Unknown Sites

In 1936-37, a two-story classroom building was constructed at Lomita Elementary School in Lomita, CA with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA Moderne structure, which features Art Deco detailing, was designed by architect Marshall R. Lawson and built by Hanson, Howard, & Shaffer for $99,960. It is extant at the corner of Normandie Ave and 247th St. The reconstruction and renovation of Los Angeles schools damaged by the 1933 Long Beach earthquake was the single largest PWA funded program in the country, totaling ~$34.7 million (LA Times, May 23, 1937).  It was overseen by the Los Angeles Unified...

Three buildings at Long Beach City College's Liberal Arts Campus (formerly Long Beach Junior College) were constructed with Public Works Administration (PWA) funding in 1935. The original campus was destroyed by the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. The English building was constructed "of wood frame and stucco, with 17,400 square feet of floor space" (Short & Stanley-Brown, 1939). The building's status—extant or not—is yet to be confirmed. The physical-science and language/social-science buildings were also completed with PWA funding at this time.

Three buildings at Long Beach City College's Liberal Arts Campus (formerly Long Beach Junior College) were constructed with Public Works Administration (PWA) funding in 1935. The original campus was destroyed by the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. The language/social-science building "has 20,700 square feet of floor area and is constructed of wood frame and stucco" (Short & Stanley-Brown, 1939). The building's status—extant or not—is yet to be confirmed. The physical-science and English buildings were also completed with PWA funding at this time.

Three buildings at Long Beach City College's Liberal Arts Campus (formerly Long Beach Junior College) were constructed with Public Works Administration (PWA) funding in 1935. The original campus was destroyed by the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. The physical-science building was "constructed of steel frame and studding, providing approximately 24,000 square feet of usable floor area" (Short & Stanley-Brown, 1939). The building's status—extant or not—is yet to be confirmed. The English and language/social-science buildings were also completed with PWA funding at this time.

Longfellow Elementary School was built in 1935, likely with New Deal funding. It is unclear if the 1935 structure(s) survived subsequent additions/remodels. The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake destroyed hundreds of schools throughout Southern California. “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...

Lopez School, WP-52, was started Sept 25, 1935 and completed Dec 13, 1935. Federal funds included $1003 and sponsor contribution was $296 for repairs and renovations to the 1925 1.5 story building. The front lawn was graded and prepared for drainage, and an adjacent lot graded for a playground. The exterior woodwork was painted, and some interior painting and plastering of the cafeteria ceiling completed. The project included payroll for 14 laborers and 9 skilled workers of $809.04. The school was demolished September 2000.

Lorena Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Construction in 1934-36 totaled $121,745 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). In 1934-35, the original brick school buildings on E 7th St were rebuilt by Contracting Engineers Inc for $69,645. These two-story PWA Moderne style structures were designed by architect Paul Kingsbury. In 1936, a single-story classroom building was constructed in the northwest corner of campus. The architect was A. S. Nibecker and the contractors Blystone and Van Tuyle. The reconstruction and renovation of Los Angeles schools damaged by the 1933 Long Beach...

Los Angeles City College in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. The architectural firm of Allison and Allison, which had designed the original campus in 1914, led the redevelopment effort (LACC Historic Resources Survey Report, p. 6). Four of the six structures built between 1935 and 1938 were partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). In fact, LA City College was featured in the 1939 book Public Buildings: A Survey of Architecture of Projects Constructed with the Assistance of the Public Works Administration. The first PWA-funded construction on campus occurred early in 1935, when...

In 1934, the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) employed Buckley MacGurrin to paint a mural in the cafeteria of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The work is titled "Gastronomy Through the Ages," and depicts life-sized figures seated around a table arranged in chronological order, creating a visual timeline of culinary history from mythological eras onward. Famous historical figures are represented throughout the mural, such as Henry VIII. The mural spans three walls, covering 750 sq. feet. In an interview, MacGurrin stated that the mural took him six months to complete. The mural is no longer extant...

