This school is also known locally as “the little school” and although the façade is predominately native rock, the entry has a more “modern” appearance with concrete and the rock work is rather spare as compared with the more elaborate… read more
CCC crews built Marcoot Fire Lookout tower in what would become Mark Twain National Forest in 1936. The tower is on Route 72 and consists of the tower and outbuildings, some of which appear to be from the original project. … read more
Completed in 1942, this Work Projects Administration building features native Missouri stone and concrete. The building was designed by architect Mason C. Abbitt from Jefferson City, MO. Construction occurred in two stages and the facility includes a county jail.
The former Mark Twain Memorial Bridge, spanning the Mississippi River between Hannibal, Missouri and Illinois, was constructed as a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project. A preserved portion of the old Mark Twain Memorial Bridge remains on the west bank of the… read more
This is the second lighthouse at this site, the first was the WPA built lighthouse, but unfortunately it blew down in a windstorm in 1960. It was rebuilt in 1963 with the same exterior appearance as the original.
The Mark Twain Museum and rock wall to the north of the original Mark Twain Home were constructed in 1937 to serve as a museum and to serve as protection from fire for the home. The rock has the same… read more
CCC work created the Mark Twain National Forest. From Wikipedia: Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark… read more
This stately brick school was constructed by the PWA in 1934. Classic elementary school that has undergone renovation for handicap accessibility, though there are still some issues. The school has been added onto extensively. The original rock walls surrounding the… read more
Company 1743 of the CCC was an all-black company that came to Mark Twain State Park from Washington State Park in De Soto. There was initial resistance to having an all-black company in the area, but the quality of their… read more
Extensive work by the CCC is seen in this park close to the city of St. Louis. It includes shelters, a stone pump house, stone observation tower, entrance stone work, and assorted bridges, steps, and walls. Adjacent to the park… read more
The PWA constructed a large gymnasium, auditorium, and additional classroom space with entry hall at Knob Noster Middle School in 1939, at a cost of $40,296.
The Missouri State Fairgrounds have been located at this site since the start of the 20th century. The WPA did extensive work on the site in the 1930s. There were many buildings built by the WPA. The entry gates on… read more
The Moberly Airport was a WPA project with a total expenditure of $500,000. The city provided $25,000. It was named after famous son, General Omar Bradley in 1943.
This is an excellent example of the clean, rounded lines of art deco architecture used in a large municipal auditorium that was recently restored and brought back to its original appearance. Ludwig Abt also designed the school in nearby Renick…. read more
This elementary school was a segregated elementary school for white students when it was constructed in response to a fire which destroyed the previous school. The submission to the federal government by Monroe City officials included a new building for… read more
“Montauk State Park is located on 633 acres of land in the southern portion of Dent County, twenty-one miles southwest of Salem, Missouri. The outstanding natural feature of the park is a spring that forms an excellent trout stream near… read more
The PWA provided funds for the construction of a 2-story gymnasium/auditorium for the Morehouse School, featuring a brick facade with banks of classrooms flanking the gymnasium. The total cost for the project was $62,000 (docket #1488). The school closed in… read more
VA.gov: “The Soldiers’ Lot occupies Lots 262 and 263 of Woodland Cemetery, covering less than 0.2 acres.” NPS.gov: “In 1940, laborers of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a depression-era work relief program, erected an enclosing stone wall and post-and-chain fence… read more
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) refurbished an old factory and turned it into a neighborhood center, primarily serving impoverished children. The idle Muchenberger Center resides at what had been the corner of 5th Street and Sycamore Street before highway development… read more
The Kansas City Municipal Auditorium was built by the PWA in 1934-35. “Municipal Auditorium is a large, multi-purpose facility in Kansas City, Missouri with three halls: The Arena, Music Hall, and Little Theatre. It opened in 1936 and features Streamline… read more
The Kansas City Municipal Auditorium facade is decorated with three bas relief carved medallions depicting classic themes. The medallions were created by Albert Stewart in 1934 as part of the PWA construction project. Albert Stewart was born in Kensington, England,… read more
Bathhouse number 6 was the last bathhouse built in St. Louis during the time when the need for bathing by those with no indoor plumbing was a critical problem. They were built in those areas of the city with the… read more
The PWA built this single story colonial style municipal building in 1939. It has a brick façade with cut stone accents, and a cupola graces the center of the roof. It currently houses the Shrewsbury police department.
Although the golf course is no longer being maintained or used, the fairways and recently constructed cart paths remain. It was part of a larger WPA project that included development of the municipal park and swimming pool construction. The park… read more
Edward Buk Ulreich painted two murals for the Columbia, Missouri, post office in 1937: “Indians Watching Stagecoach in the Distance” and “Pony Express.” He was paid $1,580 for his murals, commissioned by the Department of the Treasury’s Section of Painting… read more
The WPA did extensive work on the National Fish Hatchery in Neosho including work on the fish tanks, runs, pools, walls, and drainage ditches. The primary materials were native stone and concrete. The work of the WPA at this site… read more
WPA crews built this armory in 1939. It has a central barrel vaulted auditorium and surrounding single story offices, all of which has a native stone façade that is in excellent condition on the exterior. It is on the east… read more
The National Guard Armory in Columbia was one of what was initially envisioned to be a large number of armories across the state, though the number actually built was limited. The building served as the home of the home of… read more
“The Sedalia Armory is one of the few remaining WPA projects in the city, and a good example of Art-Moderne style structures, emphasizing simplified streamlined form, smoothed-faced concrete exterior walls, rounded corners and horizontal emphasis. Work began on the Armory… read more
Neighborhood Gardens is part of the first round of federally backed public housing in America. Only 7 projects were completed in this earliest phase, including Harlem River Houses in New York City and Techwood Homes in Atlanta. The program provided… read more
Built by the WPA in 1938-1942. The school is an interesting art deco design in a small rural community with curved facades at the entrance to the school. It is still in use and has been expanded on, though the… read more
“Newton County chose St. Louis architect Neal C. Davis to design the fifth courthouse, funded by the Work Projects Administration. Other plans came from firms in Kansas City and Joplin, but the committee favored Davis, who originally came from Newton… read more
Constructed by the PWA circa 1939. The front of the school has been added onto extensively, covering up the original façade. Interestingly, the original façade is just inside the existing façade and is almost identical to that of the Hughesville,… read more
Constructed by the PWA in 1939. Located within the bounds of the Osage Farms Resettlement project, this was original the school for Hughesville, but became the High School for the consolidated Houstonia and Hughesville District.
Originally the Columbia post office, when the post office moved to Walnut St, the building was converted into the Federal Building, then became the Youzeum, and now is the office for the nursing program at Columbia College. There were 2… read more
This fire lookout tower was constructed as a New Deal project in 1941, potentially by the CCC. It is in reasonably good condition though it is no longer in use and the initial stair has been removed for safety reasons.
The historic Oregon County Courthouse building in Alton, Missouri was a Work Projects Administration project. Designed by architect Earl Hawkins, the structure was completed in 1942.
