Unknown Sites

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the bathhouse and beach at Pokagon State Park in Angola, Indiana, in 1938-39.   CCC 'boys' trucked endless loads of gravel from a deposit in another part of the park to create a swimming beach, as well as a fine gravel lake bottom.  This was accomplished by spreading a thick layer of gravel over the ice of the frozen lake where the beach was being created and letting it settle as the ice melted. The gabled frame bathhouse was completed in 1939. The beach and bathhouse are not marked as CCC, but there is now a...

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees worked on Pokagon State Park’s Group Camp from 1934 to 1939. The main area of the camp, which overlooks Lake James to the west, contains five buildings, the centerpiece of which is a lovely octagonal stone dining hall/kitchen. Around the central area, roughly organized into three groups, are 13 identical small frame cabins.    The Group Camp is not marked as CCC. But the old gatehouse is now a CCC Pocket Museum with exhibits and the Nature Center has an exhibit that lists all the structures CCC enrollees worked on.  

The saddle barn at Pokagon State Park was constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees in 1938.   It still serves its original function. The structure is classified as Parks Rustic. New Deal agencies built several attractive saddle barns and extensive horse trails in most of the state parks, bringing this activity into the reach of the average visitor.  The saddle barn is not marked as CCC, but there is now a CCC Pocket Museum in the old gatehouse and the Nature Center has an exhibit that lists all the structures CCC enrollees worked on.

The Spring Shelter at Pokagon State Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1937-38.  Originally conceived as a trailside shelter next to a natural spring, the Spring Shelter was built of hewn logs.  Originally, the shelter was also used as an overnight cabin. The style of the building is classified as Parks Rustic. Substantial CCC stone work also enhanced the appearance and accessibility of the artesian well beside the shelter.  The Spring Shelter is not marked as CCC, but there is now a CCC Pocket Museum with exhibits in the old gatehouse and the Nature Center has an exhibit that...

Long Beach Polytechnic High School, which opened in 1895, was rebuilt with New Deal funding in 1935 after incurring extensive damage during the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. Buildings 100, 300, 400, 600, and the auditorium were designed by architect Hugh Davies in the WPA/PWA Moderne style. Polytechnic High's auditorium is of particular note. "During the repairs, the building was transformed from a Mediterranean Revival auditorium to a building that strongly evoked the WPA Moderne style. While the corner towers retained the look of three windows near the base of the structures, the domes as well as any arching was removed,...

Ivan Bartlett and Jean Swiggett—alumni of Long Beach Polytechnic High School—completed this tempera fresco, entitled "Industrial Activities in Long Beach," in 1938/39. It was commissioned and funded by the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP). The mural, which wraps around an interior stairwell between buildings 300 and 400, measures 18 by 32 feet. It depicts a crowded city scene of local people at work and play near the harbor.

An unknown WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) artist—possibly Eugene Broachs—created a 5' by 6' painting for Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, CA. Painted in 1939, the work "is made of two textured canvases hanging in a wooden frame above the main entrance hallway. The work depicts ten students either engaged in various activities or holding objects representing scholastic activities such as the arts, sports, reading etc. The brushstrokes have a sketchy drawing-like appearance" (LBUSD WPA Artwork Collections Assessment Guidelines Survey, p. 21).

The historic post office in Calumet, Michigan was constructed by the US Treasury Department ca. 1939.  It is still in use today. The lobby is intact and contains a New Deal mural by Joe Lasker.

The construction of what is now known as the Hub City Station post office in Compton, CA, was funded by the Department of the Treasury. It was completed in 1935 and is home to James Redmond's mural "Early California" (see linked project).

The historic post office building in Burlingame, California was constructed in 1941 with Treasury Department funds. The building was sold to private interests in September 2014 and ceased its postal operations in January 2015. Part of the building and its artwork have been incorporated into a new adaptive reuse project.

The former Post Office in Venice, now privatized, contains a surreal, 10' x 20' mural, entitled "The Story of Venice," was painted by Edward Biberman under the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The mural was done with oil-wax emulsion on canvas.  It depicts a collage of city scenes from the early 20th century, including oil rigs and the old Venice pier.

In 1936, Charles Kassler painted a series of eight lunette murals for the former Beverly Hills Post Office (today's Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts). Located at either end of the Grand Hall's interior, the lunettes "Post Rider" and "Air Mail" were funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA) and depict the past and future of the mail service. The remaining six lunettes, collectively titled "Construction–PWA", were funded by the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP).

In 1937, the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP) commissioned artist Stuart Holmes to create a sculpture, titled "Eagle," for the post office in Bell, CA. The post office has since been demolished and the sculpture is now in private hands.

