin. Facil. Paint Hospital Building San Fernando - Federal Cost $3,845 Sponsor Costs $1,311 - Men Employed Per Month 8 - Months Duration 4 Proj. 6963 -...

The Art Moderne school was completed in 1943 as W. P. A. Project No. 7233. Work began in 1941 but was stopped due to lack of money resulting from the war. WPA workers mixed concrete on site, and carried it in wheelbarrows to construct the poured monolithic concrete two and a half story U-plan school. The auditorium was restored in 2008-2009 for use as a community center.

The State Emergency Relief Administration (SERA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built many buildings for Valencia High School during the New Deal era.  The school was initially founded in 1933. Then in 1935, SERA built an administration building. This was followed by a gym and pool funded by the WPA in 1937. “Today the school serves a student body of approximately 2,500 students. It is one of four high schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District." (Wikipedia)

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a six-room elementary school building in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. A plaque on the building dates the construction to 1935 to 1937. It was one of many educational facilities constructed by the WPA in Watauga County. The school has since been enlarged.

The WPA restored and renovated the building and ground of General Vallejo's home, during 1936-1938. The parts restored included the residence, servants quarters, the brick Swiss Chalet (this became a museum to house relics of the General and CA history), fountains and grounds. A water system was installed, and garage and rest room constructed. The WPA also built the split rail fence and gothic-style fence on the property. Acquisition by the state enabled Sonoma County to retain this historical property. If left to local financing, the property may have been lost forever (Goddard).

The PWA built this school in Orderville in 1935-36. It is not entirely clear from satellite and street views how much of the original structure remains, as the site has been expanded over the years. From the National Register of Historic Places: "This is a one-story, rectangular building with a full basement. It has been built into a hillside above the town and reflects the stylistic thinking of the PWA Moderne movement in Utah. The building has a flat roof and is constructed of yellow brick. A square entrance portico has been placed centrally on the facade. The design is formal...

"In the 1870's, Valley Springs had a reputation as an educational center of northwest Arkansas, known as “The Athens of the Hills” because of the fine Valley Springs and Rally Hill private academies nearby.  The New Deal brought a return to the educational luster of the now-public Valley Springs School District; 1940 saw the construction of not only a new high school building for the community, but also a new Smith-Hughes agricultural building.  The Harrison Daily Times reported that these additions to the campus "will make Valley Springs again the possessor of one of the finest school plants in north...

This auditorium/gymnasium, also called "Steiwig Hall," was constructed by the Federal Works Progress Administration between 1936 and 1937. To this day, it provides recreation and entertainment for the Valliant community.

"The sculptural enhancement of the entry of Van Ness Elementary School is reminiscent of the Gothic style. ArchitectsNoerenbergand Johnson were responsible for the design of the 1923 building."

Van Nuys Elementary School, which opened in 1915, 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...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed bleachers at Van Nuys High School.

Van Nuys High School, which opened in 1915, 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 with...

Venice High School, which opened in 1911, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) after the original neoclassical campus suffered extensive damage in the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. The architectural firm of Austin and Ashley designed the new Moderne-style buildings, which were erected between 1935 and 1937. In January 1934, the PWA allocated $9,380,000 to the Los Angeles Unified School District for the rehabilitation of schools damaged in the 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...

"Located in the foothills at the north end of the San Fernando Valley, Verdugo Hills High School opened its doors in September 1939. The Administration and Classroom Building pictured here was constructed in 1948, and continue the Spanish Colonial Revival theme of the buildings erected a decade earlier." - https://www.laschools.org/employee/design/fs-studies-and-reports/download/LAUSD_Presentation_March_2002.pdf?version_id=1895945 "Much of the construction on campus was done by men working for the Works Progress Administration, a federal effort to train and employ men during the Great Depression. By 1939, there were 78 WPA workers building things on campus, including the football field, and going to adult school at Verdugo at night....

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Vernon Gym in Vernon IN. Originally K-12 school with a gymnasium. Now a community building offering classroom and studio space and the gymnasium.  

