Marked Sites

The Works Progress Administration built the Milam Stadium Field House at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford OK. Contributor note: "The Fieldhouse is a one-story native sandstone building located just outside of the southeast entrance to the field. The small brick addition on the east side was added later. The fixed pane windows have stone sills, and a continuous three-row stone belt course above. The building was constructed by the WPA in 1941-2."

The Works Progress Administration built the Milam Stadium grandstands at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, in 1935. Contributor note: "The Milam Stadium grandstands at Southwestern Oklahoma State University were built by the WPA in 1935. The grandstands are concrete with steel girders, and seat 8600 fans. The stadium is located on the west side of the campus on North 7th Street. The home team stands on the west side have a two-story announcer's booth also built of concrete. The grandstands were completed in 1935, and the stadium is named for former football coach Joe Milam who coached at SWOSU from 1926-1936." "

The former school "retains much of its architectural presence, especially in the four brick pilasters with Doric capitals that define its central entrance" (Van West, 2001, p. 113). It closed as a school in 1992 and is currently used to house small businesses.

Picnic area with stone patio and benches with a fireplace and two tables Located south of the Butternut Shelter on Trail 4 ENTIRELY NOT New Deal - I took a video of a female pileated woodpecker drilling on a fallen log by this picnic area. That was really cool.

The WPA added four classrooms to an older school building, and they remain in use today. Stonework retaining walls, drinking fountains and an entrance were also built, possibly by CCC workers from the nearby Springville CCC camp. Springville Elementary School was originally a K-8 school.

The St. Cloud Historical Marker in St. Cloud MN is a site that was constructed in 1937, by the NYA, a sub-unit of the WPA. The site was designed by A. R. Nichols and is a historical marker that commemorates the first commercial granite quarry in Minnesota, opened by Breen and Young in 1868, that was very important for the growth of St. Cloud. It was built from granite stones from the quarries located nearby, with rough and pointed rocks, unlike other markers and monuments with their more formal designs. It was placed on the side of highway 10 just...

The St. Helena Parish Courthouse was undertaken in Greensburg, Louisiana during the Great Depression with assistance of funds provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The Greensburg courthouse was one of two Louisiana courthouses built with WPA funds instead of support from the Public Works Administration (PWA) (Leighninger, 2001).

Originally constructed as St. Joseph Fire Station Number Five, what is now the St. Joseph Fire Museum was constructed with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The building bears a Federal Works Agency plaque on the right side of its front façade. Note that the building's construction is sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Roadtrippers.com: "The St. Joseph Fire Museum contains a collection of historical firefighting equipment, including fire trucks, used to protect the residents in St. Joseph since 1865. Much of the collection is restored to original condition. Located in the former St. Joseph Fire Station Number Five,...

Originally constructed as St. Joseph Fire Station Number Seven, the building at 919 Corby Street was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The station was moved across the street from an earlier firehouse just across N 10th Street. According to a 1988 article in the St. Joseph News-Press: "According to the brass plaque beside the double bay doors, Station 7 was built by the Federal Works Agency, Public Works Administration, in 1939."

The St. Landry Parish Courthouse was undertaken in Opelousas, Louisiana during the Great Depression with the assistance of funds provided by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The facilities were part of the largest wave of courthouse construction in Louisiana history, with eleven total courthouses erected in the period of  1936-1940. Constructed with "Mayan setbacks at the top" and "deco light fixtures" (Leighninger, 2007), the courthouse cost $481,794.

Between 1934 and 1940, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (then called the St. Marks Migratory Bird Refuge) located about twenty-five miles away from Tallahassee FL. Overseen by the U.S. Biological Survey, the work was done by enrollees at Camp BF-1 – one of the first African American CCC camps in Florida. CCC teams constructed roads, cut fire lines, built structures, and facilitated the establishment of the refuge as it stands today. According to the Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, “lmost everything was fabricated by the CCC men. Poles that carried the power...

This stone stadium, primarily designed for high school football, was constructed with funds and labor provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938-39.

In 1940, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) received funding for a $66,000 project to build a high school athletic field and stadium for the Watertown school district. The construction was completed in 1941, and the site included a baseball field, football field, running track, and seats for up to 5000 spectators. After completion, the stadium hosted the majority of football games played by the Watertown Arrows. The site is still used today by the Watertown Arrows. The site has also been used for hosting musical concerts, and for launching fireworks for Fourth of July celebrations. In 2000, the site was registered...

This culvert, located on the east side of Pecan Bowl Stadium in Okemah, Oklahoma was constructed of large cut stones by the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The culvert runs east-west, at the intersection of N. 6th St. and W. Frisco. The opening is about 2 ft. high and 6 ft. wide. The WPA was very visible in Okemah. The Armory directly south of this culvert was also a WPA project, as was Pecan Bowl Stadium adjacent to the culvert.  

