Unknown Sites

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) carried out improvements to the famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, between 1935 and 1936. According to a 1939 WPA report, "seven new comfort stations were built with the necessary sanitary sewers to accommodate the large crowds attending the Rose Bowl events. Six pedestrian bridges, over the drives and the adjacent flood control channel, were constructed to provide direct and safe access to the comfort stations and the stadium itself. The project also involved the installation of 1,300 lineal feet of 23 inch reinforced concrete pipe to properly drain the playing field, landscaping of 50 acres...

Rose Hill Courts was the smallest of the developments in Los Angeles, CA completed under the city’s New Deal–era public housing program. In 1941-43, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) constructed 10 public housing developments for $16 million, funded 10% by city bonds and 90% by federal loans from the United States Housing Authority (USHA). Located in the Montecito Heights neighborhood, Rose Hill Courts was completed in 1942. In September 1941, the City of Los Angeles demolished 79 homes, 71 of which were deemed “substandard,” to make way for Rose Hill Courts. Completed in December 1942, the...

In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers constructed four bridges as a part of a wider flood control project on Compton Creek. The bridges are located on Rosecrans Ave., Compton Blvd., Olive St., and Wilmington Ave. The bridge projects employed 750 workers.

Improvements were made to Rosemont Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1936-37. Remodeled by architect Frederick Scholer and the J & B Construction Company for $53,209, the PWA Moderne building is extant on Rosemont Ave midway between Scout Wy and W Temple 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 School District (LAUSD) and proceeded in two...

In 1938, classrooms and a Mechanical Arts building were constructed at Rosemont Middle School (formerly La Crescenta Junior High School) in La Crescenta, CA with Public Works Administration (PWA) funding.

In February 1939, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) launched a series of public works projects across Los Angeles, including significant improvements to the Ross Snyder Recreation Center. Situated in South Central Los Angeles, a neighborhood that at the time was  predominantly African American. The project responded to on-going community advocacy for enhanced recreational amenities, particularly expanded and upgraded tennis facilities.   The project was a collaborative effort between the WPA and the City’s Department of Playground and Recreation, which together provided $15,500 in funding ($11,000 from the WPA and $4,500 from the city). Planned improvements included the construction of two additional tennis...

Sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration, the former high school in Rossville, Kansas was constructed with the assistance of Public Works Administration (PWA) funding. The PWA supplied a $38,004 grant for the project, whose total cost was $85,724. Construction occurred between Decembet 1936 and September 1937. PWA Docket No. Kan. 1095 The building was used for as a high school until 1979. The location and status of the building is presently unknown to Living New Deal.

The main building at Rowan Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Built by Atlas Construction Company in 1935, the two-story building combines elements of PWA Moderne and Renaissance Revival styles (note the arched windows). The project totaled $87,000 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). 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)...

From January to April 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) oversaw the excavation of Rubio Wash in Altadena, CA. "Under this project, accumulated debris was excavated from debris basin and hauled with wheelbarrows to fill an adjoining area. It is estimated that 6,000 cubic yards were removed."

Russell Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Contractor George Mittry rebuilt one structure and constructed another, both in PWA Moderne style. The 1934-35 project totaled $58,000 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). 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...

In 1937, Claribel Gaffney created a sculpture fountain for the Ruth Home in El Monte, CA. She received funding from Federal Art Project (FAP). It is presumed lost. The Pacific Protective Society’s Ruth Home provided housing, treatment, and schooling to girls and babies infected with gonorrhea.

Samuel Gompers Middle School in Los Angeles, CA was built with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1937. Administration, classroom, physical education, and domestic science buildings were designed by architects Myron C. Hunt and H. C. Chambers and constructed by J. K. Thomas for a total of $435,413. The PWA Moderne structures incorporate Mission Revival elements (with the exception of the gym) and are still in use today. 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...

