1 2
  • American Legion Hall, Kiowa County Fairgrounds - Eads CO
    "The American Legion Hall represents the success of local residents and federal relief programs administered on Colorado’s eastern plains during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Providing much-needed employment in Kiowa County, local workers constructed the building between 1937 and 1938 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The hall is a rare surviving example of a simple, vernacular building built by the New Deal agency. The building exemplifies the efforts of the WPA to boost moral during the Depression through the construction of buildings that could be enjoyed by the entire community. The building provides a venue for community gatherings,...
  • Arizona State Fairgrounds Stadium and Art - Phoenix AZ
    The Works Progress Administration built the grandstand at the Arizona State Fair grounds in Phoenix. "As the Great Depression deepened and thousands were uprooted and looking for work, numerous fairgrounds were turned into camps for these transients. The Arizona State Fairgrounds provided a temporary place to stay and an opportunity to earn money through labor. Funded by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and later the Works Progress Administration, transients helped to construct the stadium. A fifty-foot grandstand, an adobe wall on three sides of the grounds, and an auto racing track inside the horse track were created in 1936. Exhibit buildings...
  • Arkansas Valley Fairgrounds Stables - Rocky Ford CO
    "The stables, constructed in 1938 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), are an important record of the federal relief programs administered on Colorado’s eastern plains during the Great Depression. The stables were one of a series of WPA improvement projects at the Arkansas Valley Fairgrounds that provided a significant source of employment. It is the best surviving example of WPA work in Rocky Ford. The WPA used adobe for many of its eastern Colorado projects as it was both inexpensive and labor intensive—a good fit with the agency’s objectives to ensure that most of the money went to labor rather...
  • Box Butte County Fairgrounds Improvements - Hemingford NE
    "Projects completed by the WPA included ... improving the Box Butte County Fairgrounds (BX04-026) ..."
  • Buffalo County Fairgrounds - Kearney NE
    In the early 1930s, the Buffalo County Fair was in dire straits. It went broke and was taken over by the County Farm Bureau, and thence was taken over by the newly formed Buffalo County Fair Board. In 1936, the old grandstand blew down in a storm. It appeared to many that the County Fair was becoming an extinct entity. Plans for a new and improved Buffalo County Fairgrounds were announced in February 1937. Buildings were planned for construction that would total a financial outlay of approximately $25,000.00 and included two horse barns, a double hog shed, two cattle sheds, a...
  • California State Fairgrounds (demolished) - Sacramento CA
    The California State Fair was established at this location in 1909. The WPA worked on the site during the 30s, most likely on the 75 acre expansion of the grounds in 1937. The fair, however, has since moved to a new location, and there does not appear to be much left of the original site.
  • Canfield Fairgrounds Development - Canfield OH
    According to an article in the Youngstown Vindicator, the Works Progress Administration expanded the grandstand at the Canfield Fairgrounds in 1936. A historical marker on the fairgrounds credits the "Works Progress Alliance" (presumably a typographical error) with the construction of the grandstand, as well as offices and roads on the site, and "WPA 1936" is etched above the main entrance to the grandstand. The fairgrounds and grandstand are still in use.
  • Cedar County Fairgrounds - Hartington NE
    In August 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) gave Cedar County a grant for the improvement of the county fairgrounds at Hartington. The grant amounted to $8,040.00.
  • Chouteau County Fairgrounds Improvements - Fort Benton MT
    The WPA allocated $15,019 for improvements at the Chouteau County fairgrounds in Fort Benton, Montana in August 1938.
  • Civic Center Fair Barn - Horton KS
    This Fair Barn/Civic Center in Horton, Kansas was constructed by the WPA in 1937-39. W.O. "Tutes" Thomas was the designer and head of construction. The building is still in use for municipal functions and celebrations.
