• Allegheny General Hospital - Pittsburgh PA
    "The construction of this hospital plant was begun in 1929 but work was discontinued in 1931 due to financial difficulties. It was resumed in 1935 with the aid of the P.W.A. and when completed covered most of a site of 4 1/2 acres and included a 20-story hospital building, a 9-story nurses' home, and a power-house supplying the entire institution. The hospital building contains 1,200 rooms of which 162 are for private patients, and it increases the total bed capacity of the institution by more than 50 percent. In the plan, all of the departments which are related in service permit...
  • Bedford Dwellings - Pittsburgh PA
    Bedford Dwellings was the first of Pittsburgh Housing Authority’s construction of low-cost housing. Dr. B. J. Hovde, the administrator, announced the contract would be awarded to Ring Construction Company with the low bid for the 420 units at $1,173,000. The completed project was proposed to cost $2,560,000 and cover a 20-acre site on Bedford Avenue. Low bidders on plumbing work was Moss and Blakely, heating was George H. Soffel and Company, and electrical was Sargent Engineering Company. Lumber and millwork was awarded to Atlas Lumber and Supply Company. Bedford Dwellings were ready for occupancy March 1, 1940 and able to...
  • Burgwin Elementary School - Pittsburgh PA
    "The construction of the Burgwin School, in a residential district adjacent to a mill and commercial district, made possible the elimination of the old Hazelwood School built in 1875, and of the Glenwood School built in 1882, both of which were obsolete. The building is 3 stories in height and H-shaped in plan with over-all dimensions 96 by 279 feet. It accommodates 920 pupils in 22 classrooms and a kindergarten. In addition, it has 2 nature-study rooms, rooms for the study of art and music, a library, 2 playrooms separated by folding doors which can be folded back...
  • Buttermilk Hollow Road - Pittsburgh PA
    Buttermilk Hollow Road was built as part of a New Deal project: the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $299,852 grant for the project, whose total cost was $475,186. PWA Docket No. PA 2109.
  • Cathedral of Learning (Continuing Work) - Pittsburgh PA
    In 1933-4 federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) "workers in Pittsburgh had helped move the forty-two-story Cathedral of Learning at the heart of the University of Pittsburgh closer to completion." Excerpt from Alberts, Robert C. Pitt, (1986): "December 23, 1933. The federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) announced it was giving a $300,000 labor grant for work on the Cathedral. Pitt contributed $520,000 in materials. Until the program ended on April 30,1934 a force of 1,259 previously unemployed stonemasons, iron workers, plumbers, engineers, and carpenters worked at the site twenty-four hours a week. There were unforeseen complications when it was discovered that the...
  • Clairton Boulevard Bridge - Pittsburgh PA
    A project: "grade separation (clover leaf) on Lebanon Church Road," entailing the construction of a bridge carrying Clairton Blvd., was undertaken in Pittsburgh as part of a New Deal project sponsored by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The structure bears a PWA plaque.
  • East End Ave. Improvements - Pittsburgh PA
    Among a set of 26 WPA projects approved for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in Sept. 1935 was the "grading, paving and curbing of East End avenue" in eastern Pittsburgh. The Federal government allocated $1,818 for the project and local sponsors contributed $1,827.
  • Highland Park Bridge - Pittsburgh PA
    "The Highland Park Highway Bridge, illustrated at the top of this page, crosses the Allegheny River, replaces a bridge built in 1902, and eliminates four railroad grade crossings. The main spans consist of a steel-deck cantilever structure with north and south anchor-arm spans 162.5 feet each and five main spans 278 feet each. Six deck-plate girder spans over the railway line have a total length of 585.1 feet. The project was completed in August 1939 at a construction cost of $2,314,205 and a project cost of $2,554,180. (Short and Brown)
  • Highland Park Development - Pittsburgh PA
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted multiple projects in Highland Park in Pittsburgh. "In Highland Park, WPA workers built stone steps throughout the park and modernized the main zoo building." Another article notes that the WPA built a "rhino quarters" at the zoo in 1939.
  • Homestead Grays Bridge - Pittsburgh PA
    "The Pittsburgh-Homestead high-level bridge, which spans the Monongahela River, replaces the obsolete Brown's highway bridge and eliminates two railroad grade crossings and a circuitous approach. The total length of the bridge and its approaches is 4,200 feet and the bridge itself is approximately 3,100 feet long. The main river spans consist of four Wichert continuous steel trusses, each of the two central spans being 533.3 feet in length and the two end spans 291 feet each. The approach spans in Homestead consist of seven girder spans and six Wichert continuous truss spans with a total length of 1,450 feet....
