Unmarked Sites

A carved wood sculpture entitled "Eagle" by sculptor and film actor Stuart Holmes was installed at the post office in Claremont, CA. It is unclear when the sculpture was completed and whether it was funded by the Treasury Relief Arts Program (TRAP) or the Section of Fine Arts. Unfortunately, this sculpture is now missing. Note: TRAP (1935-1939) was the smallest of the programs to hire unemployed artists to create public artworks. The Section of Fine Arts (1939-1943) 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...

A mahogany wood bas-relief by Archibald Garner, entitled "Centinella Springs," frames a doorway inside the main post office in Inglewood CA.  It depicts early California settlers drawing water from a local spring. (Inglewood was briefly known as "Centinella" in the 19th century) The post office building was constructed in 1935 and Garner's relief was created in 1937 for the Treasury Section of Fine Arts (not the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and its arts programs, as sometimes thought).

The historic post office in Pacific Grove, California, holds a mural by noted artist Victor Arnautoff (famous for his murals in Coit Tower and George Washington High School in San Francisco).  The mural was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and hung in the post office lobby in 1940, two years after the building was completed.  The large 4 x 15 foot, oil-on-canvas mural is called "Lovers' Point" and depicts an idyllic beach scene.  

In 1936, relief workers from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built emergency flood levees to stop the overflow of the Potomac River. The photographs show WPA crews erecting the levees in the vicinity of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. 

In September 1935, the Public Works Administration (PWA) allotted $41,818 for the construction of faculty homes at Potomac State College (PSC), in Keyser, West Virginia. The allotment consisted of a $23,000 loan and an $18,818 grant. The Tri-State Construction and Building Company of Ashland, Kentucky, won the bid to construct the homes, and broke ground in April 1936. In its April 24, 1936 edition, the PSC student newspaper, The Pasquino, reported that “The homes will be built on the property of the school on the site of the old golf course. Three buildings will be erected on the site. One will...

In 1935, the Public Works Administration (PWA) awarded $41,818 for the construction of faculty homes at Potomac State College (PSC), Keyser, West Virginia. The current Farm Shop appears to have been the "tool shed" included in the original contract for those homes. The Tri-State Construction Company was awarded the contract to build the homes, and a report in April 1936 said that, “First signs of construction on the Potomac State faculty homes here are seen with the construction of a tool shed. Mr. Gates of the Tri-State Construction Company, Ashland, Ky., is here supervising the preliminary work” (Mineral Daily News and...

Potomac State College (PSC) in Keyser, West Virginia, received a great deal of aid from the New Deal’s National Youth Administration (NYA). As early as October 1935, 45 PSC students were in the NYA program (34 men and 11 women), with their financial assistance ranging from "thirty dollars, the lowest amount allotted any individual a term, to one hundred dollars" (The Pasquino, 10-9-1935). A year later, with NYA enrollment growing to over 50 students, Ernest E. Church, the president of PSC, summarized the arrangement: "The whole N.Y.A. program is to assist worthy students to secure a college education by providing necessary...

Work on Stayman Field began in December 1932 (before the New Deal) with funding from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC). The initial construction was completed in November 1933. The stadium was named after Joseph W. Stayman, the president of Potomac State College from 1921 to 1936. In December 1933, it was reported that a crew of workers from the New Deal’s Civil Works Administration (CWA) had begun work on the expansion of Stayman Field, from its original “450 feet, by 270, to a long rectangle of 700 feet” (The Pasquino, 12-12-1933). The expansion facilitated better maintenance for the football field, and...

In April 1936, C.S. Liller, the janitor at Potomac State College (PSC), and three enrollees of the National Youth Administration (NYA), John Bright, Edward Furlong, and Joe Dickel, began planting larch and evergreen trees on the “Mineral Street slope of the Potomac Campus” (The Pasquino, April 24, 1936).  The president of the college, Joseph W. Stayman, contributed to the project, too, by driving the NYA men to Backbone Mountain to acquire more trees. Later in 1936, NYA students planted 15 sugar maple trees between the men’s and women’s dorms (Reynolds and Davis halls). This time, they were joined by Dr. Robert...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) improved San Francisco's Potrero Hill Playground (the present Potrero Hill Recreation Center) in the late 1930s, when WPA relief workers built the children's play area, tennis courts and a restroom (Healy, p. 66). Both the playground and the tennis courts are still there, but have been completely redone in recent years. We did not find the restroom. It is possible that the quonset hut-style Recreation Center Field House is a later New Deal project, but we do not have confirmation of that.