As with most small towns, the Vestal NY area schools were mostly small one or two room schools. "With centralization came the goal of building a high school…a goal that was realized on January 3, 1939 when the Vestal Central High School opened its doors. This was the fifth school along Main Street. A Public Works Administration (PWA) project, the new high school and new Vestal Center Elementary school designed by architect Truman Lacey of T.I. Lacey and Sons, cost $773,000 of which the state contributed $446,000. Vestal’s first graduating class of 26 students received their diplomas on June 25, 1940....

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) provided labor for the improvement of the Veterans Hospital in Wappingers Falls, New York.

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Park Museum and Headquarters at the National Military Park inVicksburg MS. the building is currently vacant. "The 1934-35 PWA allotments provided for new combination administration/museum buildings in five eastern parks: Chickamauga and Chattanooga, Guilford Courthouse, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Morristown." "Predictably, those designed by Service architects without knowledge of museum requirements proved ill-suited to their purpose. The Vicksburg building resembled so well an antebellum plantation mansion that a later superintendent converted it to his residence and packed the museum off to utilitarian frame structure elsewhere in the park."

Victor Vaughan Dormitory on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor was constructed during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. (PWA Docket No. NY 1559)

Vine Street Elementary School, which opened in 1909, 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...

The WPA built a brick gymnasium for what was then the Will Rogers High School in 1940. 1985 Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory surveyed the site and gave the following description: " gymnasium is a two level, rectangular shaped (104' x 79') building constructed from buff colored brick. It has a high arched roof with stepped parapets... Brick quoins on the corners, and raised brickwork friezes add decorative relief to the structure... Along with two NYA constructed buildings on the campus of Will Rogers High School, a project of this size constituted a tremendous resource for the community of Vinita." The gymnasium is still standing...

This public elementary school was built in 1935 with funds in part from the Works Progress Administration. Its facade is in the popular Art Deco style of that time. The architect of record was J. Robert Pierson & Son. 

The Public Works Administration (PWA) gave grants to the Hyde Park Central School District to build three school buildings: Hyde Park Elementary School, Haviland Middle School (originally dedicated as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School but later renamed when a new high school building was constructed) and Violet Avenue Elementary School. The latter is in Poughkeepsie NY, not the town of Hyde Park.  The cost of the three historic buildings was $1,300,000, with $585,000 coming from the PWA. Construction began December  1938 and was finished in December 1939.

Virgil Middle School (formerly Junior High School), which opened in 1914, 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...

The Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) was an educational institution established in 1917. It eventually merged with the Medical College of Virginia to become the Monroe Park Campus of the Virginia Commonwealth University. In the 1930s, as the Richmond Professional Institute, it received significant support from the WPA: "When the Great Depression hit and RPI continued to receive no state support, the federal government stepped in to fill the gap. With the help of the Works Progress Administration, many of the buildings were renovated during the depression. In fact, Dr. Hibbs was quoted as saying, That if it had not been for the...

The historic Virginia Museum of Fine Arts building was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project during the mid-1930s: PWA Docket No. 3551. Short and Stanley-Brown: "Before the erection of this art museum, the city of Richmond had no building suitable for the exhibition and storage of works of art. The structure is placed on the grounds of the soldiers' home and the area surrounding it has been landscaped with lawns and planting. The building is fireproof and is approximately 120 by 134 feet in plan. It is constructed of steel and reinforced concrete and the exterior walls are faced...

Virginia Road Elementary 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 the board agrees...

The campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia—or, as it was then known, as Virginia Polytechnic Institute (V.P.I.)—was dramatically developed as part of numerous New Deal projects during the Great Depression. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided multiple rounds of funding for the construction of several buildings on campus from the mid-1930s to early 1940s. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was also active on the campus. Public Works Administration-financed buildings included: Burruss Hall Graduate Life Center (originally Faculty Center) Owens Hall Eggleston Hall (Main, East, and West) East Campbell Hall Military Building (orig. Utilities Building) Hutcheson Hall Smyth Hall (orig. Natural...

