• Alabama Boys Industrial School Facilities- Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration built facilities for the Alabama Boys Industrial School in Roebuck, a neighborhood of Birmingham, Jefferson County. The facilities included a dining hall and a heating plant. The present condition of the structure is unknown to the Living New Deal.
  • Bankhead Lock and Dam (Lock 17) - Black Warrior River AL
    The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Bankhead Lock and Dam (Lock 17) on the Black Warrior River in the vicinity of Birmingham. “Dam no. 17 on the Warrior River has improved the navigability of the river. This dam is being constructed by PWA.”
  • Birmingham National Guard Armory (demolished) - Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration built a new National Guard Armory in Birmingham. According to BHAM Wiki: "The Graymont Armory was an Alabama National Guard armory located at 210 Graymont Avenue in McLendon Park near Legion Field in Birmingham's Graymont neighborhood." The structure has since been demolished.
  • Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport Development - Birmingham AL
    Established in 1931, the airport now known as Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport was the site of substantial work relief efforts on the part of multiple New Deal agencies: the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Works Progress Administration (WPA). A 1931 documents said that the airport had 2 asphalt runways 3,600 by 100 feet N/S and 3,700 by 100 feet NE/SW runways. According to the CWA of Jefferson County, the cost as approved Feb. 15, 1934, of the Municipal Airport Project 37-C-381 Grounds - Local Contribution $385.38 Labor $7,362.29 Material $1,080.00 37-C-825 Bldg.& Add - Local Contribution $2,080.00 Labor $141,742.00 Material $91,426.08 In addition from Feb. 15-Mar...
  • Boutwell Auditorium Completion - Birmingham AL
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to complete Birmingham's historic Municipal Auditorium, now known as Boutwell Memorial Auditorium.
  • East Lake Branch Library Improvements - Birmingham AL
    The Civil Works Administration completed repairs and improvements at the Birmingham's East Lake Branch Library. The New Deal mural "Fairy Tale Scenes," painted by Carrie Hill, and commissioned by the Federal Art Project, is located in the children's room at the East Lake Branch Library.
  • East Lake Branch Library Mural - Birmingham AL
    The New Deal mural "Fairy Tale Scenes," painted by Carrie Hill, was commissioned by the Federal Art Project. The work, which is installed in the children's room at Birmingham's East Lake Branch Library, was restored in 1993.
  • Fire Station (demolished) Improvements - Birmingham AL
    Originally the East Fire Department of Birmingham serving the Lakeview Community, Fire Company 8 was one of two stations build in response to the 1905 Tarriff assessment. Due to its proximity to Station 3 it was moved to the north side and the former station location many know. Amid concerns about roof failures, contaminated water, mold and asbestos, the station was closed on May 9, 2016 and its firefighters and equipment assigned to other stations in Inglenook and Avondale. A new station was completed with 3 bays housing Engine 8 and Rescue 8 in 2018 near the old station and...
  • Fire Station No. 1 (demolished) Improvements - Birmingham AL
    The Civil Works Administration was involved in repairs to this former downtown fire station. 23 fire stations in the city were classed "A" projects 37-C-715 "needing general minor repairs, having sufficient sound value left in them to justify a thorough repairing, on which buildings was included painting inside and outside where needed, general carpentry repairs, including doors, windows, and repairs to floors, or new floors; general repairs to masonry work and plaster or stucco, repairs to roof and sheet metal work, or new roof and sheet metal work installed. Plumbing, heating and wiring were put in good state of repair,...
  • Fire Station No. 11 (demolished) Improvements - Birmingham AL
    Birmingham Fire Station No. 11 (1910) was a station for the Birmingham Fire Department located at 1250 13th Street North, adjoining the alley between 12th and 13th Avenues to serve the Fountain Heights area. Construction of a station in the neighborhood was recommended in a 1904 report by the Southeastern Tariff Association. The flat-roof one-story brick building was built by early 1910 in a utilitarian commercial style with one large truck bay on the left side of the building and offices to the right. It was the first Birmingham fire company to exclusively use "automobile equipment". The fire company's first run...
  • Fire Station No. 12 (former) Improvements - Birmingham AL
    The former Station No. 12 was built in 1929 in Woodlawn at 1st Avenue North and 57th Street North. Designed by Turner & Slater Architects in a residentially-scaled Tudor Revival style, the station was pulled back from the street to create a park space across from Woodlawn High School. Schoolchildren were welcomed to the grassy lawn, and public restrooms for "girls and boys" were included in the station's floor plans. The two-bay garage, tucked under parallel gables with arched openings and fanlights, opened onto an alleyway. Unsightly functions such as hose-drying, barbecuing and coal deliveries were concealed in a rear...