Begun early in 1933, Potwisha is the former location of an old Yokut Indian winter camping ground three miles above Sequoia National Park headquarters at the junction of the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River and the main branch. The 915th Company, SNP - 1 was formed in May 1933 at Fort Winfield Scott California and moved into Potwisha by the 13th. The camp was constructed by the 23rd. Notable achievement is the carving of the indian head sign that greets visitors entering the Ash Mountain entrance, carved by CCC enrollee George Muno during September 1935. "The work conducted by the CCC...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made the first improvements to the newly-acquired Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  Company 1903 worked out of a CCC camp established at the north end of the 'prairie' at the present park entrance in 1933.   The first order of business was to develop Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park itself, after which teams from Company 1903 worked at other state parks along the north coast of California.  The CCC camp closed in 1937. Among the many other improvements the CCC enrollees made to Prairie Creek park was a lovely amphitheater, or what is called in this instance...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made the first improvements to the newly-acquired Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  Company 1903 worked out of a CCC camp established at the north end of the 'prairie' at the present park entrance in 1933.  The first order of business was to develop Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park itself, after which teams from Company 1903 worked at other state parks along the north coast of California.  The CCC camp closed in 1937. According to Engbeck (2002, pp. 21-22), the CCC enrollees laid out a day-use picnic area and a new campground with tables, benches, cupboards, and stoves,...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established a camp in October 1933 at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, north of Orick, California. CCC company 1903 operated out of what was known as Prairie Creek Camp while working on improvements to all the state parks along the coast of Northern California. The state had just created a state park system in 1928, which took over management of a handful of older beach parks and newly-acquired redwood parks purchased by the Save the Redwoods League in the 1920s. There were few, if any, public facilities in any of the parks when the CCC came in. The...

The Work Projects Administration constructed a new school for Prairie Hill, Texas and improved the grounds after their school burned in 1939. Work started in 1940 and was completed in 1941. The school was consolidated with the Coolidge School district fall of 1962. A map from 1957 suggests that the facility was located on the north side of Farm-to-Market Road 73, east of its intersection with U.S. 84, and that the facility is no longer extant.

The Prescott Rodeo grounds at the Yavapai County Fairgrounds were constructed with the help of the New Deal in the mid-1930s. Among the improvements to what was then known as the Northern Arizona State Fairground were a large rodeo grandstand, administration buildings, an infirmary, two barracks, a bakery, a kitchen and mess hall, and two water wells.  Many of the buildings no longer exist, but the grandstand is still in use.  It is uncertain whether the stone Doc Pardee building and Danny Freeman building behind the grandstand are also New Deal in origin.  One source (World's Oldest Rodeo) is definite that they were, but...

In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) rebuilt a portion of the Presidio de San Saba, but due to poor workmanship, it soon fell into ruins. A WPA project rebuilt a portion of the fort for the Texas Centennial in 1936, and today it is open to the public. The restored Presidio we see today is from 2011, not 1937 (per information board photo #5).

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) funded improvements at Prospect Hill Park in Waltham MA. The Boy Scout Lean-Tos were built in 1935 with FERA funds. The original park was founded in 1893.

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) funded improvements at Prospect Hill Park in Waltham MA. The North Gate was built in 1935.

Th PWA granted $320,000 for the construction of a new dormitory at the Montana School of Mines, now known as the Montana Technical campus of the University of Montana. The residence is now known as Prospector Hall. The school's website explains: "Construction of the Residence Hall began in 1935 with an appropriation grant from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration of Public Works. It was open for use during the 1935-1936 academic year. The main structure has four floors each with a student lounge. In addition, there are two wings, each with one floor. It was originally designed to house 110 students."

City park, formerly called Pioneer Park. The park includes the first cemetery plot in Franklin Township, with burials from the 1840s. Presumed attribution of the Creekside Shelter is confirmed by newspaper accounts at the time of construction.

