- City:
- Cullowhee, NC
- Site Type:
- Education and Health, Colleges and Universities
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Completed:
- 1939
- Designer:
- Erle G. Stillwell
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Marked:
- Yes
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Breese Gymnasium was completed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939 on the campus of Western Carolina Teacher’s College, now Western Carolina University. It was named for William E. Breese, a trustee of the college who was influential in its construction. It was the first indoor basketball facility in the region, and also housed a swimming pool. In addition to sporting events, many dances were held there and in the 1950s it was listed as a nuclear fallout shelter. Today, it is used by physical education, musical theater and dance students. The formidable stone structure is just one of six buildings on the Western Carolina University campus built as part of the New Deal.
Source notes
Western Carolina University, 125 https://www.wcu.edu/celebrate125/ Western Carolina University Historic Walking Tour pamphlet, Brochure content collected by: HIST 471/571, Fall 2013 https://www.wcu.edu/celebrate125/images/pdfs/HistoricWalkingTour_map.pdfSite originally submitted by Sarah Downing on January 23, 2017.
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