A sizable retaining wall and pedestrian staircase were constructed by the W.P.A. on the north side of Union Street, between S. 10th St. and S. Poplar St.. An inscription on the Union Street retaining wall west of the staircase entrance declares: "Constructed by the Works Progress Administration and the City of Allentown, 1937."

In 1939, the Works Progress Administration built an elementary school that is now the the Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center—a Community Resources Center.

The Stanislaus County Hall of Records in downtown Modesto, California, was constructed in 1938 with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA).  It stands directly across from the old Modesto Post Office (now the El Viejo Building). The building has a central 5-story highrise section and one long, 3-story wing. The design is strikingly Modern, looking more like a structure built in the 1950s than the 1930s.  It remains in fine condition, serving its original purpose.

Stanley Holmes Village (a.k.a. Stanley Village) is a 420-unit low income housing project on Adriatic Avenue that was built in 1937 and expanded in 1951. Its the oldest public housing complex in New Jersey. Atlantic City was the first municipality in New Jersey to provide public housing to its constituents. The movement to establish public housing was initiated in 1933 with the organization of the Civic Committee for Better Housing – headed by Walter J. Buzby; Mrs. Warren Somers, Commissioner of the State Housing Authority; Naomi Craighead; Robert A. Watson, Manager of the Southern Division of the State Housing Authority; B.J....

The Public Works Administration (PWA) paid for the construction of the Stanton Elementary School, on Naylor Road SE, in 1943, at the very end of the New Deal (New Deal programs wound down as the country went to war). Stanton is still in use as a public elementary school.

This stone building on the edge of the Historic Brackenridge Golf Course in San Antonio, Texas is attributed the work of the National Youth Administration. The NYA completed many projects in the park. The registration form for the park's nomination to the National Register of Historic Places refers to the construction of a starter house, caddy house, tee boxes and drinking fountains on the golf course by the NYA. The form states that only the starter house is standing at this time.

"The State Armory is located on West Main Street, at the northeast corner of Osage Avenue. This is one block west of Broadway (Highway 75). The building is constructed of native sandstone, with an office area facing Main Street, and a barrel-roof arena to the north. It was constructed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration. A cornerstone at the southeast corner reads: STATE ARMORY / BUILT BY WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION 1936 / W.S. KEY STATE ADMINISTRATOR. The building exterior is in good condition, however, all windows have been boarded up and it is not in use at this time."   (https://www.waymarking.com)

"The formidable native sandstone building located at 715 W. Chickasha Avenue was built in 1936 by the WPA. It was the home of the 189th Field Artillery. A photo in the gallery shows the armory as it was in the 1950s. Where today a YMCA sign is erected, formerly, the 45th Infantry "Thunderbird" proudly emblazoned the front of this building. In 1936, the American Legion Post No. 54 also called this building home. Today it houses the Chickasha Area YMCA. Where four large overhead doors flanked the main entrance, those areas are now infilled with glass blocks. A metal plaque on the...

"The Minco Armory was constructed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration... The Minco Armory is a one and two-story brick building, with a barrel-roof drill hall at the rear. The front entrance is a single metal door, recessed under an arched surround that has six rows of corbelled brick. The entrance is flanked by four overhead doors, one of which has been bricked in. The armory is decorated by the use of angled and recessed brickwork, with rusticated stone coping and caps. Also known as the Minco National Guard Armory, this building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places...

The Works Progress Administration built the State Armory in Weatherford OK. Contributor Note: The armory building is located on the northeast corner of S. 8th Street and W. Rainey. The main entrance faces south on Rainey. The WPA constructed this armory in 1936-7. It is a one-story red brick building with heavy white stone trim. The entrance on the south is a single glass door and sidelight within a limestone surround, flanked by projecting brick pilasters. A raised pediment trimmed in stone rises above it. The windows are tall vertical units with three panes and heavy stone sills. The south portion of the armory...

From the University of Arizona Libraries Digital Collection: “Public Works Administration funds were used to construct the State Capitol Annex Building in 1938 and to hire Jay Datus to paint a series of murals entitled “The Pageant of Arizona Progress.” Datus came to Arizona in 1937 at the age of 23, already an accomplished and well-known artist. He spent two years in research for these works in order to accurately depict the dress and actions of his subjects. His figures include Native Americans, miners, explorers, missionaries and pioneers.”

"The new Finance Department Building of the State capitol group at Harrisburg makes possible the gathering into one building of related units of the State government which were formerly widely scattered. The monumental character of the structure and the use of stone for the entire exterior was dictated by its position opposite the Education Building at the northeast end of the Capitol Plaza. It provides quarters for the departments of the auditor general, revenue, and State treasurer. It has a volume of approximately 6,800,000 cubic feet and its estimated cost is $4,736,270. It is expected to be completed toward the close of 1939."