Atanas Katchamakoff carved a relief from Spanish cedar, "Covina Desert Orange Grove." It frames a door in the Covina, CA, post office lobby. The project was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA) and was completed in 1941. Note: Established in 1939, the Section of Fine Arts succeeded the Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture (1934-1938) and the Treasury Section of Fine Arts (1938-1939) in overseeing artworks created to enhance public buildings, notably post offices.

The main Santa Clara post office contains a 4' x 3.5' wood carving, "Early Pioneers" by Michael von Meyer, created under the auspices of the Treasury Relief Art Project, c. 1935.

The historic post office in California, Pennsylvania houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Monongahela River," an oil-on-canvas mural completed in 1939 by Saul Berman. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The mural "Copper Mining in Calumet" by Joe Lasker was commissioned by the federal Treasury Section of Fine Arts and installed in Calumet, Michigan's historic post office building in 1941. After a long and successful career the artist passed away in 2015.

This oil-on-canvas mural entitled “How Happy Was the Occasion” was painted by Mary M. Purser in 1939. Installed in the historic Clarksville, Arkansas post office, the work measures 5' x 10'. "Mary May Purser was commissioned for $470 to create a mural for Clarksville, Arkansas on the basis of competent designs submitted in the Vicksburg, Post Office Competition. Purser visited Clarksville in search of appropriate subject matter and spoke with the local postmaster. The main source of information for the mural came from Ella Molloy Langford's book, History of Johnson County, Arkansas: The first hundred years, which described Clarksville as it...

In 1936, artist James Redmond (assisted by Donald Totten) painted a mural, "Early California," for the post office in Compton, CA (now known as the Hub City Station post office). Funded by the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP), the mural depicts the mythic history of early California. It wraps around all four walls of the lobby. "One of the most beautiful sets of mural panels executed under government sponsorship during the depression is James Redmond's panels for the Compton Post Office. Unfortunately, because of their location, they are also one of the least visited sites, which is a pity since they...

In 1941, George Samerjan painted a 12' x 10' tempera mural titled "Studio Lot" for the Culver City, CA, post office (now Gateway Station post office). It was commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts (SFA). Samerjan was inspired by the MGM studios located in Culver City. "The scene depicts a film stage, as is evident by the framing that is visible behind the house façade and the support that attaches the tree limb to the base in the foreground. initially wanted to paint the behind-the-scenes workers who create movies, such as script researchers, machine shop mechanics, and the projection...

Elise Seeds painted "Air Mail" for the Oceanside CA Post Office in 1937. This 16' x 6' oil on canvas depicts a mail plane flying over a California landscape. It was commissioned and funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Elise Seeds, also known as Alyse Cavanna, was a film actress, dancer, comedienne, and vegetarian as well as a painter. More on her career here.

An oil on canvas mural, "Richmond - Industrial City," by Victor Arnautoff was installed in the Richmond Post Office in April 1941.  It was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts program.  The mural disappeared for years and was only recently rediscovered and moved to the Richmond Museum of History. It has not been restored as yet and is unavailable for public viewing as of 2019.  In 1976, the interior of the Richmond post office was completely renovated and the mural was removed by art conservator Nathan Zakheim, the son of another renowned New Deal artist, Bernard Zakheim.  But it was then...

In 1938, painter Ray Strong was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts to paint a mural for the post office in San Gabriel, CA. The oil on canvas mural is titled "San Gabriel County" and depicts desert hills. It now hangs in the office of the postmaster.

In 1937, John Law Walker painted an oil on canvas mural titled "The Stage Coach" for the South Pasadena Post Office in South Pasadena, CA. The mural was commissioned by the Treasury Relief Art Project. The mural represents the transition from the Spanish to the early American period. It depicts an overland mail coach, set in typical California scenes.  

The Treasury Section of Fine Arts commissioned two plaster bas-reliefs by Mary Kittredge for the post office in Delta, Colorado.  They are entitled "Cattle" and "Fruit", and were installed in 1942. The works are still in place and the building was placed on the National Register in 1986.

Two glazed ceramic tile murals grace the front porch of the Monterey, California, main post office.  Both were created by Stanton Willard in 1933.  The murals are titled,  "Raising the Flag at Monterey by the Forces of Commander Sloat, July 7, 1846" and "The landing of Sebastian Viscaino at Monterey, December 16, 1602". The murals are very large, 4' x 6' and 4' x 8'. The stand at opposite ends of the recessed front porch. They were likely commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Art, but they might have been done under the Treasury Relief Art Project in 1933-34.

Built in 1937 to re-start a floundering city library system, to be staffed by Works Progress Administration librarians. Building continued to serve as the library until the 1960s. Currently in private ownership. Built of rusticated sandstone and unusual in the fact that the main entry in on the second floor. A pair of stone staircases provide front-door access. Adjacent to the building is on overgrown park with BBQ pits and picnic tables. It's unclear whether the park was part of the WPA construction.

