High School (demolished) – Auburn MA

Description

The former high school in Auburn, Massachusetts was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds.

“For the past two decades, the increasing cost of tuition and transportation of pupils to Worcester caused agitation for an Auburn high school, and while land had been acquired on the Dunn property on Auburn Street in 1926 for such a school, it was not until a special town meeting held August 29, 1933, that $250,000 was appropriated. Federal aid was sought under the provisions of the Public Works Administration and on March 5, 1935, the plans drawn by Lucius W. Briggs, Worcester architect, were accepted. Work on the building was begun the following month, classes were held there on Monday, December 16, 1935, and the building was formally dedicated January 16, 1936.
In the new high school building provision has been made for four hundred pupils, while three hundred and twenty-nine students were enrolled in 1937. It is fully equipped with the most modern facilities including laboratories, a library, manual training room, and kitchen. An auditorium and gymnasium which seats six hundred has a large stage, commodious dressing rooms, ticket office, check room and fireproof projection booth. The most up-to-date thermostatic heating and ventilation systems add to the comfort of the attractive brick building. The athletic field beside the school was constructed by the Works Progress Administration.”

In August 2006, the “town of Auburn opened a new facility directly behind the original building,” and the New Deal structure was demolished.

PWA Docket No. MA 4893