The construction of the Colorado River bridge was part of a larger THD undertaking to reroute SH 29 around Buchanan Dam, which was under construction beginning in 1931. The original roadway and the bridge across the Colorado at Bluffton were inundated by Lake Buchanan after completion of the dam in 1937. The bridge site was fixed 1 mile below the Buchanan Dam, at a location where a granite outcropping formed a ledge at the east bank of the river. This ledge was considered an ideal location for the eastern approach to the bridge. In a preliminary inspection report dated July 17,...

SH 78 bridge at Red River is the only surviving K-Truss bridge in Texas. It has an overall length of 2,108 feet, and provides a crossing between Fannin County, Texas and Bryan County, Oklahoma. The "eight riveted K-truss through spans, with two camelback pony truss spans at each end" (Lauderdale, 1996) was a joint project between the Texas Highway Department and the Oklahoma Highway Commission. Primarily designed by OHC engineers, the K-Truss is "meant to afford greater span length and strength" (Jensen). Kansas City Bridge Company were the contractors, and there is a roadside park on each side of the...

There was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) on Steamboat Creek,  ~1.5 miles up Steamboat Road from Highway 138, along this tributary of the North Umpqua River.   We were not able to locate a likely site for the camp on our visit to the area in 2022. According to a plaque put up by the National Association of CCC Alumni, Region 4, at Mott Bridge just east of the river and road junction, Steamboat Camp was occupied by CCC Companies 927, 703 and 3450 from 1933 to 1941 (not 1944 as stated on the informational panel nearby, because the CCC was...

The downtown post office and federal building in Salinas, California, was constructed by the Treasury Department in 1936.  It is now known as the Steinbeck Station Post Office. The lobby appears to be unchanged from the 1930s.  It contains two wooden bas-relief sculptures by Richard O'Hanlon.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) hired local workers to build the Stephenson High School. The school replaced an older facility that no longer met the needs of a growing population the surrounding area. Dedicated in 1939, the new structure was a one-story limestone building with a metal hipped roof. The school was named after a popular student, Allen J. Stephenson. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. The structure is currently home to American Legion Post 290 and VFW Post 2933.

Second Half of Final Extended Building Phase (1941-1942). Residential housing for employees of the Stewart Indian Boarding School Staff and Civilian Conservation Corp - Indian Division (CCC-ID) was acute by the late 1930s. Off-site rental units in Carson City and Reno were expensive and hard to find. Stewart Indian Agency Superintendent Don C. Foster made several attempts to gain approval for two new cottages for CCC-ID employees and approval finally came after his offer to redirect CCC-ID funds (earmarked for a Walker River project) to the cause. Five cottages (including two duplexes) were built west of the Indian School in the...

Stewart Park, formerly a city dump, was completed in 1937 through the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed improvements to Stone Creek Way in the vicinity of White River, Baxter County. A marker that reads "WPA 1939" is present on site. 

In 1940-41, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built several stone-lined culverts for drainage on California state highway 58 – also known as Calf Canyon Road – east of the intersection with route 229, roughly 5-10 miles east of Santa Marguerita CA. These are unusually elegant drainage works, since most culverts do not have rock walls above ground and WPA stamps in the stones.  They were effectively small bridges over gullies, where previously the road dipped and could be flooded in winter. These culverts were part of a program of WPA road work all over San Luis Obispo County during the 1930s,...

The bridge carrying what was then known as Ocean Highway (presently known as County Road 619) over Great Channel was constructed as a Public Works Administration (PWA) project, part of the largest New Deal construction effort in Cape May County, New Jersey. The bridge, alternatively known as the Great Channel Bridge or Stone Harbor Bridge, is still in use today. State.NJ.us: "In 1934 the county government created the Cape May County Bridge Commission as a means to apply for Federal Emergency Administration Funds to build bridges on the Ocean Highway and to bring to completion the promotional tourist route from Atlantic City...

Relief workers of the federal Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed a low wall along West Kaahumanu Avenue (then Main Street) in Kahului, Maui in 1939. The wall, which is about 100 yards long, originally formed part of the boundary of a school campus.  It is marked on one end with the initials WPA and 1939.

The Works Progress Administration built a foot bridge between 1937 and 1938 in Stony Brook Park in Newark NY.

A marvelous amphitheater graces the Storm Mountain picnic area.  It was created in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). The amphitheater is built from local stone and backs up against a striking stone cliff, part of the dramatic geology of lower Big Cottonwood Canyon. A path and bridge lead to the amphitheater. The site was renovated by the US Forest Service and Chevron Corp workers in the early 1990s and is still actively used. It is marked by a plaque added at that time and an informational sign, which speaks proudly of the CCC "Forest Army" of the New Deal era...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Stratford Grade School, High School, and Gym in Stratford OK, in 1936. Contributor note: "This is a one-story buff brick building with a flat roof (except for the arched roof over the gymnasium). In recent years, red metal siding now covers the roofs with a slight gable. The siding extends down the upper walls. Over the main entrance and in two other locations, the roof line has scrolled cornices, with the words STRATFORD and HIGH SCHOOL on concrete panels. The original casement windows still exist in the gymnasium, however, the triple window units in the...