- City:
- Durant, MS
- Site Type:
- Education and Health, Schools
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1940
- Completed:
- 1942
- Designer:
- N. W. Overstreet
- Contractor:
- W. E. Rubush
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Marked:
- Unknown
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Durant Public School in 1940-42.
N. W. Overstreet and Associates designed the Art Moderne school building and W. E. Rubush of Meridian was the superintendent of construction. The building is 181 feet by 138 feet, with a 2-story central auditorium joining together two single-story wings.
The Durant school system made two applications to the federal government for aid in building a new school. Public Works Administration application x1330 was returned unfunded due to lack of funds. A Works Progress Administration application was submitted in 1940 and approved for project no. 41133 for an allotment of $35,799.
The building originally served as both High School and Elementary School, with a connecting auditorium that seats 600. Today, the building remains in use as the Durant Elementary School.
Source notes
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Historic Resources Inventory #051-DUR-0002.1-x. Retrieved Sept. 16, 2021 from: https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/Public/rpt.aspx?rpt=publicPropSearch&Name=&StreetNo=&StreetName=&City=Durant&County=Any
$5,000,000 PWA projects denied to Mississippi. (Sep 7, 1939). (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger, p. 1.
Durant School project okehed. (Feb. 22, 1940). Daily Clarion-Ledger, p. 2.
Durant to get school building. (Feb 25, 1940). Clarion-Ledger, p. 17.
Construction to begin on school building soon. (Sep 8, 1940). Clarion-Ledger, p. 5.
School work going fine. (Mar. 2, 1941). Clarion-Ledger, p. 5.
Casey Parks, "The Tragedy of America’s Rural Schools," New York Times Magazine, Sept. 7, 2021.
Site originally submitted by Susan Allen on September 23, 2021.
Additional contributions by Charles Swaney.
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