- City:
- Toledo, OH
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Art Works, Zoos, Murals
- New Deal Agencies:
- Arts Programs, Work Relief Programs, Federal Arts Project (FAP), Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1933
- Completed:
- 1934
- Artist:
- Forrest "Woody" LaPlante
- Marked:
- Yes
Description
The Reptile House was the first of five buildings constructed by the WPA at the Toledo Zoo. These buildings are still in use today.
FAP artist Forrest “Woody” LaPlante was one of three muralists who painted botanical backgrounds in each reptile exhibit. Most of these murals were destroyed in the 1970s, but the remaining murals were restored by LaPlante in the 1990s.
The building was constructed from materials recycled from local areas, such as the Wabash Railroad shops and the former Miami and Erie canals. The architecture of the building was inspired by Spanish and Moorish styles in reference to the city’s Spanish namesake (Toledo, Spain).
Source notes
Toledo Zoo. (n.d.). Wpa era buildings. Retrieved from https://www.toledozoo.org/site/page/198 Speck, W. (2003). Toledo: A history in architecture : 1914 to century's end. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. Eder, S. (2005, March 13). Scenes from the past: Blade played integral role in zoo's history. The Toledo Blade. Retrieved from https://www.toledoblade.com/local/2005/03/13/Blade-played-integral-role-in-zoo-s-history.html Explore how the new deal effected toledo, ohio: Toledo zoo. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://newdeal-toledo.net/Toledo_Zoo.htmlSite originally submitted by Caitlyn Riehle on November 8, 2013.
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