Start Year: 1936

The fieldstone school was built in 1936 by the WPA, in part in an effort to help revive the town. The school closed in 1946 during a consolidation, and was later converted to a community center. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From contributor Lindsay Penn: "In 1936, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the Smithville Public School Building in Smithville, Arkansas. The WPA-funded stone building replaced a ca. 1872, one-room, frame schoolhouse, which had replaced the Solomon Schoolhouse (constructed ca. 1840) on land that is now part of the Smithville Cemetery. Smithville had served as the county...

Lake Dick was a Resettlement project, part of the efforts to help sharecroppers establish their own farms. The Resettlement Administration purchased 3, 453 acres, built "80 houses, six community buildings, and several farm support structures" for a cooperative farm (Arkansas Historic Preservation Program). Eighty white farm families, who had been either sharecroppers or tenant farmers, from 29 Arkansas counties were selected by the Farm Security Administration to take part in the cooperative. The cooperative was designed for each farmer to have his house, with a small plot of land for vegetables, but the remaining acreage was to be farmed jointly. In...

This public housing facility was built by the PWA in 1936-38. The site was designed by George Blumenauer, architect, and built by D.C. Bass Construction Co. The apartments still exist, but are now privately owned. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 2013.

Constructed in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the former Post Office in Osceola, Arkansas is typical of the type of small post offices that were built during the New Deal for rural towns. The $55,000 project probably begun during the tenure of Postmaster Arch Smith in 1935 but was finished and dedicated during that of Clement Bowen who served as Osceola’s postmaster until 1942. This split-level building has a fully usable basement, which allowed the Postal Service three floors of functioning space. The building originally had four entrances; with the main entrance through two sets of tall double...

Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported in 1937: "Work of constructing a running track and fencing the high school athletic field, being done by WPA labor, will be resumed late this month after a winter shutdown." The old Fergus County High School -- located at 401 7th Ave. S. in Lewistown -- now houses condominiums.

Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper discussed recent accomplishments of the National Youth Administration in Montana. Among the projects discussed: "In the center of Deer Lodge a skating rink has been provided and will be maintained by the NYA."

"Six miles northeast of Bozeman in Bridger canyon another camp has been built under the supervision of the forest service. Youths cleared underbrush from a three and one-half acre plot, thinned trees and placed tables and benches."

Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper discussed recent accomplishments of the National Youth Administration in Montana, among which: "Two skating rinks have been provided in Anaconda. The project was sponsored by the city. The NYA also has taken over the ski slide, reconditioned it and put it in shape for use."

The PWA built two dormitories in 1936 for what was then called the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy. The two dorms are Benedict and Worrell Halls, both of which are still standing. The school's newspaper, The Prospector, reported in April 1936 that "Construction started April 15, 1936 on the two PWA allocated dormitories for 102 men and women students," and that school officials believed the new dormitories would help attract more and stronger students to the school.

In discussing recreational projects constructed by National Youth Administration labor in early 1937, Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported: "At Clyde Park the city officials sponsored a project which made it possible for the town to secure its first and only skating rink."