Tennessee Encyclopedia: “Some of Tennessee’s largest WPA projects reflected the arrival of the age of flight. WPA workers helped complete landing fields and airports at Jellico, Cookeville, Lebanon, Jackson, and Milan.” The location of the facility, which has long closed,… read more
This 100-unit public housing complex was constructed for whites during the era of segregation. Allenton Heights was located on larger, landscaped lots on 13 acres with open space. Units contained a back yard with clotheslines (which are still in use… read more
The federal Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed an amphitheater on the campus of what is now Eastern Tennessee State University (ETSU). The amphitheater is located between the University Center and Roy S. Nicks Hall. Waymarking: “Once known as “the passion… read more
The Andrew Jackson Courts public housing complex was undertaken in Nashville, Tennessee following the passage of the Housing Act of 1937 and establishment of the United States Housing Authority (USHA). The USHA worked in conjunction with the Public Works Administration… read more
The Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted an improvement project at Andrew Johnson National Cemetery in Greeneville, Tennessee, providing work for about 35 laborers.
The National Guard Armory in Clarksville was one of several Art Deco-styled armories in the state. The site was surveyed January 1940, located north of the Austin Peay Normal School on Drane and Marion Street. Excavation and pouring of the… read more
The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded additions to three existing schools in Nashville 1938-1940. Supervising architects for the projects were Hart, Freeland, and Roberts of Nashville, although the design architects for projects varied. The Nashville firm of Dougherty, Clemmons and… read more
This oil-on-canvas mural by Grace Greenwood, entitled “The Progress of Power,” was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and completed in 1940. It is housed in the Beech River Heritage Museum, which is the former post office.
The old Nashville City Market was constructed in 1936-1937 with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The chief contractor for the project was Foster & Creighton Construction Company. Project cost was “almost a half a million dollars” (Van West, 2000,… read more
“Big Ridge State Park was one of five demonstration parks developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as an example of public recreation development along TVA lakeshores…. read more
Constructed with funds and labor from the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Booker T. Washington State Park was established in 1938 as a segregated recreational facility for African Americans, the second such facility in the state… read more
The Public Works Administration (PWA) provide funding for the construction of Cameron Middle School in South Nashville, an historically African American school in what was then a fully segregated city. It was one of many PWA grants for Black schools… read more
The Campbell County War Memorial was built by the National Youth Administration in 1938. The monument is shaped as a stone obelisk set on a base of stone infilled with earth. It is flanked by two World War I period cannons…. read more
The School was founded in 1939 as part of the New Deal program for Education. Original structure was built with labor provided through the Works Progress Administration. When new school was built in 2002, old building was razed. Original front… read more
The creation of the Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Tennessee was a multifaceted joint project of the Resettlement Administration, the CCC, the forestry division, NPS and the WPA: “Project development began in the fall of 1935, with forestry personnel,… read more
One-story, brick, H-shaped building with tile roof. This building was originally constructed by the Works Progress Administration as the swimming pool and bathhouse for Nashville’s Centennial Park. The swimming pool and bathhouse were closed during the Civil Rights movement as… read more
Central Elementary School in Union City, Tennessee was undertaken by the Public Works Administration (PWA) during the Great Depression. The PWA Moderne building, with a distinctive blend of classicism and Art Deco style, was designed to stand out from the… read more
Central High School was built in 1931. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) added a “school room equipment.” The WPA cost was $3,085.66. The WPA also did work on the football field and grounds improvements. The WPA cost was $4,750.76.
