- City:
- Fessenden, ND
- Site Type:
- Civic Facilities, Parks and Recreation, Auditoriums and Arenas, Fairgrounds
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Completed:
- 1938
Description
The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed Festival Hall, an auditorium, at the Wells County Fairgrounds, located at the southeast corner of North Dakota Highway 15 and U.S. Highway 52.
“Also constructed during the depression years was Festival Hall (1938). A WPA project, it was purportedly designed by Wells County agent and fair manager, E. W. Vancura. The main floor of the 136′ x 44′ building is comprised of a wooden-floored auditorium with a large stage at its north end and a very small stage midway along the building’s west wall. The basement was designed to house industrial exhibits during the annual county fair. Vehicular access to the basement exists via a ramp at the north end of the building.” (NRHP)
Source notes
https://ndstudies.gov/gr8/content/unit-iv-modern-north-dakota-1921-present/lesson-1-changing-landscapes/topic-2-wpa-and-ccc/section-2-wpa National Register of Historic Places nomination form: https://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/91000073.pdfSite originally submitted by Evan Kalish on January 23, 2015.
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