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  • 5th Street Sidewalk - Clayton NM
    A WPA sidewalk imprint stamp marks the sidewalk on the west side South 5th Street, one half block up from Cedar St., across from the south end of the school campus Gymnasium building.
  • Administration Building (ENMU): Lloyd Moylan "Art" Mural - Portales NM
    The abstract mural titled "Art," by Lloyd Moylan, was funded by the WPA's Federal Art Project. The medium is tempera on plaster.  There were music classes held on the second floor of the ENMU Administration Building, which explains the choice of a piano mural on the second floor of the building. Later, the classes were moved to former WWII barracks until a new and separate music building was completed around 1958. So the caption might be “Moylan captured the sounds of music through the walls of the school’s Music Dept.” Nearby, the Golden Library houses this mural's twin, titled "Science". As Kathy...
  • Administration Building (ENMU): Moylan Mural - Portales NM
    "The 12th Chapter of Ecclesiastes" Medium: tempera on plaster The mural occupies a stairwell. All its components cannot be viewed at once. The following text is quoted from an informational postcard handout available on site: In 1937, the Work Projects Administration of the Federal Government established a program of murals in public buildings throughout the United States. Eastern New Mexico University made application to the Work Projects Administration for a mural to be painted in the Administration Building. Following approval of the application, a mural to represent the 12th chapter of Ecclesiastes in the Holy Bible was chosen. The Work Projects Administration employed...
  • Agua Fria School - Santa Fe NM
    The Atlas of Historic New Mexico Maps, produced with assistance from the New Mexico Humanities Council and the New Mexico Chapter of the National New Deal Preservation Association, lists a number of New Deal schools in Santa Fe, including Agua Fria. Constructed in 1935-36, the original adobe five-room school has been added to over the years, changing considerably the historic footprint of the building. Today, only the southwest corner reveals its earlier design. The campus is currently closed (2015) and undergoing a $15 million project to construct a new school.
  • Airport - Raton NM
    The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) aided in the construction of Raton Municipal Airport. Official Project Number: 265‐1‐85‐63 Project cost: $265,565.00 Sponsor: City of Raton
  • Airport - Tucumcari NM
    The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) aided in the development of what is now Tucumcari Municipal Airport. Official Project Number: 165‐1‐85‐164
  • Alamogordo Women's Club Building - Alamogordo NM
    "While a variety of public works programs emerged under the umbrella of the New Deal, the WPA with its specific goal of providing work relief for the locally unemployed exerted the greatest impact on small communities in New Mexico (Kammer 1994:48-67). Not only did it create local jobs, it resulted in much-needed public works that contributed to the quality of life in these communities. Administered at the state level and dependent upon local sponsoring authorities who often supplied the land and building materials as their share of the project's cost while the federal government supplied the funds to pay workers,...
  • Albuquerque High School (former) - Albuquerque NM
    "Albuquerque is home to scores of WPA buildings and works. Among the most prolific are the following- ... John Gaw Meem designed both Scoles Hall and Zimmerman Library on the campus of the University of New Mexico (the corner of University and Central). Both have undergone redesign and restoration, but still carry many of the architects innovative design features. Also on the campus of UNM, the Anthropology building is from that era, and contains three large murals by Joseph Imhof. The Old Albuquerque Municipal Airport (2920 Yale SE) is a Pueblo revival style two-story building that stands in the shadow of the Albuquerque...
  • Albuquerque Little Theater - Albuquerque NM
    "Albuquerque is home to scores of WPA buildings and works. Among the most prolific are the following- ... John Gaw Meem designed both Scoles Hall and Zimmerman Library on the campus of the University of New Mexico (the corner of University and Central). Both have undergone redesign and restoration, but still carry many of the architects innovative design features. Also on the campus of UNM, the Anthropology building is from that era, and contains three large murals by Joseph Imhof. The Old Albuquerque Municipal Airport (2920 Yale SE) is a Pueblo revival style two-story building that stands in the shadow of the Albuquerque...
  • Albuquerque Veterans' Hospital Decorative Ceiling Wood Carving - Albuquerque NM
    These carvings adorn the ceiling of Building No. 1 of the Veterans' Hospital, which was likely also a WPA project. From Public Art and Architecture in New Mexico 1933-1943 by Kathryn Flynn (2012): "Building No. 1 which currently houses the Psychology Department was one of the buildings constructed during the WPA activities and has unusually fine carved animal heads on the corbels which are at the end of the ceiling vigas. The carver or carvers are unknown. WPA handmade furniture is located throughout the building."
