North Carolina Sites

"Hicks Field was built in 1939 as a Works Progress Administration project in 1939 at the corner of East Freemason and Woodward, adjacent to John A. Holmes High School."

"The Highlands Museum and Biological Laboratory, Inc. opened its first research laboratory in 1931. The Sam T. Weyman Memorial Laboratory, designed by Oscar Stonorov with Tucker & Howell, architects, received acclaim as the first example of the International Style of architecture in North Carolina and was often cited as a foremost example of the Modern Movement in the US …. In the late 1930s construction began on the Station’s Museum; designed and built by the WPA and opened in 1941, the museum and associated amphitheater was a natural counterpart to the research laboratory embodying the joint research and educational...

In 2013 the Department of Housing and Urban Development wrote: "Built in 1937 as a Works Progress Administration project, the Wilkesboro, North Carolina Elementary School, known as the Historic Wilkesboro School, was recently transformed into an affordable housing community for low-income seniors. ... restoration of the old school building a sustainable, walkable community of 41 one- and two-bedroom units for low-income seniors."

"Hiwassee Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Hiwassee River in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is one of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the late 1930s to bring flood control and electricity to the region. The dam impounds the Hiwassee Lake of 6,000 acres, and its tailwaters are part of Apalachia Lake. At 307 feet, Hiwassee Dam is the third highest dam in the TVA system, behind only Fontana and Watauga." (Wikipedia)

"Between 1932 and 1935 communities throughout North Carolina, including Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, benefited from a broad array of public works funded primarily by Washington.  These included ... the building of a grandstand in Independence Park ..." The project was begun by the Civil Works Administration (CWA) but completed by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). Per the latter's description: "In Charlotte at Independence Park, one of the baseball fields has been used for years for Sunday school leagues and business league games. Much interest has always been manifested in these ball games, and attendance especially on Saturday is heavy. No...

In 1938 the county commissioners condemned the existing courthouse as being unsafe. The replacement building was financed by $75,000 from the WPA and $30,000 in county bonds. The Colonial Revival building sheathed in Flemish bond brick was completed in 1939.

This canvas mural "The Battle of Kings Mountain" by Verona Burkhard was painted in 1941 with Treasury Section funding for the town's post office. It was moved to the city hall in the 1980s.

In 1934 the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Lake Administration (FERA) constructed a dam to impound a recreational lake: Lake Tomahawk, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, as well as a community building and boathouse at its shore. The lake "was officially opened on Labor Day weekend in 1934." The community building featured shingle siding and a large room for social gatherings and boating and bathing facilities. The building is still in use today and the lake continues as a gathering spot. "The community house, built at Black Mountain, in Buncombe County, under project No. 11A-B11-2, is situated on the shore...

Tha PWA built this school for Reidsville, North Carolina in 1934-1935. The total cost was $186,589, and the PWA contributed $54,048 of that. The locals came up with their 70% share on their own.

Volume II of a 1978 report entitled 100 Courthouses, A Report on North Carolina Judicial Facilities states the county sold bonds to build a new court house in 1939, but that the construction was "under the guidance of the Federal Works Administration." According to the report, the architects, A. Mitchell Wooten and John J. Rowland, designed a "rare and important example of the sleek modern style."

The federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed the Long Creek High School Gymnasium and the school's attendant recreational grandstand in Huntersville, North Carolina. "The Long Creek High School Gymnasium and Grandstand are the only surviving structures from the initial phase of Federally-assisted school construction in Mecklenburg County." The structures "are tangible reminders of how the New Deal relief programs changed rural life in Mecklenburg County." (cmhpf.org) "Long Creek High School opened in 1923 as part of a program of comprehensive school consolidation in Mecklenburg County.  The Long Creek High School Gymnasium and Grandstand were constructed in 1934 initially under arrangements approved...

Durham, North Carolina's Long Meadow Pool (located at Long Meadow Park) was constructed with federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds in 1937.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted extensive farm-to-market road construction and improvement work in Watauga County, North Carolina. A newspaper photo shows one such WPA road project "from the potato mountain section to Mabel."

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed an eight-classroom school building: the former Mabel Elementary School—as well as sanitary privies for said school—in Mabel, near Zionville, North Carolina. It was one of many educational facilities constructed by the WPA in Watauga County. The historic Mabel School has since been replaced, and the location and status of the WPA structure is unknown to Living New Deal.