In 1940, the Works Projects Administration (WPA) began a flood control improvement project on San Dimas Wash in Glendora, CA. The project included clearing, filling, backfilling, excavating, and constructing walls and channels. The work was done of the portion of the San Dimas Wash above Gladstone Ave. This project was part of a broader $60,000 County wide project to improve flood control infrastructure in 1940.

San Fernando Elementary School in San Fernando, CA was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Construction of an auditorium and classroom building in 1936 totaled $92,029 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). Architect Harry L. Pierce designed the beautiful PWA Moderne style auditorium on Mott St. It was built by Harry W. White for $29,239. The single story classroom building located beside the auditorium was designed by architect A. S. Nibecker Jr. and constructed by Brunzell & Jacobson for $62,790. This tile-roofed structure stretches lengthwise into campus such that only the narrow eastern facade is visible...

San Gabriel Avenue Elementary School, which opened in 1932, was rebuilt with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1934-35. The single-story mission revival building was designed by architect A. S. Nibecker (note the tile roof and arcade) and built by contractor Arthur Pinner Jr for a total of $28,904. 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...

In 1940, the Work Projects Administration (WPA) made improvements to the San Gabriel River channel between Whittier Blvd. and Washington Blvd. in Whittier, CA. The project required the construction and reconstruction of levees, groins, drainage structures, and revetments. Laborers were tasked with “clearing, excavating, backfilling, grading, erecting fences, procuring and placing brush, driving piling, and performing . . . incidental work.” This was one of many flood control projects undertaken by the WPA in collaboration with the LA County Flood Control District.

Bonding ($36,000) for a new San Juan courthouse was put a successful vote in February 1920 after citizens realized that their neighboring county (Grand) was building a large new courthouse. Construction in Monticello began soon thereafter, and the courthouse was nearly ready for occupancy in late 1920 lacking only steam heat, plumbing (including toilet facilities, jail lavoratories, and hot water), and finished cement. And then it sat, partially completed for nearly 17 years: only four rooms were useable, and those without heat or modern plumbing. In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) approved $8000 to complete the courthouse. The county's portion was...

This series of nine oil-on-canvas murals, collectively titled "Industrial Life in San Pedro," by Federal Art Project (FAP) artist Tyrone Comfort is located in the library at San Pedro High School in San Pedro, CA. Completed in 1937, the nine murals are "Hauling the Cargo," "Fisherman in Port," "The Riveters," "Refinery Maintenance," "Opening the Valves," "The Propeller Crew," "Loading the Harvest," "Construction Workers," and "The Drillers." They were restored and preserved by the Los Angeles Unified School District Historic Schools Investment Fund in 2008. Comfort's other FAP works in the region include two murals, "Printing" and "Science and Industry" (1936), at John...

In 1937, Ross Dickinson completed a four-panel mural at San Pedro High School in San Pedro, CA. He received funding from the Federal Art Project (FAP). Dickinson's other New Deal works—all in Los Angeles, CA—include two murals, “A Valley in California” and “Mankind’s Achievements" (1934), at George Washington Preparatory High School; a pair of tile mosaics (1936) at Thomas Starr King Middle School; and a mural, “History of the Recorded Word” (1937), at Thomas Jefferson High School. Also located at San Pedro High School is a series of murals by FAP artist Tyrone Comfort. Titled "Industrial Life in San Pedro," these murals...

The Works Progress Administration approved a statewide sanitation program for Mississippi in 1935, totaling $390,115.40. The program focused on eliminating typhoid, hookworm and dysentery in 65 of Mississippi’s 82 counties by construction of sanitary toilets (privies) for homes and buildings without access to sewerage disposal. The project was projected to employ 14 workers in each county. The privies were constructed from concrete and wood, costing about $16 in materials for each privy. Property owners were to contribute the materials. Tallahatchie county was allocated $5,956.50. Federal work projects (CWA, FERA, and WPA) for community sanitation and drainage resulted in reductions of both...

