Unknown Sites

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded new construction or improvement work on a waterworks project in Hanalei on Kauai. The PWA grant amounted to $13,500, and the work was carried out in 1938. The project, listed as Docket No. TH-1090-F, was part of the PWA’s non-federal projects expenditure for the Territory of Hawaii for 1938-1939.

Public Works Administration funded project 9299 for Douglas for waterworks and sewer improvements. The project for a $39,000 loan and $ 31,909 grant was approved 7/9/1935. Construction began 10/10/1935 and was completed 8/19/1936.

The office building for the Marianna waterworks was built in 1936-1937 with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). Projected cost was $11,697 with the PWA contributing $5106. The building is constructed of red brick in the Spanish Revival style. Now on the National Register of Historic Places.

The historic Liberty Grove school was constructed 1934 by architect James Manly Spain in a one-story Colonial Revival style. CWA funds provided $22,000 toward the $32,000 school building. The award for the construction contract was to be submitted by the CWA board. In 1939, the Liberty Grove school was part of PWA project W1183 to fund construction and improvements for five Hinds County schools. Liberty Grove school received funding to construct a gymnasium and four additional classrooms. A bond issue for $21,000 was set for October 18, 1938 and approved. PWA funds for all five schools was $151,986 loan toward...

Construction of the 1,950-foot earthen dam (embankment), gatehouse, spillway and outlet channel commenced in 1933 and was largely completed in 1935; the spillway gates were finished between 1937-1939. The concrete gatehouse was stamped with the year "1934" and "USIS" (Indian Irrigation Service). The purpose of the dam and reservoir is to impound much needed East Walker River water for agricultural use on the Walker River Indian Reservation. The dam project is a good example of the New Deal at work on Indian lands. Approximately $130,000 of the project was financed by the Public Works Administration (PWA). Weber Dam and Reservoir was...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the Free Public Library building on Santa Clara Street, near Webster, in the city of Alameda. The project cost a total of $32,826 and was completed in July 1936.  There is a cornerstone with the date 1936 but not credit to the PWA (but there may be a plaque inside). The building is reinforced concrete, designed to withstand earthquakes, and the design, by Carl Werner, is Renaissance Revival, which was quite popular in the early 20th century – though the red tile roof evokes Mission Revival architecture of the interwar period.  The interior...

In 1938, the New Deal’s Public Works Administration (PWA) awarded a grant for the construction of additions to Bruce High School (present-day Westernport Elementary School) in Westernport, Maryland. George F. Hazelwood of Cumberland, Maryland won the contract to build the additions with a bid of $79,940. We don’t know the exact amount of PWA money that went towards the project, but the additions were part of a larger school improvements initiative in Allegany County, where the PWA put about $491,000 (45%) towards the total $1,092,000 required. Thus, the amount of PWA grant money that went towards the Bruce High School additions...

The Works Progress Administration built the Westport School in Westport MN. The structure has a simple, Moderne exterior. Most windows have since been bricked up. Minnesota Historical Society has a photo from initial construction from the Works Progress Administration Collection. That collection "provides numerous views of WPA projects around the state of Minnesota" along with very old photographs (clearly not the case for the relevant imafge here). The town peaked in population in 1940 (104) and since declined to half that amount by 2010, with its post office shutting down in 1966.

White Lake campground is located on a National Natural Landmark of 72 acre Pitch Pine Stand, surrounding a glacier formed lake. The 117th Co. S53, CCC based out of Tamworth NH, was involved in the building of bath houses, beach improvements, and camp ground development.

The main purpose of these dams (and others) on the Muddy River is flood control and protection of downstream decreed agricultural land owned by the Moapa Indian Reservation and/or private water users in Moapa Valley. The White Narrows Dam No. 1 also impounds water during wetter years and/or off-season useage. Dam No. 2 is located within the Reservation while Dam No. 1 and its reservoir are at the edge but mostly outside of the Reservation boundary. Dam No. 2 was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps - Indian Division (CCC-ID) in 1935 under supervision of the Office Indian Affairs and...

Believed to be presently abandoned, this historic rural school is located at the intersection of County roads 191 and 30, southwest of Kim, Colorado. "Built in 1921 and expanded in 1936 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the school exemplifies oneroom schools constructed in eastern Las Animas County during the homesteading boom of the 1910s and 1920s. The school addition and its adjacent WPA-constructed barn, intended to store coal and shelter student’s horses, reflect Depression era New Deal efforts to improve rural education facilities in eastern Las Animas County. The WPA constructed new schools and barns for several rural school districts...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Whitestone Playground in New York. The playground was dedicated in April 1940. The construction of Whitestone Playground was one of many recreation projects pursued by the WPA in New York. “Two thirds of this new twenty-one acre playground was formerly property of the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity, and was known as the Whitestone Pumping Station…Here recreation facilities have been provided for all age groups.” Whitestone Playground, “designed by the Park Department and Built by the Works Progress Administration,” contributed to “a total of 323 new or reconstructed playgrounds completed by the New...