  • Fire Station No. 15 (abandoned) - Birmingham AL
    This station was constructed in 1928 near Woodward Park. The two-story beige brick station house was designed by Bem Price and constructed for $13,800 by Charles W. Hall. Station No. 15 held one 750-gallon pumper truck in 1960. It later served as the offices of Partners in Neighborhood Growth. This station was fixed up under a CWA Birmingham Public Buildings 37-C-715 project. These were designated Class “A”, “those needing general minor repairs, having sufficient sound value left in them to justify a thorough repairing, on which buildings was included painting inside and outside where needed, general carpentry repairs, including doors, windows...
  • Fire Station No. 18 (demolished) Improvements - Birmingham AL
    Before Pratt City was annexed into Birmingham, the independent municipality was protected by three volunteer firefighting companies, the first of which was organized by Mayor Ephraim Hudnall around 1900. After 1910 the Birmingham Fire Department took over the Pratt City station as its Station No. 18. In June 1912 the station was the last of Birmingham's 19 fire companies to be equipped with a Seagrave "automobile hose wagon". Medal of Honor recipient Kelly Ingram was a firefighter at Station 18 for four years before his re-enlistment in the U.S. Navy during World War I. In 1960 the old station at...
  • Fire Station No. 19 Improvements - Birmingham AL
    "Birmingham Fire Station No. 19 serves the East Lake neighborhood. In 1960 Company No. 19 operated one 750-gallon Seagrave pumper truck from the station. in 2017 Station 19 ranked as the 68th busiest Engine Company in the Nation according to Firehouse magazine. Station 19 is the second oldest active fire station for the City of Birmingham behind Station 24. It is the only station with a fire pole still in use." This was one of 23 fire stations that were fixed up under a CWA Birmingham Public Buildings 37-C-715 project. These were designated Class “A”, "those needing general minor repairs, having...
  • Fire Station No. 21 (abandoned) Improvements - Birmingham AL
    There is little info about this station beyond that it "was equipped with one 1939 Seagrave pumper truck with a 750-gallon capacity." This station was fixed up under a CWA Birmingham Public Buildings 37-C-715 project. These were designated Class “A”, “those needing general minor repairs, having sufficient sound value left in them to justify a thorough repairing, on which buildings was included painting inside and outside where needed, general carpentry repairs, including doors, windows and repairs to floors, or new floors; general repairs to masonry work and plaster or stucco, repairs to roof and sheet metal work, or new roof and...
  • Fire Station No. 4 (former) Improvements - Birmingham AL
    Birmingham Fire Station 4 is a retired fire station that served the "East End" and Terminal Station area from the 200 block of 24th Street North. It was one of several stations constructed in the mid-1920s by the city of Birmingham for the Birmingham Fire Department. Station No. 4 was designed by architect Bem Price. The two-story brick building featured two large truck bays flanking an entry door. A recessed balcony on the upper level was ornamented with Italian Renaissance-inspired terra-cotta arches supported on thin colonnettes and provided with projecting terra-cotta planter boxes. The pediment roof was provided with a...
  • Fire Station No. 6 (former) Improvements - Birmingham AL
    The original station, constructed in 1905 at 1501 3rd Avenue North, is the oldest Birmingham fire station still standing. Designed as a 2-bay, 2-story station it has been center of much of the departments history with an original name of "The Greener Station". From 1983 to 2020 it was the home of the Firehouse Shelter, an emergency homeless shelter. However, it is currently abandoned. This was one of 23 Fire Stations listed as Class "A", the CWA Birmingham Public Buildings 37-C-715 Project. Class “A” meaning "those needing general minor repairs, having sufficient sound value left in them to justify a thorough...
  • Fire Station No. 9 - Birmingham AL
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) built Fire Station No. 9 in Birmingham AL. There is little information about the history of this station. From Google Street View, it appears to have a mid century style of architecture indicating that it might have been rebuilt. The station was designated as Class “A”—"Those needing general minor repairs, having sufficient sound value left in them to justify a thorough repairing, on which buildings was included painting inside and outside where needed, general carpentry repairs, including doors, windows and repairs to floors, or new floors; general repairs to masonry work and plaster or stucco, repairs...
  • Hillman Hospital Annex - Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration built an annex for the Hillman Hospital in Birmingham. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built an annex for the Hillman Hospital in Birmingham. Adjacent to the hospital stands a new clinic, also built by the WPA.  
  • Homewood, Street Beautification - Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration carried out landscaping and beautification work on a street in the Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, circa 1936.
  • Jefferson Hospital (former) - Birmingham AL
    The 16-story Jefferson Hospital was completed in 1940 and opened in February 1941. Financed with a PWA grant and Reconstruction Finance Loans, the 575-bed hospital had 11 operating rooms, maternity section and all-electric kitchens. It was renamed Jefferson Tower in 1979 and is part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center.