  • Clinton Fairgrounds: Exhibit & Auction Building - Clinton OK
    The Works Progress Administration built the Exhibit & Auction Building at the Clinton Fairgrounds in Clinton OK. Contributor note: "This is a two-story building, with randomly laid native sandstone walls. The roof is flat and the windows are casement units with stone sills and lintels. At the south end, the main entrance is a one-story projected entry foyer, with three single doors and sidelights. Above this entrance is a frieze which reads: "19 EXHIBIT & AUCTION BUILDING 41". The building was begun is 1940 as shown on the bronze WPA shield mounted to the right of the entrances. The building is located at N. 6th Street...
  • Clinton Fairgrounds: Livestock Exhibit Building - Clinton OK
    The Works Progress Administration built the Livestock Exhibit Building at the Clinton Fairgrounds in Clinton OK. Contributor Note: "This is a one-story brick livestock building, with a shallow gabled roof. The lower 30 inches of the walls are native sandstone, and large sandstone rocks are set into the corners of the building. There are 15 window openings on each side, which are all boarded up, as are vehicle doors and pedestrian doors on the north and south ends. The building is located on North 6th Street. It has been sitting vacant for many years, but is currently being used for storage of theater props and...
  • Colorado State Fairgrounds - Pueblo CO
    "The fairgrounds have long been a gathering place for the state’s agricultural community and have also served as a vehicle to educate, promote and entertain the public about Colorado agriculture. Since 1901, farmers and stock men and women have come to the annual exposition at this location to display and compare their products, to see and learn about the latest advances in agricultural technology and techniques, and to purchase quality livestock. The 4-H club, a youth organization orientated toward agriculture education, has maintained a steady presence at the fairgrounds since 1918. The complex benefited from a number of Depression-era New...
  • County Fairground Improvements - Dodson MT
    The WPA allocated $16,326 at the end of 1938 to make improvements to the Phillips County Fairgrounds in Dodson, Montana. Gary Winthorpe: "These fairgrounds were actually completed in 1942, not 1939 . They continued to do cosmetics and added an additional attraction. These two things took three years to complete."
  • Crawford County Fairgrounds - Girard KS
    "The Crawford County Fairground property currently includes the WPA grandstand and four agricultural buildings plus a series of other animal shelters and associated structures, compactly arranged in neat rows at the center of the property. A dirt road enters the fairgrounds from the north and south... This property was part of Raymond Park, donated to the City of Girard by Mary Winston Raymond. Crawford County constructed a completely new fairgrounds using $32,000 in WPA funds. The facility includes a series of wooden buildings and clerestory barns situated close to a race track. A large grandstand lines the west side of the...
  • Dawson County Fairgrounds Improvements - Glendive MT
    The Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported in 1938: "The irrigation project for the Dawson county fairgrounds is under way. WPA workmen are laying pipe and building a house for installation of pumping equipment on the Yellowstone river with a capacity of 9,000 gallons an hour. Pressure will be maintained by the large tank west of the main building which is ready for use."
  • Del Mar Fairgrounds - San Diego, CA
    The Del Mar Fairgrounds project is unique in that it is the only WPA incorporated and built race-track. It was meant to be an economic stimulant for the county. The racetrack was also built with the expectation of providing fairgrounds for the 22nd Agricultural District (it is still the site of the Del Mar Fair). The project was one of the most expensive WPA project in San Diego County, and was also the only WPA project in the county to be investigated for fraud. Branton (1991).
  • East Texas State Fair: Agriculture Building - Tyler TX
    The Civil Works Administration completed the Agriculture Building at the "East Texas fair grounds" in 1934. The location and status of this structure is currently unknown to Living New Deal.
  • El Dorado County Fairgrounds - Placerville CA
    Although the El Dorado County Fair was first held in 1859, it moved to this location in 1939. The property was purchased by the state of California, and federal funds were used to finance construction on the property: "The W.P.A. and the New Deal were responsible for the initial construction of permanent facilities at todays fairgrounds. Between the end of the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II, bare ground was transformed into the facility used today. There are plaques on several of the buildings dedicated to the hard-working men and women of the C.C.C. who labored on...
