Central Elementary School in Union City, TN
Front and western side of the Central Elementary School, located at 512 E. College Street in Union City, Tennessee, United States. Built in 1936, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Description
Central Elementary School in Union City, Tennessee was undertaken by the Public Works Administration (PWA) during the Great Depression. The PWA Moderne building, with a distinctive blend of classicism and Art Deco style, was designed to stand out from the more conservative architecture of Union City. Local reformers celebrated its “fireproof construction, circulation flow, ample light and air, structural insulation, sound proofing, sanitary floors, attractive furniture, drinking fountains, modern plumbing, and its auditorium,” (Van West, pg. 114).
The total federal cost for school construction reached $105,000, while student workers trained in wood- and metalworking by the National Youth Administration (NYA) furnished the building. Following expansions in the 1970s, Central continued to serve K-3 elementary students until its replacement by Union City Elementary School in 2002.
Source notes
McIntyre, J. M., Corouthers, K., & Van West, C. (1998). Nomination form for National Register of Historic Places, Union City. US Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Van West, C. (2001). Tennessee’s New Deal Landscape: A Guidebook. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press.
Project originally submitted by Susan C. Allen on December 16, 2014.
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