  • Lane Park Development - Birmingham AL
    Birmingham's Lane Park was the site of substantial work relief efforts on the part of multiple New Deal agencies: the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Historical marker: "The land was also used for the Allen Gray Fish Hatchery (fed by Pullen Springs), a stone quarry, a complete baseball diamond, and a golf driving range. Several of the stone structures were erected by the WPA. Two hundred acres are now the home of the Birmingham Zoo (est. 1954) and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens (est. 1962)." A CWA/Alabama Relief Administration project was soon after launched to fully develop the...
  • Legion Field Improvements - Birmingham AL
    Then known as Municipal Stadium, Birmingham's Legion Field was improved by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA).
  • Lowery Field - Birmingham AL
    Lowery Field is a multi-use recreation field with 4 baseball diamonds, a football field, a basketball court and a playground. The state archives show a picture baseball field that was built by the Civil Works Administration or Alabama Relief Administration.
  • National Guard Squadron Facility, Municipal Airport - Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration built a National Guard Squadron facility at the Municipal Airport in Birmingham, in 1936.
  • New Castle to Croston Farm-to-Market Roads - Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration built a farm-to-market road connecting Croston with New Castle, in the vicinity of Birmingham. The road was “farm-to-market type with stone bridge, no cars.”
  • Oak Hill Cemetery Improvements - Birmingham AL
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement work at Oak Hill Cemetery in Birmingham, Alabama.
  • School Repairs - Birmingham AL
    The Civil Works Administration of Jefferson County employed women in a school clean up project 37-C-348-2. Excerpts from the Report on Civil Works Administration of Alabama Jefferson County Division: "The clean-up of Birmingham Public Schools and Public Buildings enabled the employment of white and colored unskilled women, and constituted cleaning of walls, dusting of walls, polishing furniture and brass, washing windows and woodwork, and various duties the principals of the schools could outline in order to create cleaner, healthier and more attractive schools, not conflicting in any way with any of the work outlined for the janitor or maid, such as mopping...
  • Slossfield Community Center - Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Slossfield Community Center. Constructed between 1936 and 1939, the complex consists of several buildings that included a health and maternity clinic, an education building, and a recreation center. The Art Deco structures were designed by architect E. B. Van Keuren. The Health Center opened on July 1, 1939 and was one of many community healthcare facilities built by the WPA throughout Alabama. The center provided publicly-funded care for low-income patients who had no access to private healthcare. The Slossfield Community Center was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 29,...
  • Smithfield Court Housing Development - Birmingham AL
    "Smithfield Court is a low-rental housing developmenterected in the city of Birmingham, Alabama, fully financed with P.W.A. funds. A site of 22 acres on which were located some of the city's worst slum dwellings, was purchased at a cost of $458,600 or 48 cents a square foot. After demolition of the dilapidated dwellings, a group of fireproof structures was erected covering 27 percent of the land area and accommodating an average of 58 rooms to the acre. The development consists of a series of 1- and 2-story row houses and includes a community building. It provides 1,638 rooms divided into...
  • Third Avenue South Improvements - Birmingham AL
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to improve Third Avenue South in Birmingham, Alabama, along stretches of the road co-designated as U.S. 78.
  • U.S. 11 Improvements - Birmingham AL
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to "Improve US 11 on First Avenue from 85th Street to Cozy Corner" in Birmingham, Alabama.
  • U.S. 31 Improvements - Birmingham AL
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to "Grade, drain, and improve US 31 from North Birmingham to Lewisburg, 1936."
  • Village Creek Widening - Birmingham AL
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) widened and straightened Village Creek in Birmingham, Alabama.
  • Vulcan Statue Pedestal - Birmingham AL
    "It was not until 1936 that the statue found a suitable home, thanks to the Works Progress Administration, which partially funded a new park in the city at the top of Red Mountain. A 126-foot pedestal was built of local sandstone, and Vulcan was hoisted into place." (Wikipedia) The pedestal was constructed with WPA funds.
  • Water Works System - Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration built a 60” pipe, water purification and supply system in Birmingham, in 1936. The exact location and current condition of this project is unknown to the Living New Deal.  
  • Willow Wood Community Center - Birmingham AL
    The Works Progress Administration built facilities at the Willow Wood Community Center. The park is still in service today under the name Willow Wood Recreation Center.
  • Woodlawn High School Mural - Birmingham AL
    This large WPA Federal Art Project mural by Richard Coe and Sidney Van Sheck was completed in 1936 and restored in 2009. The full inscription is "Gloried Be They Who Foresaking Unjust Riches Strive in Fulfillment of Humble Tasks for Peace Culture and the Equality of All Mankind."