  • Erie County Fairgrounds: Firemen's Building - Hamburg NY
    The WPA photo shown here shows the new Firemen's Building constructed for the Erie County Fairgrounds. The building remains in place today and "houses antique fire engines and other artifacts" (www.ecfair.org)
  • Exposition Park Sculpture - Los Angeles CA
    This cast stone sculpture by Donal Hord was funded by the PWAP in 1934. The sculpture depicts a man crouching behind a wheel filled with gears and is variously known as "Man and the Wheel" or "Wheel of Industry" or "Man and the Machine." The sculpture's dimensions are 6'8" height x 5'6" width x 4' deep, and the base is 4'h x 5'w x 4'd. The piece seems to have originally been made for the museum in Exposition Park. It is currently in storage: "The sculpture was constructed as part of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP). It may have been...
  • Fairground Improvements and Bandshell - Stanton NE
    The Work Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a bandshell at the then-Stanton County fairgrounds at Stanton, Nebraska, and conducted other improvement work at the grounds. The bandshell was dedicated by the governor of Nebraska on July 26, 1936. The location and status of the work is unknown to Living New Deal; however, Living New Deal believes it to be located on county property southeast of Stanton by the Elkhorn River.
  • Fairgrounds (former) Improvements - Athol MA
    WPA Bulletin, 1937: "Athol — In horse-and-buggy days when sulky racing was the vogue, Athol fair grounds was a mecca for thousands of horse lovers, race fans and devotees of the old-time cattle show. For many years the grounds had been unused, neglected. WPA has made the grounds into a modern recreation center."
  • Fairgrounds Administration Building - Chickasha OK
    "This WPA-constructed building stands at 500 E. Choctaw, just east of Hwy. 81 in historic Chickasha, which is located on what was once the famous Chisholm Trail. This is a large one and two-story native sandstone building built in 1940, which contains 25,000 square feet (100 x 125 ft). This building was built with a WPA appropriation of $73,439. Known originally as the Administration building, it is now referred to as the North Exhibit building. The building underwent a major renovation in 2000. Large, open courtyards, originally built to offer more light through exterior windows, were enclosed under the building's...
  • Fairgrounds Livestock Exchange Building - Chickasha OK
    "The Livestock Exchange Building is located on the Grady County Fairgrounds, at 500 E. Choctaw, east of downtown Chickasha. The primary fairground buildings are this livestock arena, and an administration building to the north. The livestock building was originally constructed as an open air arena, with stalls, offices, and a grandstand. A photo of the arena as it stood for so many years is shown in the gallery. A major renovation was completed in 2000, and a roof was erected over the arena. The native sandstone walls were preserved, inside and out, and the upper walls were finished with stucco and...
  • Florida State Fairgrounds Improvements - Tampa FL
    During the Depression, the WPA spent $465,000 for buildings and other improvements at the fairgrounds. Which exact buildings were WPA and their current status is unknown to the Living New Deal.
  • Gold Country Museum - Auburn CA
    This building was originally built as a mining exhibit hall for the 20th Agricultural District Fairgrounds. It became the first Placer County Museum in 1948. The WPA built much of the rest of the Gold Country Fairgrounds as well.
  • Grand Forks County Fairgrounds - Grand Forks ND
    "Grand Forks County Fairgrounds WPA Structures is a collection of five structures within the Grand Forks County Fairgrounds in Grand Forks, North Dakota, that were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The structures are the fairgrounds entrance gate, ticket kiosk, administration building, and cairns, all built from stone, as well as the fairgrounds grandstand. They are located on the grounds of the Grand Forks State Fair Grounds and are associated with the River Cities Speedway. "The five remaining structures have been recognized as historically significant, examples of the importance of county and state fairs to local culture...
  • Hidalgo County Fairgrounds - Lordsburg NM
    "When Franklin D. Roosevelt took presidential office in 1933, the Great Depression was in its fourth year. He was elected partly because he promised relief for the common man. He enacted the New Deal programs and the Works Progress Administration, which was later called Works Project Administration. The program put unemployed men to work in all areas of the county to build strength and self-respect in the working class. The projects, both in the process of putting people to work and in the resulting buildings, greatly impacted the suffering nation and especially the Southwest, which was also in a severe...