The Works Progress Administration built the Poteau School Gymnasium in Poteau OK. Built in 1936-37, primarily to accommodate basketball, but could also be used as an auditorium. Two stories, 100'x78', sandstone.

Prado Dam outside Corona, CA was constructed between 1938-41 by the Army Corps of Engineers. The dam is located at the confluence of the Santa Ana River, Chico Creek, Cucamonga Creek, and Temescal Wash. Following devastating floods in the Los Angeles Area in the 1930s, initiatives for flood control projects were put forward. Although not in Los Angeles County, one of these project proposals was for Prado Dam, situated in Riverside County near the city of Corona. The Prado Dam project became of extreme importance after a devastating flood on March 3rd, 1938 when the Santa Ana River broke its...

The Prairie Creek Fish Hatchery near Orick was one of the first local hatcheries developed in California to improve sport and commercial fishing. It was constructed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) on the 6.2-acre site of a previous hatchery.  The work included the hatchery ponds, five water tanks, a pipeline, superintendent's house, assistant's house, sidewalk, garage shop, and shed. The hatchery operated until 1992 and the site is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Prince William Forest Park was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), with help from skilled workers of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), from 1935 to 1942.  It was then known as Chopawamsic Recreation Demonstration Area (the name was changed in 1948).  RDAs were meant for getting inner city children out into the country to enjoy the benefits of nature and outdoor recreation. The New Deal programs built permanent structures, including the park headquarters and five cabin camps, extensive roads and trails, and five recreational lakes.  Almost all these improvements are still in use today.  The National Park Service, which operates...

Walter Inglis Anderson and his brother, James McConnell Anderson were commissioned in 1935 to create murals for the 1927 Ocean Springs Public High School as part of the Public Works of Art Project. “Ocean Springs: Past and Present” was a six-panel oil on canvas. “The Fish and Bird Mural” was a tile mural constructed in four sections. Both are in the Walter Anderson Museum of Art since 1991. Anderson’s murals were painted on canvas sheets and then glued to the wall of the school auditorium, flanking the stage. Two were 14 feet long horizontal panels and placed on the wall between...

Public Works Administration project W1026 funded improvements to the Ketchikan waterworks ($7,307), phone system ($4,411), and electric plant ($4,140). Waterworks and phone system improvements were approved 6/22/1938 and the electric plant was approved 7/7/1938. Construction began during August 1938 and was completed between January 1939 and July 1939 on all 3 sites.

In 1941-43, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) constructed 10 public housing developments for low-income families, including Pueblo del Rio in the Central Alameda neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. All 10 projects, which cost $16 million total, were funded 10% by city bonds and 90% by federal loans from the United States Housing Authority (USHA). To make way for Pueblo del Rio, HACLA demolished 246 bungalow homes—207 of which were deemed "substandard"—in a primarily African-American neighborhood between June and December 1941. Construction began in November 1941; some families were already living in the development before its official...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) made improvements to the Poppenhusen branch of the Queens Public Library system, located in the College Point neighborhood. These improvements included a new copper sheeting roof.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded a mural painted by Edward Buk Ulreich in the Children's Reading Room at Woodside Branch of the Queens Public Library.  

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was very active in northern Michigan, planting trees, fighting fires and building recreation facilities in state parks.  There was a CCC camp at Higgins Lake.   The CCC built the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center next to North Higgins Lake State Park in 1939-42.  The conference center, which covers 32 acres on North Higgins Lake, had an earlier life as the Higgins Lake Conservation Training School, established in 1941.  The school was converted to a conference center in the 1990s. Several of the original buildings constructed by the CCC survive on the center's campus, but further verification...

The original buildings at Ralph Waldo Emerson Community Charter Middle School (formerly Junior High School) in Los Angeles, CA date to 1935-37. Two were designed by internationally renowned architect Richard J. Neutra. Construction totaled $319,494 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). In 1935, contractors Brunzell and Jacobson built 16 frame and stucco bungalows as well as a studio craft building at the brand new junior high school in the rapidly expanding Westwood Hills development near UCLA. It is unclear whether these bungalows survive. The following year, work began on Neutra's 26-room administration/classroom and 10-room physical education buildings. Both...

In 1936, the Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of a new building containing eighteen classrooms and an auditorium for Ramona Elementary School in Alhambra, CA. The building is designed in a WPA Moderne architectural style, which is reflected in its minimal ornamentation and streamlined form.

Ramona Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1936. Designed by architect Frank D. Hudson, the two-story main building on Mariposa Ave was built by the N. W. Thiele Construction Company. The same team was behind the remodeling of the 1926 auditorium at the rear of campus on Normandie Ave. The two projects totaled $132,250. Both PWA Moderne structures are extant. 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,...