  • Lemington Elementary School (former) - Pittsburgh PA
    Pittsburgh's historic, Art Deco-style Lemington Elementary School building was built in 1937 as a New Deal project: the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $176,693 grant for the project, whose total cost was $428,894. "Portions of the exterior are ornamented with terra cotta, and feature Mayan-inspired motifs such as an amber sunburst frieze and stylized human faces. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986." It is no longer in service as a school. PWA Docket No. PA 1316
  • McKnight Road - McCandless to Pittsburgh PA
    McKnight Road, which connects McCandless and Pittsburgh, was constructed as a New Deal project sponsored by the Public Works Administration (PWA).
  • Moore Recreation Center - Pittsburgh PA
    The Moore Recreation Center, including a swimming pool, bath house, and possibly a playground, were constructed in 1939-40 as a New Deal project: the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $124,700 grant for project, whose total cost was $272,577. "The grand opening of the swimming pool was held on August 9, 1940." A plaque marks the bathhouse as a PWA project. PWA Docket No. PA 2208-F
  • North Side Municipal Market (former) - Pittsburgh PA
    Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds enabled "the modernization of the North Side Municipal Market in Pittsburgh ..." The exact location and building status is presently unknown to Living New Deal.
  • PennDOT Maintenance Office - Pittsburgh PA
    Construction of the PennDOT Maintenance Office building on Fox Chapel Road in Pittsburgh was undertaken as part of a sizable a New Deal project; the then-Department of Highways and Public Works Administration (PWA) provided the funds for the building's construction in 1937-8, along with many similar structures in other parts of Pennsylvania. The PWA provided a $85,815 grant for the project, whose total cost was $226,920. "Construction of 19 new garage and office buildings in as many counties has just been completed by the Department of Highways ... marking another forward step in the drive to develop maximum efficiency among our widespread field forces. This...
  • Pennsylvania Turnpike - Pittsburgh PA
    "America's First Superhighway" is a toll highway running through much of Pennsylvania, and it was created with the assistance of the WPA, the PWA and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. "When it opened in 1940, the Pennsylvania Turnpike made history as the first limited access superhighway in the nation. Constructed across and through 160 miles of rugged ridges and narrow valleys, the Turnpike was both an engineering marvel and precursor of the national interstate highway system. What is often overlooked, however, is that had New Deal programs not financed the work, the Turnpike would not have been built until many years later,...
  • Perry High School (former) Athletic Field - Pittsburgh PA
    A project involving construction of an athletic field at Perry High School (now Perry Traditional Academy) was undertaken in 1936 as part of a New Deal project, sponsored by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA provided a $17,994 grant for the project, whose total cost was $41,283. PWA Docket No. PA 1151
  • Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway Improvements – Pittsburgh PA
    In 1934, the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided $331,000 in loans to the Pittsburgh & West Virginia (P&WV) Railway, for the purchase of three new locomotives, and an additional $47,000 for the “Purchase and installation of steel rail, track fastenings, etc.” (Interstate Commerce Commission). The P&WV operated from about 1916-1964 and was headquartered in the Wabash Railroad Station and Building, Pittsburgh, PA, 1916-1946. Its trains operated on routes from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh, to Wheeling, West Virginia. The P&WV was one of over 30 railroads that received New Deal funding assistance, which helped usher in an exciting era of new and bigger...
  • Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway Locomotive No. 1100 (demolished) – Pittsburgh PA
    In 1934, the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided $331,000 in loans to the Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway, for the purchase of three new locomotives. The engines were Class J-1, numbered 1100-1102, and had somewhat unusual 2-6-6-4 wheel configurations. Howard Worley, Jr. and William Poellot, Jr. describe the details and impact of the new locomotives: “In October the first of the new articulated type freight locomotives, #1100, arrived at Rook after traveling under its own power over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from the Eddystone plant of the Baldwin Locomotive Works near Philadelphia… it was the largest size engine...
  • Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway Locomotive No. 1101 (demolished) – Pittsburgh PA
    In 1934, the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided $331,000 in loans to the Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway, for the purchase of three new locomotives. The engines were Class J-1, numbered 1100-1102, and had somewhat unusual 2-6-6-4 wheel configurations. Howard Worley, Jr. and William Poellot, Jr. describe the details and impact of the new locomotives: “In October the first of the new articulated type freight locomotives, #1100, arrived at Rook after traveling under its own power over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from the Eddystone plant of the Baldwin Locomotive Works near Philadelphia… it was the largest size engine on...
  • Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway Locomotive No. 1102 (demolished) – Pittsburgh PA
    In 1934, the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided $331,000 in loans to the Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway, for the purchase of three new locomotives. The engines were Class J-1, numbered 1100-1102, and had somewhat unusual 2-6-6-4 wheel configurations. Howard Worley, Jr. and William Poellot, Jr. describe the details and impact of the new locomotives: “In October the first of the new articulated type freight locomotives, #1100, arrived at Rook after traveling under its own power over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from the Eddystone plant of the Baldwin Locomotive Works near Philadelphia… it was the largest size engine on...
