- City:
- Long Beach, CA
- Site Type:
- Schools, Education and Health
- Quality of Information:
- Minimal
- Marked:
- Unknown
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake destroyed hundreds of schools throughout Southern California. Originally built in 1924, Los Cerritos Elementary School was reconstructed with New Deal funding in 1935.
“On August 29, 1933, Long Beach citizens approved a $4,930,000 bond measure for the rebuilding of schools. Applications for approximately thirty-five schools were filed with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Public Works Administration (PWA); federal grants up to thirty percent of labor and material costs were obtained. To minimize costs, building materials were salvaged from damaged buildings, some schools were rehabilitated, and new schools were constructed with basic amenities without cafeterias, libraries, auditoriums, swimming pools, or gymnasiums. Four years after the earthquake, school construction totaling $3,281,000 was completed or under contract” (Cultural Resources Assessment for LBUSD, p. 26).
The WPA also improved the grounds.
Source notes
Donald H. Connolly and G. I. Farman, Report of Accomplishments of the Operations Division, Works Progress Administration, Southern California, January 1, 1939.
Cultural Resources Assessment for Long Beach Unified School District, January 2017
Site Details
| Federal Cost | Local Cost | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $1,912 | $612 | $2,524 |
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