In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Army Corps of Engineers constructed a concrete wall channel in the Los Angeles River between Soto St. and Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA. The Los Angeles Times reported that "2400 WPA workers . . . deepened the bed of the river from eight to ten feet, paved a channel 270 feet in width, and constructed thirty-feet reinforced concrete walls on each side." This project was part of a larger flood control project on the Los Angeles River in response to damaging flooding throughout the 1930s.

The John H. Francis Polytechnic High School campus in Los Angeles, CA—which later became the site of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, or Trade-Tech—was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Construction in 1935-36 totaled $390,785 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). In 1935, the Campbell Construction Company rebuilt the school's auditorium and a classroom building. That same year, Pozzo Contruction Company built a two-story administration building. The latter structure, which combines elements of the PWA Moderne and Renaissance Revival styles (note the archways and tile roof), survives on W Washington Blvd. The PWA Moderne auditorium is...

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,...

Two buildings were constructed at Los Feliz Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1936-37. An auditorium and two-story, 35-room classroom building were designed by architect Kenneth MacDonald Jr and built by contractors C. T. and W. P. Stover for $219,970. Both PWA Moderne structures survive. The reconstruction and renovation of Los Angeles schools damaged by the 1933 Long Beach earthquake was the single largest PWA funded program in the country, totaling ~$34.7 million (LA Times, May 23, 1937).  It was overseen by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and proceeded in...

In 1939, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) made improvements to Lou Henry Hoover Park in Whittier, CA. With the WPA funds, a fountain was added and the park was landscaped.

Lou Henry Hoover School in Whittier was built in 1938 by the New Deal.  It has recently been renamed the Lou Henry Hoover School of Fine Arts.  Lou Henry Hoover was the wife of President Herbert Hoover and a played a role in California architectural history by her support of early Modernists. Construction was most likely paid for by the Public Works Administration (PWA), which funded schools throughout Southern California.  A local history claims it was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, but that is unlikely that an outside architect would have been hired from outside by the WPA. The building's style...

The Hoover School of Fine Arts, previously known as the Lou Henry Hoover Elementary School, in Whittier, CA is graced with beautiful bas-relief frieze by Bartolo Mako over the entrance. The frieze depicts a scene of the early Quakers who founded the city of Whittier more than one hundred years ago. The frieze is part of the structure, which was designed by local architect William Harrison, and paid for by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as part of the building construction.

Originally constructed in 1926, Lowell Elementary School was rehabilitated in 1935 by Edward Leodore Mayberry with New Deal funding following the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. The style is WPA/PWA Moderne. The 1933 earthquake destroyed hundreds of schools throughout Southern California. “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...

Lowery Field is a multi-use recreation field with 4 baseball diamonds, a football field, a basketball court and a playground. The state archives show a picture baseball field that was built by the Civil Works Administration or Alabama Relief Administration.

Icelandic sculptor Nina Saemundsson sculpted an eight-foot black cement nude of Prometheus for the Federal Arts Project (FAP). The sculpture, "Prometheus Bringing Fire to Earth" (1934), is located at the eastern Wilshire Boulevard entrance to MacArthur Park.

The playground at MacNeil Park in the College Point neighborhood of Queens was opened in February 1935. According to the Parks Department, the new playground was "completely equipped with gymnastic and play apparatus." Although sources do not explicitly mention New Deal involvement, researcher Frank da Cruz explains that almost all New York City Parks Department projects between 1934 and 1943 were accomplished with New Deal funds and/or labor. Federal funding for laborers, materials, architects, landscapers and engineers employed on Parks projects is acknowledged in about 350 press releases from 1934 to 1943. As this playground was finished in February 1935, several...

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) funded improvements at the Macomb Playground in Washington DC between 1935 and 1936. The crews graded 1,500 cubic yards.  

In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a sewer interceptor in the Magnolia Park neighborhood of Burbank, CA. The sewer interceptor is eight miles in length and moves wastewater from a number of smaller pipes to a wastewater treatment facility.

