- City:
- Ruston, LA
- Site Type:
- Schools, Education and Health
- New Deal Agencies:
- Public Works Funding, Public Works Administration (PWA)
- Started:
- 1939
- Completed:
- 1940
- Designer:
- J. W. Smith and Associates
- Contractor:
- Caldwell Brothers & Hart
Description
Described as “an Art Deco gem” (Leighninger, 2007, p. 78), in which “simple geometric forms predominated” (p. 80), Ruston High School was constructed by the PWA in 1939-1940. The original building included an auditorium wing and the central core of classrooms. A second wing was added to match the auditorium wing in the late 1960s. “One of the best examples of this style in the state”, the architectural features were duplicated in the changes (Dailey & Pfister, 2000). The building is still in use as the high school, and is well-maintained.
Source notes
Dailey, B. P., & Pfister, P. J. (2000). Ruston: Images of America. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing.
Leighninger, R. D. (2007). Building Louisiana: The legacy of the Public Works Administration. University Press of Mississippi.
Site originally submitted by Susan Allen on July 19, 2014.
Additional contributions by Beverly Defilippis.
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