Norvelt Sites

"Originally called "Westmoreland Homesteads", Norvelt was established April 13, 1934, by the federal government as part of a New Deal homestead project. With 250 homes, Norvelt provided housing, work, and a community environment to unemployed workers and their families during the Great Depression. It was renamed “Norvelt" in 1937 in honor of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her interest in the project... In April 1934, federal officials acquired 1,326 acres (5.37 km2) of farmland in Mount Pleasant Township, and announced construction of the Westmoreland Homesteads. Following Division guidelines, local architect Paul Bartholomew designed the planned community’s buildings and its overall layout. On...

Norvelt is located in southwestern Pennsylvania. "Originally called 'Westmoreland Homesteads,' Norvelt was established in 1934 by the Federal government as part of a New Deal Homestead Project. With 250 homes, Norvelt provided housing, work, and a community environment to unemployed workers and their families during the Great Depression. It was renamed 'Norvelt' in 1937 in honor of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her interest in the project."