Virginia Tech's Agnew Hall, originally known as the Home Economics Building, was constructed as a Work Projects Administration (WPA) project and dedicated in 1940. It was part of a broader development of several buildings on its corner of campus that involved both the WPA and the Public Works Administration (PWA).

The Armory, now part of the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, was originally constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project in 1936. The PWA supplied an $18,000 grant for the then-National Guard armory, whose total cost was $42,544. Primary construction began in January and was completed in December 1936. The project is sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (WPA), including on a historic information board outside the building's entrance. Once it had fulfilled its original purpose the facility served as an auditorium for what was then the nearby Blacksburg High School. Per VT.edu, the Armory was...

Burruss Hall serves as the main administration building for what was then the Virginia Polytechnic and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the building, originally called the Teaching and Administration Building, was constructed with a grant from the Public Works Administration (PWA) from 1934-1936. The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was involved with the project as well. It contains a 3,003-seat auditorium that is still widely used. The ceiling and walls of the auditorium were decorated with geometric designs as part of the project. In addition to the original building, two wings and a...

Virginia Tech's former Commerce Hall was remodeled as part of a larger Public Works Administration (PWA) project on the campus. The New York Times identifies this "business administration" building as a PWA project dedicated in August 1940. VT.edu, re: Commencement Hall: "Remodeled 1939 to house business administration and renamed Commerce Hall (not to be confused with a later Commerce Hall, now Pamplin Hall). Demolished in 1957."

Virginia Tech's East Campbell Hall dormitory was constructed as part of a Public Works Administration (PWA) project. Also known as Campbell Hall's east wing, the structure was constructed in 1940; whereas Main Campbell Hall was built in 1930, prior to the advent of the New Deal. A plaque on the building credits the Public Works Administration.

Virginia Tech's Eggleston Hall dormitory was constructed in stages, as part of two Public Works Administration (PWA) projects during the Great Depression. Main Eggleston Hall (440 Drillfield Drive) was constructed first and completed in 1935. Main Eggleston was one of four buildings on the campus completed as part of a massive PWA-sponsored project that cost $1.2 million (PWA Docket No. VA 1790). Its wings: East Eggleston Hall (410 Drillfield Drive) and West Eggleston Hall (500 Drillfield Drive) were added later, in 1940. Plaques along their respective walls where the buildings are connected to Main Eggleston Hall identify both wings as part of...

Now known as the Graduate Life Center, what was originally the Faculty Center—a dormitory on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia—was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project in the mid-1930s. It was one of four buildings on the campus completed as part of a massive PWA-sponsored project that cost $1.2 million. The building has since been dramatically extended to the southeast. PWA Docket No. VA 1790.

Virginia Tech's Hutcheson Hall, originally known as New Agricultural Hall, "was built in 1940 at a cost of $206,000," and was constructed as part of a larger Public Works Administration (PWA) project on the campus. It was part of a broader development of several buildings on its corner of campus that involved both the PWA and the Work Projects Administration (PWA). The building was sometimes referred to as "agricultural unit one," and was expanded in 1950 toward Smyth Hall.

Now known as the Military Building, what was originally the utilities building was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project in the mid-1930s. It was one of four buildings on the campus completed as part of a massive PWA-sponsored project that cost $1.2 million. The building has since been expanded. PWA Docket No. VA 1790.

Virginia Tech's Owens Hall dining facility was constructed as part of a larger Public Works Administration (PWA) project on the campus. VT.edu: "When completed in 1939, Owens Dining Center, which seated 2,240 diners, covered the greatest area of any structure on campus."

Virginia Tech's Seitz Hall, originally known as the Agricultural Engineering Building, was constructed as a Work Projects Administration (WPA) project and dedicated in 1940. It was part of a broader development of several buildings on its corner of campus that involved both the WPA and the Public Works Administration (PWA).