Now known as the Malvern Hills Pool, the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) supplied labor for the construction / improvement of what was called the Horney Heights Swimming Pool, named for a development of the same name in West Asheville. The pool is operated by Asheville City Pools. Regarding CWA/ERA work in North Carolina: "Twenty-one concrete swimming pools, equipped with filtering systems (not including the pool at Asheville which was almost completed when transferred to WPA)."

The Manteo Community Building (Roanoke Island) was built by WPA workers, circa 1935-1937. Today, it is used as a government office building.

The Manteo Fire Station was constructed with the assistance of WPA funds. The remaining money was raised locally by the Manteo Fire Department, which organized a series of dances. The downstairs was used to house fire equipment while the upstairs served as town hall. The building was remodeled in 1977 when it received its Tudor makeover. The Fire Department has since moved to another location, and this building is now privately owned.

The Manteo School Gym, a large white building near the corner of Devon Street and US Highway 64 was built by the Works Progress Administration. The building was recently demolished.

Originally constructed as the town's high school during the 1930s, Mars Hill, North Carolina's striking stone Cornerstone Apartments—a private apartment complex—was constructed by the federal Works Progress Administration as the town's high school during the 1930s. The Rustic Revival-style building has also been known as Mars Hill School and Mars Hill Elementary School, and later, as Mars Hill's Community Center. It features a stone and concrete foundation, stone walls, and asphalt roof.

"In 1934, the United States Government bought Lake Mattamuskeet and created Mattamuskeet Migratory Bird Refuge. The purchase included all physical structures and improvements on the land, including the Pumping Station. The Mattamuskeet Drainage District ceased to exist and the lake soon refilled. Between 1935 and 1937, the government converted the Pumping Station into a hunting lodge and headquarters building for the new refuge. Company 424 of the Civilian Conservation Corps did much of the conversion work, with 17 to 23 year old 'CCC boys' working side by side with civilian contractors. The transformed building opened to the public in November...

Mattamuskeet Migratory Bird (later Wildlife) Refuge was established in 1934, primarily as a refuge for migratory birds along the Atlantic flyway.  It was one of the first refuges created under President Franklin Roosevelt, an ardent bird fancier and conservationist, and was assembled and administered by the Bureau of Biological Survey (reorganized into the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1940). The refuge is covers 50,000 acres on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in Hyde County, North Carolina.  It encompasses Mattamuskeet Lake, the largest natural lake in North Carolina, measuring 18 miles by 7 miles, but only 2-3 feet deep. The Mattamuskeet pumping station at the...

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) supplied labor for the widening of Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina. The cost of the project was $17,297.14, which was mostly borne by the federal government. "In Asheville, Biltmore Street, Merrimon Avenue, and Broadway were widened by taking off fronts of all stores, setting them back, and rebuilding, work requiring expert skill."

Originally constructed as a high school, what is now Micaville Elementary School was built in 1936* with assistance from the Works Progress Administration (WPA); it was one of five schools built by the WPA in Yancey County, North Carolina. * While one source cites 1938, an inscription on the building states 1936.

The Scotland Neck Historic District contains multiple buildings constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). "In the Clarksville area, on the east side of Main Street in the 1700 block, a one-story, elongated brick multiple housing unit (#124) was constructed by the WPA in 1943. Set on several acres, the buildings originally housed military personnel during World War II. Near the end of the war, it was utilized as a prisoner-of-war camp. After the war, the building was converted to apartments."

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) relocated and reconstructed the former United States Mint Building in Charlotte, North Carolina: now the Mint Museum. The project was completed at a cost of $46,724.75. "Between 1932 and 1935 communities throughout North Carolina, including Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, benefited from a broad array of public works funded primarily by Washington.  These included the reconstruction in Eastover of the former United States Mint Building ..." Furthermore, the FERA improved and graded the grounds at the site.

"Early development of park property was a cooperative effort between state and federal governments. Work crews of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Work Projects Administration constructed many of the facilities from 1937 to 1942."

The Swimming Pool at Morrow Mountain State Park in North Carolina was built sometime between 1937 and 1942 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the State of North Carolina under the supervision of the National Park Service. Opened in 1939, Morrow Mountain State Park – the site of the swimming pool – was also a product of the New Deal. Work crews of the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed many of the park’s trails and facilities between 1937 and 1942. Additional facilities were later added with the help of state funds in the 1950s and 1960s. As...