The Provo River Project was initiated under the provisions of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of  1933 (almost surely as a Public Works Administration (PWA) funded project) and approved by President Roosevelt in late 1935.  The Salt Lake Aqueduct was approved in 1938.  Construction began in May 1938 and built by the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Most of the features were begun during the New Deal but completed after the Second World War. The key structure of the project, Deer Creek Dam, is located on the Provo River east of...

On April 26, 1933, the City of Jacksonville issued a charter to the Jacksonville Library Association to reestablish the Jacksonville Public Library, which had closed in the mid 1920s. The City Commission granted use of space vacated by removal of the Jacksonville Building & Loan Association to its new location, and on July 10, 1933, there was once again a Jacksonville Public Library. In 1936, by vote of the people of Jacksonville, the library became city-supported. On October 11, 1939, citizens passed a bond package for sufficient expenditures to build a public library and also granted permission for it to be...

Two beautiful bas-relief wood carvings by Remo Scardigli hang in the Monterey Public Library.  The were originally in the old library, then moved to the new one when the old building was replaced. The 2.5' x 8' oak wood carving, "Monterey Fisherman" and the 33 x 23 inch wood relief "Artichoke Pickers" both hang on the main floor near the main desk. The exact date of the carvings is not known to us.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded an expansion of the Martinez public marina along the Carquinez Strait/Sacramento River.  The city had sought PWA support for expansion plans to what it called the Yacht Harbor since 1934 but was turned down at least twice, according to city council minutes for 1938 and 1939  (Henderson). Nevertheless, an undated PWA project card in the National Archives shows that the project was completed (see images). The marina is still there and very much in use, though various docks and walkways have undoubtedly been replaced over time.    

WPA grant was obtained in 1939 to build a school. Three low-water dams on the Paluxy River, several local school buildings, and a canning plant were built with Work Projects Administration money.

The Commissioner's court minutes of 1939 show that the Kendalia RCSD#14 was authorized to issue $2500.00 of school bonds to build a new school building. In 1940 the old frame school house was replace with a 3 room native rock school constructed by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) for $2500.00 and classes were held in the new building starting in the fall of 1940. The Kendalia Mother's Club was responsible for the fund raising and construction of a small cafeteria that served the students of the new rock school building. The new Kendalia school was a modern school building and over...

School and landscaping around the school done with PWA funding in 1940. Abilene Reporter-News 1940: "Working orders for the PWA project for the Rule Public schools was issued Thursday. The contract calls for the building of an eight room grade school building, a bus shed, bleachers stand on football ground and landscaping of the school grounds. The grade building will face highway 16. The project will cost approximately $45,000.00."

The completed project, including the local funds and Works Progress Administration money, totals around $37,000. The structure is built of native stone, it contains eight class rooms, study hall, library, office, text book room and auditorium. Hardwood floors were used throughout. Class rooms included a Home Economics equipped with cabinets, work tales, stoves and machines and a Vocational Agricultural room with a trophy cabinet. Heating provided by seventeen new butane heaters, and a 1,000 gal butane storage tank. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 500, with room for still more seats. A large stage with dressing rooms, inclined floor and good...

The Public Works administration funded the construction of the public school in Trent TX. There is a metal plate with 1937 mounted on the facade, but it only mentions the Board of Trustees. Metal walls have been added to the building. Excerpt from the Abilene Reporter-News, 01 Dec 1937: "TRENT. Dec. 1. (Spl) -Contract for construction of Trent's new- school plant--a $26,000 project with half of that amount a Public Works administration grant--was awarded here yesterday to the Balfanz Construction company of Abilene. The contract went to the Sun Electric company, also of Abilene, and the heating contract to the Don Lacv Heating company...

In 1943, the Public Works Administration (PWA) (by then part of the Federal Works Administration) funded a new ferry slip and expansion of the public wharf in Martinez.  The government grant was for $77,000, but the city accepted a bid of $72,000 from the Macco Construction company for $5,000 less than that (CC Gazette, 1943).  This project would have been one of the last funded by the PWA, which ended that year. The ferry slip consists of huge timbers sunk in the river bottom (possibly fixed in concrete). The project also expanded the width of the wharf by 12 feet. It...