Old Santa Ana City Hall was constructed in 1935 at a cost of $126,000, funded by city bonds and a Public Works Administration (PWA) grant. There is a plaque in the lobby (which we are waiting to photograph). It was designed by prominent Southern California architect W. Horace Austin of Long Beach, who had designed the rather similar Masonic Temple at Sycamore and Fifth Streets a few years earlier. Austin’s credits also include the Bowers Museum and many Long Beach commissions, such as the 1904 Long Beach City Hall , several schools, the original Buffum’s Department Store , the Long Beach...

In 1940, the Works Projects Administration (WPA) began a flood control improvement project on Santa Anita Wash in Arcadia, CA. The project consisted of procuring and placing brush in existing wire fences, revetement, and incidental work. The work was done on the Santa Anita Wash from Huntington Dr. to Arrow Highway. This project was part of a broader $60,000 county wide project to improve flood control infrastructure in 1940.

In 1940, the Works Project Administration (WPA) began a flood control project along the Santa Clara River in Santa Clarita, CA. The WPA used $1,780 of federal funds towards renovating fences, procuring and placing brush in wire fences, and revetement, a type of river engineering where a facing of impact-resistant material is applied to the bank or wall. The project provided employment to 30 men for one month. The project was a part of a broader $60,000 county wide project to improve flood control infrastructure in 1939. The work was done in the vicinity of Honby School (no longer extant). 

Santa Fe Dam was authorized in the Flood Control Act of 1941. It began construction on the San Gabriel River south of Azusa near Irwindale, CA in 1942. Santa Fe Dam was completed under a contract between the Army Corps of Engineers, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD), and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The project broke ground in 1942 but was paused at 95% completion in the summer of 1943 when steel was reallocated towards the war effort. Following the war, construction resumed and the dam was completed by 1949. 

In 1936, a new main building was constructed at Santa Monica Boulevard Community Charter (formerly Santa Monica Elementary School) in Los Angeles, CA with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The two-story PWA Moderne building was designed by architects Henry Carlton Newton and Robert Dennis Murray and built by the William P. Neil Company for $105,987. The structure parallels Santa Monica Blvd, spanning the block between N Van Ness Ave and N Ridgewood Pl; a contemporary facade has been added on the Ridgewood side. The reconstruction and renovation of Los Angeles schools damaged by the 1933 Long Beach earthquake was...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) modernization of Santa Monica High School between 1935 and 1938 represented the largest reconstruction project undertaken by the Santa Monica City School District following the devastating 1933 Long Beach earthquake. The WPA remodeled and retrofitted the school's two-story Academic & Administration Building (later the History Building), Manual Arts & Commerce Building, Fine Arts & Household Science Building, Library/Student Center (later the English Building), and Girls’ Gymnasium. Their "'earthquake-resistive construction' designed to withstand shocks greater than those felt in Long Beach. Bearing walls were reinforced with steel and coated on the exterior with stucco. Gabled roofs...

In 1937, Grace Clements adorned a 30-foot curved bench at Santa Monica High School with petrachrome mosaics depicting ocean life. Created under the auspices of the WPA Federal Arts Project (FAP), "Senior Bench" is located in a landscaped area south of the Greek Amphitheater. Clements used the petrachrome method "whereby tinted cement mortar mixed with crushed rock, glass, or tile is applied to the mural surface, with different colored sections delineated by strips of brass. Once hardened, the cement is polished to create a bold, striking appearance. This method was developed by Santa Monica artist Stanton Macdonald-Wright while he was serving...

Artist Stanton Macdonald-Wright designed two murals for Barnum Hall Theater at Santa Monica High School. The works were funded by the Federal Arts Project (FAP). In 1938, Macdonald-Wright completed a mural titled "Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla" upon Barnum Hall's asbestos stage curtain. The following year, he completed an 8x8-foot mosaic titled "Landing of the Vikings in Vinland" in the theater's foyer. Macdonald-Wright was supervisor for the Southern California division of the FAP from 1935 to 1943. He is considered "an important proponent of the nonrepresentational styles of art on the New Deal projects" (Kalfatovic, p. 370). His other New Deal–funded...