Main Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1936. The original building on E 52nd St was renovated for $43,500 according to designs by architect Lester T. Squiers. In addition, a new two-story classroom building designed by architects Spencer and Landon was constructed by contractor E. C. Nesser for $103,500 on E 53rd St. Both PWA Moderne buildings survive. The reconstruction and renovation of Los Angeles schools damaged by the 1933 Long Beach earthquake was the single largest PWA funded program in the country, totaling ~$34.7 million (LA Times, May...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Main Street Steps in Cincinnati OH. Access up and down Mt. Auburn. Excerpt from Cincinnati Magazine: "These are Cincinnati’s first concrete steps, poured as a WPA project in the 1940s, and longest, at 355 risers. Built into the right-of-way of the defunct Mt. Auburn Incline, they rise from the corner of Mulberry, Main, and Antique streets and are a workout—but well worth it for the views at the top."

Malabar Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Construction between 1935 and 1937 totaled $156,290 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). In 1935, J & B Construction Company reconstructed the three-story annex that adjoins the school auditorium. This PWA Moderne style structure with two peaked roofs is only visible from the rear of campus. The following year, H. A. Nichols reconstructed the auditorium according to designs by architect Frederick Scholer. Facing onto Malabar St, this PWA Moderne auditorium features a Renaissance Revival style circular window. Also in 1936, contractor Byerts &...

Manchester Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. The 1936 project totaled $141,900 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). Atlas Construction Company rebuilt the school auditorium and constructed a new two-story classroom building designed by architects Lewis Eugene Wilson and Edwin Ellison Merrill. The PWA Moderne auditorium is extant at the corner of W Manchester Ave and S Hoover St. The two-story classroom building is likely the one located directly south of the auditorium. It, too, was designed in a basic PWA Moderne style, and is connected to the...

Designed by Watson L. Hawk, Mann Elementary School was built in 1935 with New Deal funding. The style is WPA/PWA Moderne. The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake destroyed hundreds of schools throughout Southern California. “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...

Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Architects John and Donald B. Parkinson designed a Moderne-style campus of reinforced concrete, featuring horizontal banding, rounded corners, concrete grilles, and tiled entries. Construction between 1935 and 1937 totaled approximately $372,702 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). PWA records include photographs of Manual Arts High School students engaged in weaving, home economics, and beauty culture classes. In 1935, general contractor Lindgren & Swinerton built two new buildings for approximately $247,000 (one contemporary source says $247,583 and another $246,483). The science building...

A grant from the Works Progress Administration funded the construction of an addition to Seattle's former Maple Leaf Grade School during the late 1930s. The school, which was part of the Maple Leaf School District at the time, was located on the northeast corner of Northeast 100th Street and 32nd Avenue NE. The original school building, situated at the northern end of the site, was completed in 1926. Four years later, an addition to the school was built to accommodate the increasing number of children who attended the school. As the surrounding neighborhood continued to grow during the 1920s and 1930s,...

This New Deal airport, originally known as Mt. Bullion Airfield, was constructed as relief work paid for by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) c. 1934-35 (New York Times 1935). It was later improved by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) c 1938-39.  On August 4, 1938, the Fresno Bee reported: "Improvement of the Mt. Bullion Airport, completion of the forest service road from Acorn Inn to Darrah and work on the part of the route already existing is foreseen as a result of action taken by the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors. The work will be done with the assistance of the Works Progress...

New Deal agencies made improvements to Marquette Park in Chicago, Illinois, in the 1930s, including a fieldhouse, comfort stations (restrooms) and footbridges.  Unfortunately, we do not know the dates of these facilities or which agencies were involved. Marquette Park was pieced together from 1879 to 1910. It was originally meant to be a landscaped "breathing space" for the city's immigrant neighborhoods and was included in the Olmsted Brothers 1903 plans for Chicago's system of parks. Marquette Park's improvements occurred slowly, however.  The park's earliest features were a golf course and a nursery of nearly 90,000 trees and shrubs. By 1917, the...