  • Algodones Elementary School - Algodones NM
    From On September 17, 1935, the Bernalillo Board of Education prepared a WPA project proposal for an addition to an existing elementary school in the village of Algodones, a rural farming north of Albuquerque. The project would not only include the addition, but also “leveling and straightining of the school grounds” (WPA OP 65-85-492: 7158). The Board estimated that the work would cost $2,768,00, with the WPA contributing $3,168.00. The school addition and improvements was the only WPA project funded in the small community. The WPA played an important role in developing school infrastructure in New Mexico during the Great Depression. Prior to...
  • Alma D'arte Charter High School - Las Cruces NM
    1883 - 1937 : Dona Ana County Court House 1941 - 1984 : Las Cruces Junior High School or Court Jr. High School 1993 - present : Mesilla Valley Youth Foundation Court Youth Center 2004 - present : Alma d'arte Charter High School 1883 - 1937 : The Dona Ana County Court House on Court Avenue served as the site of all legal matters in the County, including hangings. The building was razed in 1937 when the County received Works Progress Administration funds to build a new court house and a new junior high school.
  • Animas Street Sidewalks - Lordsburg NM
    The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed several miles of sidewalk in Lordsburg during the Great Depression. By 1936, they were building on average 4,000’ of sidewalk per month, with the goal of completing 40 blocks. Adhering to WPA rules, only property owners who paid for materials and incidentals benefited from the program. The work was declared by the Lordsburg Liberal on August 16, 1936 “as something that will be of a lasting benefit to the community.” Animas Street sidewalk work was conducted in 1936 and 1938.
  • Anna Becker Park Improvements - Belen NM
    "The short - lived CWA program ... assisted the development of the Anna Becker Park in Belen."
  • Arch Hurley Conservancy District Building - Tucumcari NM
    The Work Projects Administration (W.P.A.) constructed the Arch Hurley Conservancy District building in Tucumcari, New Mexico in 1940. "Construction of the High Street office building took place in the summer and fall of 1940. A photograph at the ACHD office, dated July 9 of that year, shows “Manufacture of cement cinder blocks by W.P.A. men. These blocks are to be used in the construction of the new administrative building."
  • Armijo Elementary School - Albuquerque NM
    "A number of other APS buildings were built, remodeled, or had additions built as the result of this source of this source of funding. Likewise adjacent school playgrounds, ball fields, etc. were also created. The schools include Armijo, Coronado, Duranes, Five Points School, La Mesa, Lincoln, Los Candelarias, Pajarito, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Stronghurst. For specific information on each of these refer to the Albuquerque Museum Monograph written by Charles Biebel." -Treasures on New Mexico Trails
  • Armory (former) - Raton NM
    The National Guard Armory in Raton, New Mexico, now the Raton Convention and Recreation Center, was built by the WPA. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Project description: "Construct Armory and improve grounds" Official Project Number: 165‐1‐85‐110 Project cost: $232,527.00 Sponsors: New Mexico National Guard and Board of Education, City of Raton
  • Artesia City Park - Artesia NM
    "The Artesia Improvement Company donated the land for a city park in 1906. In 1937, the corner pillars and stone walkways to the center of the park were added as a WPA project. Artesia Main Street, a local downtown revitalization organization, has plans for a complete renovation of the park. Central Park continues to be used as a popular location for many downtown events and family outings." -Artesia Walking Tour
  • Artesia Gym - Artesia NM
    "Artesia is home to several WPA construction projects including the Municipal Hospital, the Old City Hall, the gym on the Artesia Schools campus and the wall around Morris Field. The Hospital is in private hands. The Old City Hall is also a private office, but looks much the same as when it was built. The gym is still the gym and Morris Field is still in use, also on the school campus. Much of the construction uses beautiful local stone, which can be seen throughout Artesia, including the once private residence that is now the Artesia Historical Museum & Art...
  • Artesia Municipal Hospital - Artesia NM
    "Originally called Artesia Memorial Hospital when built in 1939 by WPA/PWA funds, it is still in use today. Additions were made in the early 1940's and the most recent renovations and additions finalized in the mid 1960's." -Treasures on New Mexico Trails
  • Arthur Johnson Memorial Library: Artwork - Raton NM
    "Located in the historic downtown area of Raton, New Mexico, Arthur Johnson Memorial Library building was originally built" as the community's post office in 1917, well prior to the advent of the New Deal. "Remodeling in the late 1990's opened the second floor for use, and included the addition of an elevator." The facility's significance from a New Deal standpoint stems from the "large collection of paintings representative of New Mexico artists of the New Deal period," which hang "throughout the library. A painting by the late Chiricahua Apache artist, Allan Houser, done prior to his moving into 3 dimensional art,...
