Unknown Sites

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) renovated McKinley Elementary school in Santa Monica, CA, under at least two separate projects.

Sculpted by Stefan De Vriedt in 1936, this four-foot cast stone sculpture of two children reading was funded by the WPA Federal Arts Project (FAP). Titled "Storybook Land," it is located in McKinley Elementary School's inner courtyard in Santa Monica, CA.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) contributed to the improvement of Oklahoma City’s McMechan Park in 1940. “McMechan Park at Oklahoma City, Okla., will be expanded to a 17-acre development,” a reporter noted in January 1940, “according to plans disclosed by Donald Gordon, superintendent of parks. A $12,000 WPA project which will include landscaping, tree planting, grading, and establishment of play areas on the site will be submitted.” According to the Parks and Recreation Department, the WPA expanded the park to include land on both sides of McMechan Parkway. The park still serves as a recreation site for Oklahoma City residents today.

The Utah National Guard was funded by the New Deal to built several armories.  One of those is in Mount Pleasant. The exact year of construction is unknown to us.. "During the 1930s, UTNG used federal money, often supplied through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), to build or expand a number of UTNG facilities. The WPA funded eight armories and several garage and storage areas for the UTNG. By 1940, 13 armories were in use by the Utah Guard including  . The building is now utilized by the city of Mt. Pleasant as its Recreation Center, a.k.a. Memorial Hall.

In 1936-37, three buildings were constructed at Menlo Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). Designed by architect Albert B. Gardner and built by contractor N. A. Anderson, the three Art Deco buildings are connected via breezeway on W 41st Dr. The project totaled $110,389. 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 two...

This limestone community hall is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of SE Hamilton County Road 33 and SE Hamilton County Road Z, roughly 9.5 miles south of Kendall, Kansas. It was used for school and religious meetings, including the rural schools' consolidated Christmas program. The auditorium upstairs seats 230. The basement includes a kitchen and dining room for 100. The original estimated cost was $18,555. No taxes were raised to help fund the project; rather the Menno Community Club raised the $4000 required for the local contribution. On July 1, 1936 the community held a work day whereby...

The Portland Sunday Telegraph reported on FERA road work in the Westbrook community notes. "85 NOW EMPLOYED ON FERA WORK Eighty men and five foremen are engaged in work here under the new FERA setup which went into effect Friday. According to Mayor Rufus K. Jordan, local administrator, the work is progressing smoothly. Seventy men and four foremen are engaged in grading and lining out the Methodist Road, while ten workemen and one foreman are clearing the pasture of the City Farm. Work under this setup will run for four weeks, coming to an end Aug. 29." The town farm mentioned no...

Metropolitan Continuation High School (formerly Coronel High School) in Los Angeles, CA was remodeled with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1936-37. The architect was A. S. Nibecker Jr and Arthur Pinner Jr the contractor; construction totaled $38,778. 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 two cycles, 1934-35 and 1935-37. The first cycle began in Spring 1934, lasted 21...

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Miami Beach High School in Miami Beach FL in 1935. The PWA awarded a $205,000 grant for the construction of three schools in the district, while 495,000 school district bond covered the rest of the construction costs. The construction costs of the high school amounted to $240,000. Currently an elementary school under another name.  

Middleton Street Elementary School, which opened in 1932, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1934. While most of the school has since been demolished and replaced, the original auditorium—which was likely included in the 1934 renovations—survives on Zoe Ave. It is PWA Moderne in style. 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 two cycles, 1934-35 and...

On May 2, 1934, Public Works Administration (PWA) director and Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, “announced today he had signed a contract covering a loan of $36,000 to the Midland Continental Railroad company in North Dakota for the purchase of a new Diesel-electric locomotive” (Argus-Leader, 1934). This PWA-funded locomotive would become No. 310 in Midland Continental Railroad’s (MCR) small roster of equipment.  It would also be the first Diesel-electric engine assigned to road service in the western United States.  Prior to this, diesel locomotives were relegated to “switcher” service (i.e., moving train cars short distances, usually within the confines of...

Following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, Miles Avenue Elementary School in Huntington Park, CA was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). Four structures were built in 1935-37 at a total cost of $188,114. In 1935, W. W. Petley and C. Matcham built three single-story, PWA Moderne classroom buildings. All three survive and face onto Miles Ave. The following year, Arthur Pinner Jr built an auditorium designed by architect Ralph C. Flewelling. This structure does not appear to survive. The reconstruction and renovation of Los Angeles schools damaged by the 1933 Long Beach earthquake was the single largest PWA funded...