Funded by the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP), artist John Palo-Kangas created a 7-foot-high cast stone sculpture titled "The Viking" for Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, CA, in 1937. As of 2018, the sculpture was "set upon a rectangular concrete basin which has been capped. The backdrop for the sculpture is composed of patterned blocks with a stylized wave design." These blocks "also appear in the foyer of Barnum Hall and around the main entrance of the History Building" (HRG Report, p. 24). As a result of Santa Monica High School's 2021 modernization project—when several historic structures were demolished—"The Viking"...

In 1934, 100 State Emergency Relief Administration (SERA) laborers went to work making a number of improvements to the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA. SERA laborers redecked the pier in order to solve the issue of women's high heels slipping through the previous decking. They also added and painted 25 benches to the pier, repaired and painted pipe railings, and painted light fixtures. Additionally, 38 lockers and storerooms were constructed for boats. In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) added markings to the boat storage spaces to make them more identifiable. The WPA also painted the iron work...

The petrachrome murals "Santa Paula" and "Youth" were created by Buckley MacGurrin with WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) funds for Santa Paula High School in Santa Paula, CA. MacGurrin also painted a pair of FAP murals for the former Hall of Records in Los Angeles, CA, which was demolished in 1971. The status of these murals is unknown.

Hill Classical Middle School (now Sato Academy of Mathematics and Science) was built in 1935, likely with New Deal funding. It is unclear if the 1935 structure(s) survived a 1957 addition/remodel. 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,...

Saturn Street Elementary School (which opened as Burnside Avenue Elementary School in 1924) was rebuilt following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Construction, which was overseen by contractor J. R. Lippincott, totaled $39,800 and was partially funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). This 1935 PWA Moderne style building is located on Burnside Ave; additional structures have since been added to the campus, with the school's main entrance now on Saturn 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,...

The original Saugus schoolhouse was built in 1908, but, in 1935, it was demolished to make way for a new, modern school. The new school was partially funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In 1978 the school closed, due to population shifts in the community. That same year the property was purchased by a private developer, remodeled and expanded, and reopened as a shopping center called Saugus Schoolhouse Emporium.

The Works Progress Administration built the Saw Hill Park in St. Francis KS.      

Although Schermerhorn Park dates to the 1920s, Works Progress Administration workers made significant improvements in the 1930s and 1940s. including terraced walls and a nature center still in use.

The Mobridge Auditorium, now known as the Scherr-Howe Event Center, was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project during the Great Depression. The building, which is sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (WPA), is also home to a stunning series of New Deal murals (see attached project). The PWA supplied a $45,000 grant for the project, whose total cost was $111,145. Construction took place between Jun. 1936 and Apr. 1937, and its dedication ceremony took place in early May 1937. PWA Docket No. 1080

The Corinth High School was constructed 1938-1939 by Wessell Construction Company as Public Works Administration project W1250. Architects were Stevens and Johnston. The Art Moderne two story brick building was approved 6/22/1938 for a grant of $65,454 toward estimated cost of $145,454. Construction began 11/28/1938 and was completed 11/14/1939. It was expanded in 1954 to add an additional classroom, cafeteria, and band room. It remains in use as the Corinth Middle School.

Besides the facility that is now Central Elementary, a school in Franklin, Pennsylvania was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project. The PWA supplied a $17,097 grant for the project, whose total cost was $38,772. The allotment was approved in September 1935. Construction started in April 1936 and was finished Jan. 1937. PWA Docket No. 1364. The location and status of this facility is currently unknown to Living New Deal.

Pubic Works Administration project 2530 was approved 1/9/1934 for construction of a school in Houlka. The loan was $24,300 and grant $9306 for a total of $33,606. Construction began 6/16/1934 and was completed 1/191935 for a final total of $36,611. Edgar Lucian Malvaney was architect and the M. T. Reed Construction Company of Belzoni was the contractor. The one-story red brick Colonial Revival style building was undergoing renovation in July 2014 when it caught fire from a contractor’s spark and was destroyed.