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport was developed in part by the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program. Tennessee Encyclopedia: “Some of Tennessee’s largest WPA projects reflected the arrival of the age of flight. WPA workers … built major airports in Memphis,… read more
The Cheatham Place public housing complex was undertaken in Nashville, Tennessee following the passage of the Housing Act of 1937 and establishment of the United States Housing Authority (USHA). The USHA worked in conjunction with the Public Works Administration (PWA)… read more
“Cherokee was built to generate hydroelectric power during the World War II emergency, but it also plays an important role as one of the chain of TVA-managed reservoirs that have prevented billions of dollars in flood damage over the years…… read more
Chickamauga Dam is located on the Tennessee River in south-central Tennessee just east of downtown Chattanooga. Construction began in 1936 as a part of Tennessee Valley Authority’s area improvements and was completed in 1940. Before the dam’s construction, the city… read more
This two-story, red-brick building, was funded by the PWA with a $9,395 grant, and constructed by the WPA.
Originally built as the city’s Civic Auditorium and Armory. It was built with assistance from the PWA in 1938-1940. It now houses the Administrative Offices and Athletics Office of Kingsport Parks and Recreation: “Planning began in the autumn of 1938… read more
The Clarence T. Jones Observatory was designed by its namesake, who was both and architect and amateur astronomer. Jones presented city officials with plans for an observatory and a telescope, which would be constructed almost exclusively through volunteer labor. Built… read more
With federal funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) the Cockrill School was constructed in 1939 and opened in late January 1940. Cockrill School replaced an older school, and provided space for 700 students in 17 classrooms. Cockrill School was… read more
The College Hill Courts public housing complex was undertaken during the Great Depression in Chattanooga, Tennessee with the assistance of funds provided by the United States Housing Authority (USHA). College Hill Courts (black only), 497 units on 20 acres, was… read more
The Classical Revival (Art Moderne and Neoclassical Revival influences) two-story school was constructed over a period of 4 years. The project began with $250,000 from CWA in 1933-34, shifted to TERA in 1935, and was completed by WPA workers in… read more
Located on the ceiling of the courtroom in the former US Post Office and Courthouse (now used by Tennessee Appellate court), von Wicht’s unblinded “Goddess of Justice” is reclining atop the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
Cove Lake State Park, originally planned as Fort Mountain Park, was the third joint effort of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the National Parks Service (NPS). The initial 668-acre park was built along the… read more
Built by the Works Progress Administration used to hold high school games and major football games, such as Memphis State Tiger games. It was an estimated to hold 28,000 spectators before it downsizes in 2006.
“Cumberland Homesteads is a community located in Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States. Established by the New Deal-era Division of Subsistence Homesteads in 1934, the community was envisioned by federal planners as a model of cooperative living for the region’s distressed… read more
“Cumberland Mountain State Park is a state park in Cumberland County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of 1,720 acres (7.0 km2) situated around Byrd Lake, a man-made lake created by the impoundment of Byrd Creek in the… read more
The four-panel mural “Industry, Agriculture, Statesmanship, Commerce” was commissioned by the New Deal Federal Art Project. The mural, installed in the entry lobby of the historic Davidson County Courthouse, is still visible today.
The Davidson County Public Building and Courthouse on the Public Square in Nashville was constructed in 1936 to 1938 with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). This enormous, 8-story building covers an entire city block and was built to… read more
One of Memphis’ first two public housing ventures was Dixie Homes, built for African American residents, after the Memphis Housing Authority was established in 1935. “Memphis became the second city in the nation, following New York, to establish a local… read more
“Douglas Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the French Broad River in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which built the dam in record time in the early… read more
The school was constructed 1935-1936 with Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. It is similar in design to the one at Union City, TN, also designed by Tisdale and Pinson and funded by the PWA. According to Carroll Van West (2001), “Eakin… read more
The East Lake Courts public housing complex was undertaken during the Great Depression in Chattanooga, Tennessee with the assistance of funds provided by the United States Housing Authority (USHA). East Lake Courts was constructed in a “restrained Colonial Revival Style”… read more
“Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park is a state park in Middle Tennessee, located between Pikeville and Spencer. The 20,000-acre (81 km2) park spans the boundary between Van Buren and Bledsoe counties. The park is centered on the upper Cane Creek… read more