The park, formerly City Park, was constructed, including clearing grounds, building bridges, sidewalks, tables, benches entrance, water and lights. An entrance was erected, croquet courts and other conveniences and attractions were built throughout the park. The creek was also walled. City park costs were $8,921 and employed 22 men initially, and a total of 32 men for six months. The work included cleaning and preparing the site and erecting culverts over the creek. Additional city park improvements were made for $4,273, hired 34 workers, and was financed by the Works Progress Administration in 1936. The park is still extant and...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) carried out improvements to the grounds at the Miller Valley Elementary School in Prescott AZ in 1936-1937.  From the WPA project card in the National Archives, it appears that these included a stone entrance to the school grounds. The school was closed in the 2010s, but the old WPA stone walls have survived at the corner of W. Iron Springs and Miller Valley Roads.

The historic Mingue Mountain fire lookout tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) working under the supervision of the US Forest Service. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The NRHP Nomination Form gives details: "Located on the Uerde Ranger District, this 59 ft steel x-brace tower with a 7 ft by 7 ft steel cab was erected in 1935, The lookout tower was designed by the Pacific Coast Steel Company. The wood frame cabin, a simple gable roofed structure with an overhanging front porch was also built in 1935. Study of historic photographs...

The Minnesota Machinery Museum is housed in the former Hanley Falls School built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939.

Between 1935 and 1937, a school building and an auditorium were built at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA. Construction totaled $199,200 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). Contractor Robert E. McKee oversaw the construction of a two-story, 30-room building in 1935. Designed by Carleton Monroe Winslow, the structure combines elements of the PWA Moderne and Renaissance Revival styles. The following year, Winslow designed a single-story auditorium. Located on the western end of campus, the auditorium also combines elements of the PWA Moderne and Renaissance Revival styles. It was built by C. L. Wurster. The reconstruction and renovation...

Mississippi utilized a number of federal work relief and infrastructure opportunities to repair, improve, and construct the levee system at various locations along the Mississippi River from Gunnison in Bolivar county south through Greenville in Washington county to Fitler in Issaquena county Agencies included Civil Works Administration, Works Progress Administration, and Army Corps of Engineers, expended a total of $227,634, employed at least 675 men, and were carried out between 1933 and 1940.

New Deal agencies provided important assistance to the U.S. Forest Service in the care and management of Modoc National Forest in northeastern California (and other national forests around the country, as well).  The Modoc National Forest website had this very useful summary of their work when we visited in 2014.  This information can no longer be found on that website, alas. "President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided a work force, which pushed the Modoc Forest development work years ahead. A special camp was built at Hackamore in 1933 and maintained there almost until the abandonment of the Corps...

The Kaiser Pass Road (opened in 1927) resulted in increased travel to Mono Hot Springs on the west side of the Sierra Nevada near Huntington Lake – one of the best-known hot springs in California. Therefore, the Forest Service decided to utilize the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to upgrade the facilities there. In 1934, the CCC men constructed a bathhouse and several auxiliary buildings over the concrete-walled springs on the south side of the San Joaquin River.  On the north side of the river, the CCC built a campground. The buildings were torn down in 1963 and a new bathhouse built on...

Gus Gay painted this mural for the Federal Art Project, part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).  Gay was one of what Nancy Boas calls "the California Colorists" of the era. Nancy Boas notes that, "His mural for Monterey High School uses his characteristic late palette, strong on deep cerulean blue and chalky reds and pinks. The solid forms and simple architectural backgrounds reveal Gay's clarity of design." There may be two other murals in the high school whose provenance is also New Deal. More information is needed on those.

A Public Works Administration grant helped to fund construction of the Montlake Boulevard Pedestrian Overcrossing on the campus of the University of Washington. The bridge provided a safer pedestrian connection between the main part of the campus west of Montlake Boulevard and the university's main athletic facilities east of Montlake Boulevard, including Husky Stadium and the University of Washington Pavilion, later renamed to Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Construction of the bridge began in late 1938 and was substantially completed by February of 1939. The total cost of the project was $22,349, of which 45% was paid by the PWA. The remainder...

Moran State Park was created in 1921 when Robert Moran, shipbuilder and former mayor of Seattle, donated more than 2,700-acres to the state for a park. Like many state parks at the time, it was not well developed for public recreation until the coming of the New Deal. Most of the trails, roads, bridges, and buildings in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the 1930s. The CCC typically used native materials on site to construct the many stone and wooden shelters and buildings. The Moran State Park website offers a few more details on its History page: "In...

Moran State Park was created in 1921 when Robert Moran, shipbuilder and former mayor of Seattle, donated more than 2,700-acres to the state for a park. Like many state parks at the time, it was not well developed for public recreation until the coming of the New Deal. Most of the trails, roads, bridges, and buildings in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the 1930s. The CCC typically used native materials on site to construct the many stone and wooden shelters and buildings. The most notable of the CCC's structures is the stone observation tower at the...

The 1935-1937 Morgan County High School was constructed of native stone and timber in West Liberty, KY. The construction was begun as a KERA project, but completed by the Works Progress Administration. It served as the high school until the 1940s when it became the middle school. The school was closed in 1989. The building was renovated with a $1 million grant in 1993-1994 and is two-story with basement. It is used for Morgan County offices currently. Mrs. Roosevelt, wife of the President, spoke at the building dedication.