  • Aztec Museum - Aztec NM
    The city hall in Aztec, New Mexico was built by the WPA in 1936. The building now houses the Aztec Museum.
  • Aztec Ruins National Monument - Aztec NM
    The complex in Aztec Ruins National Monument consists of a "three-story structure as many as 500 rooms, includ a great kiva that is more than forty feet across." The name "Aztec" is a misnomer as the original excavators believed that the structures were from that tribe. In fact, "The pueblo dates from approximately A.D. 1100." In the winter of 1933-34, workers for the Civil Works Administration (CWA) built "an entrance road, a parking area, and general clean-up." Also in 1934, Public Works Administration (PWA) workers rebuilt some of the original structure as workers "dismantled the walls and relaid the masonry"...
  • Bandelier Elementary School - Albuquerque NM
    This large elementary school is in the Nob Hill section of Albuquerque, NM, just south of the University of New Mexico and has one of the highest ratings in the city. It was built by the PWA in 1939. The interior includes the typical glazed brick wainscoting in hallways. The exterior style includes modern deco elements mixed with a short visible clay tile roof and dentilwork below the fascia. Brick is the predominant exterior building material. The building is still in use.
  • Bandelier National Monument - Los Alamos NM
    "Bandelier was established as a National Monument in 1916, but until the mid-30s the only visitor facility in Frijoles Canyon was a lodge built in 1909 by Judge A. J. Abbott. Even by 1925 when George and Evelyn Frey acquired the lease to run the lodge, the only way for visitors to access the canyon bottom and the lodge was on foot. Much of the Freys food came from their garden and livestock, but everything else - visitors, archeologists, supplies, and the Freys themselves whenever they had to get groceries or mail - had to come down this trail. In 1932,...
  • Bluewater Lookout - Lincoln National Forest NM
    The historic Bluewater fire lookout tower in Lincoln National Forest was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933. NRHP Nomination Form: "Located on the Mayhill Ranger District, this 45 ft high steel tower with a 7 ft by 7 ft steel cab represents an Aermotor LX-E4 type or an International Derrick Company tower. The Forest Service records are not clear on this point. Research efforts have not been able to clarify this. It appears that while the International Derrick Company did manufacture steel towers, they did not differ much from the more common Aermotor towers. Other Forest Service records cited...
  • Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge - San Antonio NM
    In 1936 the Bureau of Biological Survey (BBS) determined that Bosque del Apache site was suitable for a migratory bird refuge. Condemnation of the land was initiated through the 1931 Migratory Bird Conservation Act and concluded in December 1936. The landowner  was paid around $12/acre for about 57,000 acres. The refuge was formally established by executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. Between 1939 and 1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Work Progress Administration (WPA) sent in teams of relief workers to restore the refuge land under the guidance of the BBS, which became the US Fish &...
  • Bottomless Lakes State Park - Roswell NM
    "The New Mexico State Park system was founded in order to tap funding and labor from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. Bottomless Lakes State Park was the under this new system . "The CCC began work at Bottomless in 1935 and completed all projects by 1938. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), another government relief effort labor force, was also significant in this effort. Roads, trails and recreational structures were the fruits of their labor. "The primary result of the CCC effort at Bottomless Lakes State Park was a large bathhouse and pavilion at the southern-most lake at this...
  • Branigan City Library Art - Las Cruces NM
    "It is possible to view 'Navajo Blankets Portfolio' by Louie Ewing and a small watercolor by Ramos Sanchez, San Ildefonso Pueblo. On request one can also study the 'Portfolio of Spanish Colonial Design' created by E. Boyd and others." -Treasures on New Mexico Trails
  • Caballo Dam - Truth or Consequences NM
    "Caballo Dam, Rio Grand Project, New Mexico -- Caballo Dam on the Rio Grande is now being constructed by the Bureau to provide (1) flood control and river regulation, (2) the development of firm power at Elephant Butte Dam, and (3) additional storage for the Rio Gande Irrigation Project. Construction of the dam was commenced in June 1936 and is scheduled for completion in May 1938. It is a 1,250,000 cubic yard earthfill structure with a maximum height of 90 feet and a total length of 4,500 feet. The reservoir will have a storage capacity of 350,000 acre feet of...
