Illinois Sites

"In 1928, Clarence Hatzfeld, a member of the park board and architect of many northwest side recreational, commercial, and residential buildings, designed a Tudor Revival-style fieldhouse for the park. A stone grotto and fountain originally graced the front of the fieldhouse. Inside, a Federal Works Progress Administration artist created a mural entitled "The Participation of Youth in the Realm of the Arts.""

This 11'5" x 11'2" mural "Landscape With Children" was painted by Florian Durzynski under the auspices of the WPA's Federal Art Project.

The southern face of the federal building in Peoria, Illinois, features four limestone sculptures: "Postal Service," "Agriculture," Industry," and "Native Indian." Commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, Freeman Schoolcraft completed the sculptures in 1939.

What was then known as the Naval Training Station and Naval Hospital North Chicago, Illinois was improved as part of Federal Project F-77 by the federal Civil Works Administration (CWA). "Among the accomplishments were the removal of 125 cottonwood trees, the roots of which had caused serious damage to the sewer system; the overhaul of water pumps at the main power plant; the painting of interior and exterior steel work at the power plant; electric wiring; and numerous minor repairs to the walks, buildings, and grounds."

Julius Moessel worked under the Federal Art Project, and the WPA Federal Project Number One. He created an astonishing eighteen murals. The 7' x 9' panels were created for the Chicago Field Museum’s “Plants of the World Exhibit”, specifically for the collection titled "The Story of Food Plants." This project took two and a half years to complete (1938-1940), and while Moessel painted all eighteen by himself, he worked under the supervision of the Field Museum’s curator of botany. The murals were created as a way of visually showing people cultivation around the world- demonstrating farming and agriculture in various...

"Galena wanted better fire protection. They also began efforts to get the federal government to build the new station. They would ultimately be successful ... The WPA (Works Progress Administration) began construction on the fire station in 1940."

"CCC camps supervised by the Forest Service on the Shawnee National Forest were Camps Dry Hill, Kedron, Hutchins, Simpson, Eddyville, Cadiz, Hicks, Delta, Tamms, and Pomona (an all-black enrollee camp). Men from these camps were instrumental in the relief and clean up work required by the 1937 Ohio River flood disaster."

Illinois's old Fort Sheridan was improved as part of Federal Project F-87 by the federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) ca. 1933-4. "The general scope of the project covered improvements to buildings and grounds, landscaping, drainage and minor construction."

"In 1934, the Great Depression necessitated the consolidation of the city's 22 individual park commissions. The newly-formed Chicago Park District improved Foster Park's landscape and constructed a small recreation building there."

In 1933, a troop of men from the Civilian Conservation Corps troop V-1668, made up of veterans, started building what would become the Fullersburg Forest Preserve. The men built a caretakers cottage (Old Water Mill), a boathouse, bridges, and picnic shelters at the site. They also renovated a mill located at the site. The work in the park was largely finished by 1936 (Du Page Clerk), and by 1937 the historic Graue Mill, originally built in 1852, was functioning as an educational facility for the community (Sweet). The oldest standing part of the Fullersburg Forest Preserve is the Graue Mill. The...

According to the Illinois Office of the Governor, WPA crews built the new Shawneetown courthouse in 1938 after the flood of 1937 forced the original town to be relocated.

The Gary School contains a WPA mural by Roberta Elvis depicting fairy tale characters. Medium: oil on canvas Size: 5' h x 21' w Restoration Info: Restored 2001

"Using federal funding through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the park district soon began rehabilitating the southern portion of the park, constructing tennis courts, a footbridge over the river, a dam and spillway for the lower lagoon."

Four 6' x 10' murals depicting "Earth," "Air," "Water" and "Fire" by Ralf Henricksen were completed in 1936 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. They were restored in 2003-2004.  

Gustaf Dahlstrom's panel oil-on-plaster mural "Flora and Fauna," as well two carved wood bas relief sculptures: "Wild Animals" and "Farm Animals" (artist unknown) were each completed in 1938 with funds provided by the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. The are all viewable in room 106 of the Green Bay Pavilion.  

In early November, 1934, the Illinois Central (I.C.) Railroad contracted with the Pullman Car & Manufacturing Corporation to build the I.C.’s first streamline train, consisting of a 1,200 horsepower Diesel-electric locomotive, a mail & baggage car, two passenger coaches, and a lounge car.  Then, on November 26, 1934, the I.C. requested the Interstate Commerce Commission approve a $2 million loan from the Public Works Administration (PWA), a portion of which was to finance the new streamliner (the PWA had awarded this loan in October).  The loan was approved sometime thereafter, probably in early 1935. The “Green Diamond” cost $425,000 to construct...

Florian Durzynski completed this two-panel oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Westward Movement," with funds provided by the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project (WPA-FAP). It is viewable in the auditorium of Greenman Elementary School.  

This oil on canvas mural "Early Farmers" by Karl Kelpe, and a companion piece ("Pioneers"), were originally in the main entrance of the old Julian School building. They were painted in 1936 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. Size: 16'11" x 8'

This oil on canvas mural, entitled "Child and Sports--Summer" was painted by Ethel Spears in 1937. It is a companion piece to "Child and Sports--Winter" at the Percy Julian Middle School. Both murals were originally installed at the Lowell School. It measures 16'10" by 6'2".