The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building is named after Marriner Stoddard Eccles (1890-1977), FDR’s Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1934-1948. It was built from 1935-1937, at a cost of $3,484,000. The Federal Reserve paid for the building out of its own funds, and also took part in the construction plans. The architect of the Federal Reserve Building was Paul P. Cret, and the contractor was the George A. Fuller Company. FDR dedicated the building on October 20, 1937, and Congress named the building after Eccles in 1982.

Between October 1934 and February 1935, the Public Works Administration (PWA) rebuilt Marshall Early Education Center (formerly Marshall School) in San Gabriel, CA. It was one of four schools rebuilt by the Garvey School District with the Los Angeles County Relief Agency (LACRA) following the devastating 1933 Long Beach earthquake. The original structure has been renovated extensively since the New Deal era.

Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School (formerly Jacob Riis High School), which opened in 1925, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) between 1934 and 1935. In January 1934, the PWA allocated $9,380,000 to the Los Angeles Unified School District for the rehabilitation of schools damaged in the severe 1933 Long Beach earthquake. One hundred and thirty schools would benefit from the system-wide loan and grant, with 2,500 men to be employed in rehabilitation work over 21 months. Upon receiving news of the PWA allocation, Board of Education member Arthur Eckman told the Los Angeles Times, “I am sure that...

What is now the town of Palmer was founded in 1935 as the Matanuska Colony Project. It was one of 100 New Deal resettlement programs and involved major efforts the Resettlement Administration and Farm Security Admininstration. The town site of Palmer expanded rapidly with the relocation of 203 colonists from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin in 1935.  Prior to that, the area was composed of independent homesteads.  A large number of new homes and buildings went up between 1935 and 1940 as part of the Matanuska Colony. A non-profit organization, the Alaska Rural Rehabilitation Corporation (ARRC), was incorporated to implement the plan....

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed what is locally known as the "Mathews Drop structure" northeast of Caliente, Nevada. Its construction was meant to "stop gully erosion along the Meadow Valley Wash, slowing floodwaters and stopping head-cutting along a portion of the Meadow Valley Wash north of Caliente."   The Mathews Drop Dam was so effective that, after many years, Panaca Meadows replaced the huge erosion gully cutting through the valley.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a community hall for the town of McFarland in the 1930s. The hall was constructed of adobe brick covered in stucco with a tile roof, in the Mission Revival style popular in California at the time. A concrete block addition was added in 1951 and another new wing was recently built to provide for a city council meeting room.  The whole building is still in use by the city. The original WPA community hall is the structure visible on the left in the photographs. The new wing, which replicates the Mission Revival style of the original,...

McKinley School (formerly McKinley Junior High School) in Pasadena, CA is home to a mural titled “Modern Education/School Activities” by Frank Tolles Chamberlain. Located in the school library, the 40 by 16 foot oil-on-canvas mural was completed in 1942 after seven years of intermittent work. Chamberlin received funding from the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in 1934 and from the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) beginning in 1935. Chamberlain chose McKinley as the location for “Modern Education/School Activities” because his own children were students at the school. The mural blends idealism and realism in its depiction of forty-nine students engaged...

McKinley Avenue Elementary School (formerly Seventy-Ninth Street Elementary School) in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Reconstruction in 1935-36 was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The school assembly building was rebuilt by contractor Harry F. Miller in 1936 for $22,392. Frank D. Hudson was the architect. This two-story PWA Moderne structure, located at the corner of E 78th St and McKinley Ave, was demolished and replaced in 2024. The kindergarten building at the corner of E 79th St and McKinley Ave was also rebuilt in 1936. In addition, the main school building had been...

Designed by M. Eugene Durfee, McKinley Elementary School (Building A) was built in 1934 with Public Works Administration (PWA) funding. It is one of six LBUSD schools built in the aftermath of the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake that were designed in the Period Revival style instead of WPA/PWA Moderne. The 1933 earthquake destroyed hundreds of schools throughout Southern California. “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...