"Mount Jefferson State Natural Area is a North Carolina state park in Ashe County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Jefferson, North Carolina, it includes the peak of Mount Jefferson, named for Thomas Jefferson, who owned land nearby. In 1939 the Works Progress Administration created a road enabling widespread access to Mount Jefferson"

"The newly established Department of Conservation and Development...immediately requested a CCC work camp for Mount Mitchell... ...the upper reaches of the East's highest mountain underwent a remarkable transformation. Fire prevention crews fanned out along the trails and parking areas, clearing away brush and standing dead timber. Other workers took charge of trail maintenance, refurbishing all the footpaths, including the well-worn and badly eroded trail to the summit. The CCC briefly revived reforestation in the park, planting addition Fraser fir and Norway spruce. Just below the summit workers cut and hewed red spruce logs for a new concession stand, a rain shelter,...

Asheville, North Carolina's old airport (since replaced by Asheville Regional Airport, which is located at a different site) was developed in part by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). "The Federal Works Progress Administration spends $170,000 to build one paved and two sod runways." (AshevilleNC.gov) The airport was reputedly located in the nearby town of Fletcher, and is most likely the airport that had been known as Asheville-Hendersonville Airport, which is long gone. The facility was located at the site of the present 4NC6: Cane Creek Airport, at the coordinates provided.

"The town had the first municipally owned swimming pool west of Asheville. The stone and concrete pool was built in 1938 by the WPA during the Great Depression; it was demolished in 1969 to be replaced by the current ." (Wikipedia)

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a wharf in Southport, North Carolina. The exact location and current status of the structure is presently unknown to Living New Deal.

North Carolina Central University, in Durham, North Carolina, was dramatically expanded as five new buildings were constructed on the campus as part of a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project during the Great Depression. B. N. Duke Auditorium, the Robinson Science Building, the old Albert Lewis Turner Hall, the Angus W. McLean Men’s Dormitory, and the Ruth G. Rush Women’s Dormitory were all constructed with PWA funds The New York Times reported in 1939 that the PWA and WPA had provided financial resources and labor for a plethora of construction and improvement projects at North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, then...

In 1942 the Work Progress Administration began construction for a building to serve as an armory, athletics coliseum, and student assembly hall. Only the skeleton was constructed during World War II; materials shortages caused by the war halted progress. After the war, construction recommenced when the college arranged other funding sources, and it was completed in 1949.

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Chemistry Building (later renamed Withers Hall) on the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh NC. Construction of a fire-proof structure of reinforced concrete with exterior finish of brick and Indiana limestone. Total floor space of 72,000 square feet comprising 14 classrooms and large assembly room. Total seating for 1000 students. Laboratory accommodations for for 2640 students.

The Public Works Administration built the “A” Dormitory at North Carolina State College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Today the dormitory is still in service under the name Alexander Residence Hall. Construction of new dormitory building for 400 students: brick load-bearing exterior walls, steel column with bar joist and concrete slab floor construction, and steel roof trusses with Nailcrete slab and slate shingle roof. The interior finish was plaster with wood trim and Bruce random length flooring.  

The Public Works Administration built the Eighth Dormitory at North Carolina State College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Today the dormitory is still in service under the name Becton Residence Hall. Construction of new dormitory building consists of brick load-bearing exterior walls, steel columns with bar joists and concrete slab floor construction, and steel roof trusses with Porete slab and slate shingle roof. The interior finish was plaster with wood trim and Bruce block flooring.

The Public Works Administration built the Ninth Dormitory at North Carolina State College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Today the dormitory is still in service under the name Berry Residence Hall. Construction of new dormitory building: brick load-bearing exterior walls, steel column with bar joist and concrete slab floor construction, and steel roof trusses with Porete slab and slate shingle roof. The interior finish was plaster with wood trim and Bruce block flooring.

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of Clark Hall at the North Carolina State University in Raleigh NC. Construction of Tenth Dormitory at North Carolina State College, Raleigh, NC: brick load-bearing exterior walls, steel columns with bar joists and concrete slab floor construction, and steel roof trusses with Porete slab and slate shingle roof. The interior finish was plaster with wood trim and Bruce block flooring. After a few years, the building became the college infirmary, and later a dining hall and office space.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed the shaft (which has been partially constructed during the 1920s) and base of bell tower on the North Carolina State College campus in Raleigh, NC, and faced it with granite. The project also included quarrying and preparation of granite in Surry County, NC, and transportation of this stone to Raleigh.