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted work at Dinosaur National Monument at and near the Dinosaur Quarry at the western entrance to the monument, near Jensen, Utah.  WPA workers constructed a 535-foot drainage ditch, about 8 feet wide at bottom and 12 feet wide at top, faced with large, mortared sandstone blocks.   A bridge carries Quarry entrance road across the ditch. A verbal source on-site believes the bridge was also a New Deal construction project, but we have not been able to confirm that.

Plans for the Quasqueton Dam were developed in May and June 1934, shortly after the CWA ended. Federal funding was initially provided by FERA. However, the construction took much longer than originally planned, so the completion of the dam was funded in the fall of 1935 by the WPA. As with other New Deal dams in Iowa, the material was supplied by the State Fish and Game Commission, and the labor by the federal government (FERA or WPA). Construction started in June 1934. The dam was 6½ feet high and 250 feet long. It was identified in newspapers more than...

ENMU's Quay Hall was constructed as a New Deal project in 1935-6. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a loan and a grant to cover most of the cost of the project.  

"The Quimby Athletic Field of Gardiner was enlarged to make a combination baseball and football field at a cost of $17,257.08 of which $1,368.50 was spent for material. There were 11,700 cubic yards of earth moved and 300 cubic yards of ledge had to be taken out. All was done by hand. Two grandstands 50 feet long were constructed from lumber salvaged at the Veteran's Administration Grounds at Togus. They were roofed with metal roofing, painted with a heavy coat of asphalt aluminum paint. These stands will seat 300 people each. A dressing room was built beneath one and a lavatory and...

A major upgrade of facilities at the Petrified Forest National Monument (now National Park) was undertaken by the New Deal in the 1930s.  The work was carried out from 1933 to 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), under the direction of the National Park Service (NPS).  Some, if not all, was paid for by a grant from the Public Works Administration (PWA). A new park headquarters and visitors' center had been built in 1931 at the South Entrance to the park, but lacked sufficient housing for rangers and staff.  New Deal aid brought the addition of 4 or 5 additional...

The Raleigh Art Center, an initiative of the Federal Art Project, was a Works Progress Administration initiative to promote a culture of art in North Carolina and is the direct predecessor of what is today the North Carolina Museum of Art. It was first and foremost a specific space at 413 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh’s main street, sandwiched between a hotel and a Chinese laundromat in a formerly vacant store, opposite the Hotel Sir Walter Raleigh, the most prestigious social space in town. Sponsored jointly by the City of Raleigh, North Carolina Art Society, Chamber of Commerce, State Historical Commission, and...

A 1938 report from the Los Angeles Department of Playground and Recreation describes the WPA's role in creating the Rancho Cienega recreation area: "Forerunner of the great regional recreation centers of the future, the Rancho Cienega Playground was the outstanding addition to the Los Angeles recreation system in 1938. The area comprises thirty acres in the southwest section of the city, along Exposition Boulevard near La Brea Avenue. It is the largest municipal playground devoted exclusively to sports and recreation within the city. The site was donated by Mrs. Anita M. Baldwin in response to a request made by the Los...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was involved with four improvement projects at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, CA. Rancho Los Amigos dates to 1888, when indigent patients from the Los Angeles County Hospital were relocated to what was then the County Poor Farm. The campus subsequently evolved into a treatment center for patients with chronic illnesses, including mental illness and diseases such as tuberculosis and polio. As of 1939, the WPA had completed two projects at the Rancho. Ground improvements (Proj. 6958) employed 42 men for six months; painting (Proj. 6959) employed 29 men for four months. Two improvement...

The Rand National Historic Site is located on the west side of the Rogue River in southwestern Oregon, 25 miles northwest of Grants Pass and 3 miles downstream from Galice. Rand's history covers the Gold Rush, establishment of the Siskiyou National Forest and the 2oth century logging era, plus the postwar recreation era that followed designation of the Rogue as a National Wild and Scenic River. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) played a central role in that history, with some of the CCC's work still very much visible.  The CCC built and occupied Camp Rand from 1933 to 1941. After building their camp,...