  • Prospect School (former) Addition - Pittsburgh PA
    Pittsburgh's historic Prospect Junior High and Elementary School building dates to 1931. However, an addition to the building was built in 1936-8 as a New Deal project: the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $154,980 grant for the project, whose total cost was $390,249. According to the Pittsburgh Press: "The addition will be three stories with a basement and sub-basement, and will provide gymnasiums, swimming pool, auditorium, filter rooms, locker rooms, fan room, social rooms and other facilities." Regarding the school, Wikipedia states: "It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The school closed in 2006, and the building has since...
  • Riverview Park Development - Pittsburgh PA
    "In 1941, WPA workers built the visitors' center, a fountain and stone entrance walls at Riverview Park on the North Side, a project spearheaded by Griswold. Out-of-work Pittsburghers also made drainage repairs, paved roads and improved entrances in Riverview Park, Ms. Rademacher said."
  • Saw Mill Run Boulevard Bridge - Pittsburgh PA
    A project: "traffic separation for Saw Mill Run and West Liberty Ave.," entailing the construction of a bridge on Saw Mill Run Blvd., was undertaken in Pittsburgh as part of a New Deal project sponsored by the Public Works Administration (PWA).
  • Schenley Park Bridges - Pittsburgh PA
    11 WPA bridges exist on the Lake Trail. Just above Panther Hollow Lake, two small streams emerge from the bifurcated Hollow. Nearly a dozen small bridges cross the two streams. One of these branches extends northward to the Tufa Bridge below the Visitor Center. This trail suffers from neglect and flood damage and is nearly impassable. The other stream flows from the east from the area near Barlett Dr. Higher on the sides of this hollow are the Upper and Lower Panther Hollow Bridle Paths. Along the stream, the Lake Trail links the Bridle Path to Panther Hollow Lake. Today, the...
  • Spring Hill Elementary School Improvements - Pittsburgh PA
    A project involving "some alterations and equipment for the Spring Hill elementary school" was undertaken in 1936 as part of a New Deal project, sponsored by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA provided a $24,083 grant for the project, whose total cost was $58,781. PWA Docket No. PA 1156
  • Squirrel Hill Station Post Office - Pittsburgh PA
    The Squirrel Hill Station post office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was constructed in 1938 with federal Treasury Department funds. The building, which houses a New Deal mural in its lobby, is still in use today.
  • Squirrel Hill Station Post Office Mural - Pittsburgh PA
    The post office contains a 1942 Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "History of Squirrel Hill." The oil on canvas mural was painted by Alan Thompson.
  • U.S. Post Office and Courthouse: Cook Mural - Pittsburgh PA
    The fresco "Steel Industry" by Howard Norton Cook is located in Pittsburgh's historic U.S. Courthouse and Post Office. It was sponsored by the U.S. Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts. The work was installed in the building in 1936. Its size is 10'6" x 17'5".
  • U.S. Post Office and Courthouse: McLeary Mural - Pittsburgh PA
    The mural "Modern Justice," located at Pittsburgh's historic U.S. Courthouse and Post Office, was sponsored by the U.S. Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts. The work was painted by Kindred McLeary in 1937. However, the work has since been painted over.
  • U.S. Post Office and Courthouse: Van Veen Mural - Pittsburgh PA
    The oil-on-canvas mural "Pittsburgh Panorama" by Stuyvesant Van Veen is located in Pittsburgh's historic U.S. Courthouse and Post Office. It was sponsored by the U.S. Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts in 1937.
  • Village Terrace Housing - Pittsburgh PA
    Architects Raymond Marlier, Edward B. Lee, William Boyd, and Bernard Prack designed the 3 public housing units constructed 1938-1940 in the Hill District. The USHA loaned 90% of the cost of the 3 projects. Terrace Village No. 1 was the second project for Pittsburgh, housing 805 families with an estimated cost of $4,950,000. The proposed project required the removal of 800,000 cubic yards of dirt from a hill overlooking a gully. No. 1 was constructed on Ruch Hill, covering 40 acres. No. 2 was built of Goat and Gazzam Hills, covered 89 acres, housed 1,818 families and cost approximately $10,800,000....
  • Washington Trade School (former) - Pittsburgh PA
    Pittsburgh's historic Washington Trade School / Washington Education Center building was built in 1936-7 as a New Deal project: the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $211,689 grant for the project, whose total cost was $484,114. "The Charles W. Bier-designed structure opened on September 1, 1937." It is no longer in service as a school. PWA Docket No. PA 1303