Start Year: 1937

The stately Ransom County Courthouse in Lisbon, North Dakota was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project (though it is sometimes mis-attributed to the WPA). The PWA supplied a $49,090 grant for the project, whose total cost was $109,220. Primary construction occurred between Dec. 1937 and Nov. 1938. This "project, along with a construction boom helped lift the county out of depression." PWA Docket No. N.D. 1050-R

The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided financial support for the revamping of the "power plant and heating systems" of what was then known as Appalachian State Teachers College in Boone, North Carolina. The PWA provided a grant of $14,178 for the project, whose total cost was $33,860. Work occurred between Dec. 1937 and Jun. 1938. Per The Charlotte Observer, the contract for the work was awarded to Bagwell Plumbing and Heating of Durham. Living New Deal believes the (most likely-demolished) facility to be located at the south end of campus, on University Drive, by what is now the site of the...

CCC Camp Four Mile, also known as the CCC Bandon Side Camp, served as a base for Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers from its founding in spring 1937 through 1941. Today the site is occupied by a Coos Forest Protective Association (CFPA) patrol district, and a CCC building houses the administration office for the CFPA's Four Mile Guard Station. Thus, it continues its association with firefighting and fire prevention services for the area south of Bandon, Oregon. CCC Camp Four Mile offers one example of many "side camps" that provided firefighting services in the Coos Forest Protection Association District. During the...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) began to pursue improvements at San Jose’s St. James Park in 1937. While the two-square block city park had long been central to public and political life in the city, project leaders hoped that the New Deal initiative would make it “more attractive than ever.” Specific improvements such as “revamping” the park’s landscape and constructing an underground sprinkler system were estimated to cost $35,000. Another $150,000 were initially penciled in for the construction of new facilities and more general improvements in and around the park, but only restrooms were built. It appears.   An historical evaluation of...

Panorama of Military History - Painted by T.L. Johnson and funded by the Federal Arts Project (FAP). Covering the south wall is a tremendous mural, in brilliant colors, which features a panorama of military history. The drawing covers an area of 2450 square feet. It measures 70ft. in length, and 35ft. in height. The mural pictures 20 great historical battles most decisive and important in charting the course of civilization. Both the military dress and weapons portrayed are authentic. It includes famous military leaders in these engagements and in other brilliant campaigns. The arms history begins with the bow and arrow...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted substantial improvement work at the Ten Sleep Fish Hatchery in 1937. "The collaborative project got underway in May 1937 after an appropriation of $16,000 was approved. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission supplied the materials while the WPA paid for the labor. Most of the construction was completed during the summer of 1937. After an additional appropriation was granted in November, work remaining on the residence was completed. The hatchery would be the largest and most complete hatchery in the state at the time. It was officially designated as the Ten Sleep State Fish Hatchery of...

The former city hall building in Altamont, Kansas was constructed in 1937 with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds and labor. The status and location of the former building are presently unknown to Living New Deal.

The Works Progress Administration excavated and constructed stone drives, straightened the monuments, improved the grounds, and constructed the entrance posts at Huron Cemetery in Huron, Indiana. $3022 was budgeted for project.

Topeka High School has three examples of David Hicks Overmyer’s work, two carried out under the WPA’s Federal Art Project. The first is the large painting “Pageant of Old England” which was commissioned by the Topeka School Board in 1936, completed in 1937, and funded by the FAP. It was created for the English Room, an oversized classroom that includes a fireplace, Tudor-style woodwork, and a gothic-arched stage. The painting shows a group of medieval figures passing through an English village with a large castle in the background. “Pageant of Old England” currently still hangs in the English Room. In 1938,...

The historic Clearwater County Courthouse was constructed in 1937-8 with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA provided a grant of $29,250 for the project, whose total cost was $90,358. Foss and Company of Fargo, N.D. designed the building, which was built by Hendenburg and Company. The PWA Moderne-style building has since been remodeled and added to. PWA Project Minn. 1196