  • Cahoon Park - Roswell NM
    "The City of Roswell acquired the Haynes property in the 1930s and turned it into a municipal park. It was named Cahoon Park in 1936 after pioneer banker E.A. Cahoon. Now, the North Spring River is an intermittent waterway about 5 miles in length coursing through Roswells western suburbs with its banks largely lined with masonry wall or riprap. Numerous improvements to the park were undertaken as Works Progress Administration projects in the 1930s. One notable improvement along the river was construction of the masonry channel lining or riprap. Riprap lining was first added to the rivers channel through Cahoon...
  • Capulin Volcano National Monument: Parking Lot Wall - Capulin NM
    At Capulin Volcano National Monument "the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) ... the retaining wall around the Visitor Center parking area." Modern imagery suggests that the parking lot may have been redone.
  • Capulin Volcano National Monument: Road and Campgrounds - Capulin NM
    "The road leading up and around Capulin Volcano National Monument in Union County was constructed by the Civil Works Administration (C.W.A.) by twenty-five local men between December 1933 and April 1934 thanks to the leadership of Homer Farr, who was a local power figure and the first director of this site. They also created campgrounds. He communicated with the Roosevelt Administration tirelessly in order to provide employment for the local men and to get the road done."
  • Carlos Gilbert Elementary School - Santa Fe NM
    The Atlas of Historic New Mexico Maps, produced with assistance from the New Mexico Humanities Council and the New Mexico Chapter of the National New Deal Preservation Association, lists a number of New Deal schools in Santa Fe. Agua Fria, Carlos Gilbert, Cerrillos, Chimayo, Galisteo, Harvey Junior High, and part of Wood Gormley were all New Deal projects or constructed with the help of New Deal funds. Capshaw and Golden contain New Deal art only.
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park Historic District - Carlsbad NM
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) operated a camp at Rattlesnake Springs from 1938 to 1942 and conducted substantial construction and development work at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, including at what's now known as the Carlsbad Caverns National Park Historic District. Among untold other projects and improvements the CCC undertook trail development and landscaping work and constructed residences and maintenance facilities that are still in use today. Treasures on New Mexico Trails: The Historic District at Carlsbad Caverns National Park comprises a number of Pueblo Revival buildings constructed by Park personnel in the 1920s and 1930s and several stuccoed adobe buildings in the...
  • Carlsbad Intermediate School - Carlsbad NM
    The Carlsbad Intermediate School building, also known as the P.R. Leyva School Campus—originally a high school—is identified as a project that received New Deal assistance in the form of Public Works Administration (PWA) funds in an article in the Carlsbad Current-Argus. The school also features a plaque inside the front main entrance.
  • Carlsbad Museum Mural - Carlsbad NM
    A New Deal mural, "The Jicarilla Apache Trading Post," was created for the 1930s old post office building in Carlsbad, New Mexico. It is now housed at the Carlsbad Museum. Treasures on New Mexico Trails: A large mural-size painting, 42" x 50" by La Verne Nelson Black (1887-1938) under the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP) titled, "The Jicarilla Apache Trading Post," is a dramatic work of Jicarilla Apache Indians at the trading post some of whom are on horseback. The time of day is dusk with dark winter clouds in the background and with brighter colors on the individuals.
  • Carrie Tingley Home for Crippled Children - Truth or Consequences NM
    Now: New Mexico Veterans' Center "The New Mexico Veterans' Center (formerly Carrie Tingley Hospital) was partially funded with WPA funds in 1937. The buildings were left vacant in 1981 when the Hospital moved to Albuquerque. In 1983 the Veterans' Administration and the New Mexico Legislature provided funds for renovation of the buildings and the establishment of the New Mexico Veterans' Center." -Phyllis Eileen Banks The "Turtle Pond" outdoor sculpture was commissioned from artist Eugenie Shonnard in 1937.
  • Carrie Tingley Home for Crippled Children - Turtle Fountain Sculpture - Truth or Consequences NM
    This building was repurposed in the 1980s as the New Mexico Veterans Center. Medium: terra cotta
  • Carrizozo Women's Club - Carrizozo NM
    "The Carrizozo Womans Club, founded in 1920, is a community service organization open to all women who enjoy volunteering their time for worthy causes. ... The Womans Club building is an outstanding example of Pueblo Revival Architecture built of adobe. The ceiling in the unique round room, which is completely free standing, contains viga logs in an intricate wagon wheel pattern. Built in 1939 by the WPA, the building is one of the showplaces in Carrizozo and is included on the State and Federal Registers of historic buildings." -Carrizozo Historic Sites
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