  • Humboldt County Fairground Improvements - Ferndale CA
    In 1939, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) approved several improvements at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds on the north edge of Ferndale CA. According to the WPA project card, the work entailed moving the pavilion and stock buildings, improving the grandstand and other miscellaneous tasks. In 1941, the WPA returned to build an exhibition hall. We could not confirm which buildings at the fairgrounds today are the ones worked on by the WPA relief teams, there are several likely candidates for the pavilion, stock buildings and exhibition hall that appear to date from the mid 20th century. Further information is needed.
  • Indiana State Fairgrounds Development - Indianapolis IN
    Multiple New Deal agencies: the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) and the Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) contributed to the development of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Projects included the Coliseum, WPA Barns, and a WPA Tunnel.
  • Indiana State Fairgrounds: Coliseum - Indianapolis IN
    "Architect Merritt Harrison considered this building his finest creation. PWA (Public Works Administration) funds made it possible for the Fair Board to build this structure, which was to be a “Livestock Pavilion.” Harrison used tan brick and Indiana limestone on the exterior. The style is Art Deco. When you go inside, notice the ticket booth grilles--cast brass in the form of ears of corn. On the outside, notice how most of the corners are rounded or stepped back, a hallmark of the Deco style. Like the track, the Coliseum has been used for many events. It was the best and largest...
  • Indiana State Fairgrounds: Model Farmhouse - Indianapolis IN
    "Built by WPA as an example of an ideal modern farmhouse and later used as an officer’s club during WW II. Built of concrete block, the house includes an attached garage, wiring, plumbing, and other modern conveniences."
  • Indiana State Fairgrounds: Senior Citizen's Building - Indianapolis IN
    "This building was originally constructed by the WPA in 1936 as an exhibition hall. From this area behind the Home and Family Arts Building you can see the upper floor living quarters for seasonal fair workers. Also, this open parking lot used to house the DNR's wooden display buildings from 1915-1950."
  • Indiana State Fairgrounds: WPA Barns - Indianapolis IN
    "The State Fair Board has recently restored a number of these wooden buildings. They were all built with WPA funds. The WPA was one of several of FDR’s New Deal alphabet soup programs designed to help jobless workers during the Great Depression. The WPA provided funds for various public work projects around the state, and a good many here at the Fair Grounds. These barns were built to replace some of the older horse barns on the Fair grounds. Many of the buildings on the fairgrounds during the 1890s were temporary buildings, or were moved from the Camp Morton site....
  • Indiana State Fairgrounds: WPA Tunnel - Indianapolis IN
    "Built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the tunnel provided a way for automobiles to park in the infield."
  • Iowa State Fairgrounds - Des Moines IA
    The WPA undertook extensive construction and improvements at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in the mid 1930s. The Iowa State Fair information page describes the history of the site and the extent of the work carried out by the WPA: "Extensive improvements – from reroofing the Cattle Barn to building a storm sewer on Dean Avenue – heralded the 1934 Fair. A five-day program of harness and running horse races offered more than $12,500 in premiums. Forty additional acres were added to the Campgrounds, increasing the total to 160 acres and making it the largest of its kind in the U.S Lighting on...
  • Johnson County Fairground - Franklin IN
    The Works Progress Administration built the Johnson County Fairground in Franklin IN.
  • Kansas State Fairgrounds Improvements - Hutchinson KS
    Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers built the Bison Arena at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Other WPA-built improvements included "upgrading the fair's sewer, rebuilding the Old Mill ride with permanent fireproof concrete, and putting in a reinforced concrete stage and basement at the grandstand." The Bison Arena and the rebuilt Old Mill ride are still in use.
  • Kern County Fairgrounds (demolished) - Bakersfield CA
    The official birth of the Kern County Agricultural Fair was on August 5, 1916. It was located on 106 acres at Chester Avenue, two blocks north of 34th Street and just south of the Kern River Bridge. There were no buildings at that time so they used tents. The Kern County Museum and Clock Tower now stand in that location. Later during the Depression in the 1930's there was no Fair held for two years. Then in 1952 the Fair was moved from the North Chester location to the present grounds. " Kern County Fair WPA Project No. 65-3-4740, App. Date...
1 2