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a gymnasium in Crossville, Illinois. The facility was dedicated in November 1937. The location and status of the facility is unknown to Living New Deal.

The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided the funds to build the Hamilton County Courthouse in 1938. The structure was designed in Art Deco/Moderne style by architect William McCoy, who was well-known in central Illinois at the time. Wikipedia makes the common mistake of confounding the PWA and the WPA.

Gustaf Dahlstrom painted two 9' x 26' murals for the Laurel School: "Gardening" and "Animals and Flowers." They were completed with WPA Federal Art Project funds in 1938. They were moved to the Harper School from the Laurel School in 1973.

This 12'  x 9'11" mural "Harvesting of Grain: Spring and Fall" in Chicago's John Harvard school was painted by Florian Durzynski with WPA Federal Art Project funds in 1939 and restored in 2002. The "Fall" part of this mural set was destroyed. The lunette that was above it, and the lunette about "Spring," survive.

This site originally displayed four oil on canvas murals, entitled "American Characters," painted by Mildred Waltrip in 1938 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. Two of the murals were removed in 1995 and placed in storage after a debate over controversial depictions of African-Americans and American Indians. From the Chicago Tribune story on the controversy: Two 1936 murals at an Oak Park elementary school touched off a 90-minute debate at a school board meeting this week, with some parents and educators demanding the murals be removed, while others argued to keep them as a caution against racial stereotyping. Several...

These carvings, each about 2' in diameter, depict "Immigrant Children" and were completed by Louise Pain with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds.

This mural by Rainey Bennett was produced with FAP funds.

This 6'6" x 30' mural was completed with FAP funds in 1936.

Four limestone sculptures depicting "Children" by Mary Andersen were produced with FAP funds in 1938.

The original structure of Knoxville High School was originally constructed in 1935 as a federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project.

The federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) improved Mattoon, Illinois's old high school ca. 1933-4. A CWA document photo is captioned: "A crew of painters refinishing exposed exterior wood work on a high school in Mattoon." The exact location and present status of the facility in question is unknown to Living New Deal.

This oil-on-canvas mural "Scenes of Industry" by Edward Britton was painted in 1934. It was removed from the old building in 1955, put in storage, and reinstalled in 1955.

The PWAP funded "nine murals titled “Scenes of Industry” at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Illinois. The murals were painted on board by Edgar Britton in 1934.  The building was torn down and replaced.  No one knew about the murals until Hana Field, as an eighth grader, did a history project on New Deal art.  She called High Park High School.  A custodian found them, when he decided to look at some things in the attic.  The boards had been saved to cover broken windows.  They are now cleaned and restored and are in the media center." The 9...

The three panels of this mural "The Life of Horace Mann" depicting scenes from the life of Horace Mann was painted by Ralf Henricksen in 1937 with funds from the WPA Federal Art Project.

This oil on canvas mural, entitled "Community Life of Oak Park in the 19th Century," was painted in 1936 by Emmanuel Jacobson and Ralf Henricksen, with assistance from Charles Copeland and Irene Biannucci. The work was funded by the WPA Federal Art Project. The mural, measuring 7' by 75', still resides in the corridor of the Horace Mann School.

The school auditorium contains a WPA mural "Landscape" by Florian Durzynski. Medium: oil on canvas Size: 10" h x 20' w

Illini Union, the Student Union building of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, "was dedicated on November 1, 1941 as the campus's home for student organizations, meetings, and student programs and activities, replacing University Hall. It was constructed in cooperation with the University of Illinois Foundation, which secured funding for the construction through a $525,820 Public Works Administration grant and a $656,000 loan which was later repaid through student fees." (Wikipedia)

"The Rockford Armory is one unit of a program to house adequately the National Guard of the State of Illinois. Up to 1938, 15 armories had been constructed in the State and at a present three more are under construction in the Chicago area. The building at Rockford has over-all dimensions of 246 by 183 feet, and it has a total floor area of 69,840 square feet. The drill hall, 180 by 120 feet, has a balcony seating 1,000. It also is provided with a stage, 26 by 57 feet, and around the drill hall are clubrooms, general...

"This is a dual-purpose building which houses three companies of the Illinois National Guard and provides much-needed office space for the State government. The site is an entire square, approximately 350 by 350 feet, opposite the State Capitol group of buildings, and the armory and office building occupies half of the area. The central heating plant for the capitol group occupies part of the other half, and as future requirements necessitate expansion of the armory and office building, the heating plant will will be removed elsewhere. The new building is 5 stories and a basement in height and approximately 189 by...

The Federal Arts Project section of the New Deal Program employed men and women with different artistic talents for depictions of American life that would be on display in federal buildings and newly built buildings. Although the Independence Park field house, (located at 3945 N. Springfield) was not a new development (it was built in 1914), a WPA painting by M.R Decker was created for display in the field house auditorium in 1937, a few years after the 22 independent park agencies of Chicago formed to become the Chicago Park District. This painting is entitled "Spirit of 1776", and depicts...

The northbound I-74 bridge, a.k.a. Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, was constructed as a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. The P.W.A. supplied a $1,124,000 loan and $403,400 grant for the project, whose total cost was $1,471,244. Construction occurred between June 1934 and November 1936. The bridge was designed by Modjeski, Masters, and Case. P.W.A. Docket No. 42