- City:
- Martinez, CA
- Site Type:
- Civic Facilities, Auxiliary Civic Facilities
- New Deal Agencies:
- Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs
- Started:
- 1935
- Completed:
- 1936
- Quality of Information:
- Good
- Marked:
- No
- Site Survival:
- Unknown
Description
The Works progress Administration (WPA) installed a new vault and made other improvements to the Contra Costa County Finance Building in 1935-36, and perhaps later.
According to WPA Project Cards from the National Archives, the vault was to be built of reinforced concrete and lined with steel and additional work was to be done to partition off additional space for the Treasurer’s office. The total amount allocated for the project was around $5,000.
We know that improvement work was done because of reports in the Contra Costa Gazette. One notes that additional painting was done on the county assessor and school administration offices in the courthouse, the other that WPA men were still at work on the courthouse in 1939.
The Finance Building was built as the County Courthouse in 1903. It was designed by the architectural firm of Havens & Toepke and constructed by the Contra-Pacific Construction Company. It has been put on the National Register of Historic Places.
We have no information on whether the vault and other improvements survive today.
Source notes
WPA Job Cards, Fresno Public Library, San Joaquin Valley Heritage & Genealogy Center, to wit:
WPA Project No. 65-3-3333, $3,857, App. Date 12-9-35, "Install new vault for county treasurer." No description.
WPA Project No. 65-3-3333, $1,188, App. Date 5-2-36, "Install new reinforced concrete steel lined vault for County Treasurer, and partition off additional space for Treasurer's Office, [Old] County Court House. Sponsor: Contra Costa County. (additional.) No allocation involved, therefore no warrant drawn or necessary."
"Education of repaired by WPA," Contra Costa Gazette, June 19, 1936, p 2
"Many on WPA jobs here idle for the day," Contra Costa Gazette, July 21, 1939, p 2
https://courthousehistory.com/gallery/states/california/counties/contra-costa
National Register of Historic Places Listings in Contra Costa County, Wikimedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Contra_Costa_County,_California
Kristin Henderson, "Historic Resources of Martinez CA" Henderson, Historic Resources of Martinez CA 2014" Nomination to National Register of Historic Places.
Site originally submitted by Andrew Laverdiere on November 10, 2018.
Additional contributions by Richard Walker.
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