• Ada County Courthouse and Murals (former) - Boise ID
    "Built in 1938-39, the Ada County Courthouse was constructed as part of the Depression-era Public Works Administration (PWA). Building the courthouse provided jobs not only for construction workers and craftsmen, but also for the artists that embellished it. The Art Deco style of the building is partly the result of using many workers who were not necessarily skilled in construction. The collaborative efforts of architectural firms Tourtellotte & Hummel and Wayland & Fennell resulted in a simple design characterized by geometric shapes, which were considered easier to build. The modern style and solid construction were also intended to communicate confidence...
  • Bogus Basin Road - Boise ID
    The CCC created Bogus Basin Road, possibly with the assistance of the WPA, which eventually spurred the development of the recreation area. From the Bogus Basin ski resort website: It all started in 1938 when a 24-month WPA road project started the development of Bogus Basin as a recreation site.  A handful of Forest Service experts were called in, of which Alf Engen, founder of the Alta Ski Area in Utah played major roles in site selection.  Three years later, in September of 1941, the non-profit Bogus Basin Recreational Association (BBRA) was incorporated to raise funds and oversee the maintenance of...
  • Boise Art Museum - Boise ID
    The Boise Gallery of Art was originally constructed in 1936 of Boise sandstone in the Art Deco style with the assistance of the WPA. Over the years several additions have been added, but the original building still remains.
  • Boise District Headquarters of the Civilian Conservation Corps (Former) - Boise ID
    The structure was originally built as the headquarters of the Boise District of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The Boise District supervised CCC camps in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Currently, the building serves as a restaurant.
  • Boise High School Gym - Boise ID
    The WPA built a new gymnasium for the high school in 1936. According to the school's website: "Students had saved their nickels and dimes and put them in a fund which covered some costs of the structure. The new gym replaced the cracker box located in the basement of the main building. The ceiling in the old gym was so low it interfered with the playing of the game of basketball. The WPA furnished the labor to build the gym." (https://boise.school.boiseschools.org)
  • Boise Project - Blacks Creek ID
    "The present construction features of this project are the raising of Arrowrock Dam and spillway for additional storage, and the building of the canal system for the Payette Division. Work has been in progress on Arrowrock Dam during 1936 and is scheduled for completion the latter part of 1937. Contracts have been awarded for eight tunnels on the Black Canyon canal of the Payette Division, four of which are practically complete. Bids have been received and contract will soon be awarded for canal excavation from Station 0 to Station 157. Specifications will soon be issued for canal excavation from...
  • Boise State University - Boise ID
    Originally Boise Junior College. "Established in 1932, the Boise Junior College was without a permanent home until the initial construction of the present campus in 1940-42. The land had previously been occupied by the Boise airfield, which had moved to its current location at Gowen Field. Designed in the traditional campus style of Collegiate Gothic, the Administration Building (1940), Heating Plant (1940), Assembly Hall (1940-41), and original Student Union (1941-42) represent a more streamlined version of the style as it transitioned into the modern age. The campus infrastructure, landscaping, and original structures were all funded through the WPA." (www.preservationidaho.org)
  • City Hall (former) - Boise ID
    The Ada County Office Building was built in 1937 with funding from the Works Progress Administration. The architectural style is predominantly Art Deco.
  • Idaho National Guard Armory Expansion - Boise ID
    "Though designed and partially constructed in 1931, the minimalistic Art Deco structure was substantially enlarged under the Works Progress Administration. This construction included the central, vaulted cavalry drill hall and the administrative offices housed in the two-story front section. It was built for nearly $60,000, and when completed, was the largest armory in the state. Later additions were built in 1956, and the National Guard occupied the structure until it was sold to the State of Idaho in the mid-1970s and later purchased by the City of Boise." https://www.preservationidaho.org
  • Idaho State Forester’s Building - Boise ID
    Also known as the Log Cabin Literary Center, this rustic log building was constructed in 1939 utilizing the labor of the Civilian Conservation Corp. Each interior room is finished with indigenous Idaho lumber donated by the State’s timber companies. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cabin is now used to support artistic and literary endeavors under the direction of The Cabin organization. A quote from their website explains: "The City of Boise purchased the building from the state in 1992 and signed a long-term lease with the Log Cabin Literary Center in June 1996. Today, The Cabin...
  • North Junior High School - Boise ID
    Originally called simply Boise Junior High School, "This school was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project designed by Frank Hummell. When it opened in 1936, it was the city's first and only Junior High School." (www.preservationidaho.org)
  • Ridenbaugh Canal Improvements - Boise ID
    WPA crews did improvement work on this canal in Boise during 1936. (The canal was originally constructed in the late nineteenth century.) The path alongside is widely used today by cyclists and joggers.
  • Sand Creek Flood Control - Boise ID
    The Works Progress Administration carried out flood control/riprapping work on the bed of the San Creek in Ada County.
  • Sergeant City - Boise ID
    Sergeant City is a military-themed housing complex that provided living quarters for non-commissioned officers of the near-by Gowen Field airbase. The complex was built in 1940 with funding from the Federal Works Agency.
  • Sidewalks - Boise ID
    The W.P.A. constructed sidewalks in Boise, Idaho.
  • Veterans Hospital Road Improvements - Boise ID
    The Works Progress Administration carried out road improvement work around the Veterans Hospital in Boise, between 1936-1937.
  • Whitney Elementary School (demolished) - Boise ID
    Whitney Elementary was a PWA project (docket #1084R). It was demolished in 2009 and the current Whitney elementary was built in a different location on the same parcel. The original structure was designed by Wayland and Fennell Architects, and subsequent additions by Tourtellotte & Hummel Architects.