Exact location of water tower unknown.

A 1928 addition to Morris K. Hamasaki Elementary School (formerly Riggin Avenue Elementary School) was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Reconstruction in 1935 totaled $37,500 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The school combines elements of the PWA Moderne and Renaissance Revival styles, with the northwest wing of the main building appearing to be the reconstructed 1928 addition. Today, Hamasaki Elementary School is a Medical and Science Magnet. 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...

The Swimming Pool at Morrow Mountain State Park in North Carolina was built sometime between 1937 and 1942 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the State of North Carolina under the supervision of the National Park Service. Opened in 1939, Morrow Mountain State Park – the site of the swimming pool – was also a product of the New Deal. Work crews of the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed many of the park’s trails and facilities between 1937 and 1942. Additional facilities were later added with the help of state funds in the 1950s and 1960s. As...

A Public Works Administration grant helped fund the construction of Mount Greenwood Elementary School at 108th Street and South Homan Avenue in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood neighborhood. The new school was designed by Board of Education architect John Charles Christensen. The two-story, brick structure included fifteen classrooms, a gymnasium, and an assembly hall. The architectural style of the building, characterized by a low horizontal profile, wide window openings, and geometric brickwork patterns, is similar to that of many other neighborhood schools designed by Christensen during the 1930s. Construction work on the new school began in March 1936 and was completed in...

In 1934, Aurelius Battaglia painted two murals for the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood library,  "Animal Circus" and  "Animal Orchestra."   They occupy two reading alcoves off the Children's Room to this day. Funding was provided by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), an early New Deal relief program for unemployed artists. Later, Battaglia moved to California and joined Walt Disney, animating classics such as Dumbo, Pinocchio and Fantasia. Mount Pleasant is a branch of the DC public library system.  The lovely building was paid for by the Carnegie Foundation in 1903.

CCC Co. 117 (S53) out of Tamworth NH was involved in road construction on Mt. Willard, Crawford Notch.

In 1937, Bessie Heller designed a pair of tile mosaics for wall fountains at Mountain View High School in El Monte, CA. Heller received funding from the Federal Art Project (FAP). Heller worked in the art department at MGM Studios. Her other FAP works in the region include a mural, "The Map Makers of the World" (1939), at Virgil Middle School in Los Angeles, CA.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) refurbished an old factory and turned it into a neighborhood center, primarily serving impoverished children. The idle Muchenberger Center resides at what had been the corner of 5th Street and Sycamore Street before highway development in the area. News Express Now: "Between 1936 and 1938 Works Progress Administration workers worked with a local architect to modify the building and grounds to turn it from a factory into a recreational center." Today, the building is barely noticeable, tucked at the end of a long driveway north of Hickory Street between a highway interchange cloverleaf and the train tracks.

In 1940-41, the Works Projects Administration (WPA) made major improvements to the Long Beach Airport, then known as Daugherty Field. WPA relief workers constructed a new terminal and control tower building. The two-story terminal was designed by Horace Austin and Kenneth Wing in the Streamline Moderne style, with a nautical touch. The mosaics inside the building are the work of WPA-artist Grace Richardson Clements. "In the late 1930s, the council approved plans to purchase 255 acres adjoining the municipal airport and the construction of a three-story administration building and tower at the east side of the airfield. The airfield was improved...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, WV. According to WOWK: "The history of the Charleston Municipal Auditorium in West Virginia’s capital city started with debate from citizens. According to the auditorium’s Statement of Significance to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, the debate on whether or not to have the auditorium in downtown Charleston began in the 1930s. It says people for the auditorium said it was needed because it would attract performers and bring culture to the capital city. On the other side, people said it would be an 'unnecessary...

The Public Works Administration provided $7 million in funds to construction this auditorium with room for city offices. The building was renovated in 1991 and is now the Topeka Performing Arts Center.

In 1934, the Public Works Administration (PWA), completed a municipal fish market in San Pedro, CA. An article in the Illustrated Daily News noted the project employed 130 to 170 men for 10 months. The Mission Revival style building exists today and provides fish wholesale to businesses and to the public early Saturday mornings from 3:30 to 7:30am.  

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of municipal offices and auditorium for the City of Marion, Kansas. It still serves this purpose.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Municipal Pool and Bathhouse in Alva, OKlahoma. The pool is constructed of poured concrete and the bathhouse has Art Deco elements. The bathhouse is now painted white. It has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The former Municipal Public Works Garage Industrial District is comprised of six single-story, brick buildings built c. 1940. The garages are on the west bank of the Cumberland River, in Nashville. Buildings 1 through 4 run lengthwise northwest to southeast while Buildings 5 and 6 run northeast to southwest.  This New Deal project was funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA), which was absorbed into the Federal Works Administration (FWA) in 1939. The Works Progress (or Projects) Administration (WPA) provided labor for the project. The Municipal Public Works Garage Industrial District was constructed to house various municipal public works departments, such as...