Whittier Elementary School was built in 1935, likely with New Deal funding. 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 basic amenities without cafeterias, libraries, auditoriums, swimming pools, or...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) carried out improvements on the grounds of the Whittier State School for Boys (renamed the Fred C. Nelles School for Boys in 1941). "The March 11, 1889 Act of the California Legislature authorized the establishment of a school for juvenile offenders. Dedication and laying of cornerstone was done by Governor R. W. Waterman on February 12, 1890. Officially opened as 'Whittier State School' for boys and girls on July 1, 1891. Girls were transferred in 1916 and only boys were in residence from then until the school's closure in 2004. Renamed 'Fred C. Nelles School for...

Originally called the Auditorium and Commons Building, this 553-seat auditorium was built in 1938 with Public Works Administration funding. It's named for George Wilner, the first head of Wichita State's speech and theater department. It is still in use.

Originally constructed in 1926, Willard Elementary School was rehabilitated in 1935 with New Deal funding following the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. The style is WPA/PWA Moderne. “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, auditoriums, swimming...

The Paterson Courts is a 158 unit housing complex that was one of 50 slum clearance and low income housing projects the PWA was tasked with in the 1935-36 period. Its one and two story group houses, covers 7 acres, and cost $472,000. Its named after William Burns Paterson, a Scottish immigrant that spent 45 years from 1870 in efforts at negro education. The sponsor of the project was the Montgomery Advisory Committee on Housing. It was launched to replace an "objectionable slum area" and was designed with 14 two room, 89 three room, 40 four room, and 15 5 room...

The Treasury Department funded the construction of the Seattle federal courthouse, which was the first single-purpose federal courthouse on the west coast.  The project was originated in 1936 by the department's Procurement Division and completed in 1940, by which time responsibility for federal facilities had been transferred to the Federal Works Administration, where the old Procurement Division had morphed into the Public Buildings Administration. The design of the courthouse is Moderne, a stripped-down and flattened version of Neoclassical, that was common for public buildings at the time.  The Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department was Louis Simon and Consulting Architect was...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the Civic Auditorium, now known as William L. White Auditorium, in Emporia KS. The structure's current usage is mostly as a basketball arena, but it also houses graduations, shows, concerts, etc.

A Public Works Administration grant, along with local tax revenues, funded the construction of Sherman Elementary School at West 51st Place and South Morgan Street in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood. It replaced the former Sherman School, built in 1884, that was located on the same site. The new, two-story, brick structure cost approximately $125,000 and included ten classrooms and a gymnasium. It was designed by Chicago Board of Education architect John Charles Christensen. 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...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the original ranger station at Williams AZ.  A new main ranger station building and other structures have been added, but two CCC residences and barn/garage are still there (we are uncertain about the status of the shed and small garage). "Williams Ranger Station contains five historic buildings: two residences, horse barn/garage and corral, shed, and small garage that were constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees in the Bungalow/Craftsman style in 1934. The well-preserved buildings and their setting offer an excellent example of depression-era architecture and Forest Service design. Bungalows in the Craftsman style were usually...

The school at Williamsburg was destroyed by fire and a new building was erected. Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects approved in the amount of $13,604 in July 1935 included construction of a gymnasium and improvements to the teacher’s house. Fifty-eight men were employed on the project, which included grading and graveling the road to the school. The school building is still extant and has been in use as a furniture company since 1959 after the school closed. The status of the teacher's house and gymnasium are unknown.

Willow Creek dam and reservoir were constructed with Public Works Administration (PWA) funding in 1938-39.  Willow Lake is now the centerpiece of Willow Lake Park and there is a 6-mile trail around the lake.  It sits in an area called the Granite Dells, with impressive rock hills all around and prehistoric indigenous sites and petroglyphs. Willow Creek Dam is constructed of concrete that tapers fro 6 feet thick at the base to 2 1/2 feet thick at the top and it is 85 feet high.  It created a reservoir of about 400 acres, with a storage capacity of 8,000 acre-feet. The...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the domestic science building at Willowbrook Middle School in Compton, CA.

Wilmington Park Elementary School, which opened in 1909, 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 every member of the board agrees...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) made a host of improvements to Wind Cave National Park, which had been established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. The improvements made in the 1930s included a new administration building, a new operator's building, two new residences, and a large garage/storage facility.  Three other buildings were remodeled as residences. Other projects at the park included the construction of a reservoir and water system,  elevator housing and concrete stairs within the cave, game fences around the park, and new signs at the park's entrance. In addition, the CCC built bridges in the...

The Winooski River Local Protection Project is located along a 6.5-mile stretch of the Winooski River which flows through Montpelier, Berlin, Moretown, and Middlesex. The Winooski River Local Protection Project protects several thousand acres of farmland and reduces flood damage in downstream communities, including Montpelier, Middlesex, Waterbury, and Duxbury.   The project consisted of replacing an old timber dam at Montpelier by a small concrete dam (now called Bailey Dam); clearing and grading one mile of river bank above the dam, enlarging the channel, and adding rip-rap; and removing projecting ledges and points that restricted river flows at five spots between...

The Union Creek Historic District on the upper Rogue River in Union Creek, Oregon, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places because it is a fine representative of a type of rustic resort popular in the early 20th century and has been little altered since the 1930s.   There are almost one hundred buildings and other facilities in the Union Creek Historic District, almost all of which conform to the Forest Service plans of the 1920s and 30s.  Roughly a third were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from 1933 to 1942. CCC enrollees worked during summer...

Public Works Administration 1307 provided a loan of $400,000 and grant of $161,149 to complete gravel roads throughout the county. Bids were advertised in September 1934 for construction of grading, drainage structures and bridges and gravel surfacing on 5.533 miles of the Winterville-Priscilla Highway. George Vinzant was chief engineer of the Washington County Highway Commission. B. G. Coggins of Nettleton, MS was awarded the contract for construction. The project was approved 2/21/1934 and construction began 10/17/1934. All roads were completed by 8/31/1937.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Wolf School in Bowlegs OK. This is a red brick country school located four miles south of Bowlegs on Old Highway 99.

Woodcrest Elementary School, which opened in 1911, 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 every member of the board agrees with...

Woodlawn Avenue Elementary School, which opened in 1926, 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 every member of the board agrees...

In the early years of the New Deal, 1934-1935, Congress funded the construction of the Woodrow Wilson High School through one or more appropriations of around $1 million to the DC Commissioners. At the time, funding and control of the local government in DC was firmly under the control of the federal government. Municipal architects Albert Harris and Nathan Wyeth were in charge of the design, which is a large Federal style, multi-story, brick building around a central courtyard, with a tower above the main entrance and minimal decoration. The firm of McCloskey & Co. was hired to do construction. The project was...

Carlos Dyer, an alumnus of Woodrow Wilson High School, painted this WPA mural "Democratic Education" upon the asbestos fire curtain in the school's auditorium (also a WPA project) in 1940. At 22 x 44 feet, the mural depicts a multiracial group of students engaged in academic and extracurricular activities—including art, music, and sport—against a beach backdrop. In a nod to the city's aerospace industry, a plane flies overhead. "At its present state it is raised so that only the bottom few inches are exposed revealing the words 'Let us seek here truth in the name of liberty and peace, justice...

Woodrow Wilson High School, originally built in 1924, was rehabilitated by W. Horace Austin following the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake with $27,000 in Public Works Administration (PWA) funding. In 1937, the Works Project Administration (WPA) reconstructed the gym building. 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...

Woodson State Fishing Lake was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps near Toronto KS.

The Art Deco auditorium, also known as Memorial Hall, was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and and dedicated on September 30, 1937. The structure has been used for community events and also houses city and police offices, the American Legion, etc.

A flood in 1927 brought about plans to construct four flood control projects, made possible by the New Deal and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Wrightsville Dam is one of those. Construction began in August 1933  and was completed in October 1935. The dam is earthfill with stone slope protection. It is 1,525 feet long and 115 feet high. The dam and reservoir are located on the North Branch of the Winooski River, about  three miles north of Montpelier on Route 12.  Its main purpose is to protect Montpelier. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers: "Wrightsville Reservoir was one of four...

The Civilian Conservation Corp’s (CCC) work at Yellowstone National Park was extensive and lasted for the entirety of the CCC program, 1933-1942.  Projects included water and sewer line installation, landscaping, tree planting, the construction of fire lookouts and weather stations, firefighting and fire prevention, trail maintenance, museum assistance, snow removal, campground development, building amphitheatres, and the “Construction of buildings ranging from many of those at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch to the residences in Lower Mammoth, sheds and utility buildings throughout the park’s developed areas” (Manns, 1981). There were six main CCC camps in Yellowstone: Mammoth Camp (YNP-1), Canyon Camp (YNP-2), Lake...

YES Academy (formerly Hyde Park Elementary School), which opened in 1923, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) between 1934 and 1935. The school appears to have been rebuilt yet again in the 1960s or 70s, although the PWA auditorium may remain—confirmation is needed. 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...