• Central Elementary School - Union City TN
    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 more conservative architecture of Union City. Local reformers celebrated its "fireproof construction, circulation flow, ample light and air, structural insulation, sound proofing, sanitary floors, attractive furniture, drinking fountains, modern plumbing, and its auditorium," (Van West, pg. 114). The total federal cost for school construction reached $105,000, while student workers trained in wood- and metalworking by the National Youth Administration (NYA) furnished...
  • Obion County Courthouse - Union City TN
    The Obion County Courthouse was erected in Union City, Tennessee during the Great Depression with the assistance of the Public Works Administration (PWA). The limestone veneer, PWA Moderne courthouse was built for "just over two hundred thousand dollars" with "Art Deco details, terrazzo floors, marble wainscoting, and Art Deco-styled ornamental metal" (Van West, p. 42).
  • Obion County Health Department Clinic - Union City TN
    The Obion County Health Department Clinic was undertaken in Union City, Tennessee during the Great Depression with the assistance of the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA built the "unadorned brick building for about ten thousand dollars" (Van West, p. 88). The location of the health clinic has since relocated and the building now serves as an agricultural extension office.
  • Union City Armory - Union City TN
    The Union City Armory was undertaken in Union City, Tennessee during the Great Depression with the assistance of the Public Works Administration (PWA). The rare PWA funded Armory was constructed in "restrained Art Deco" (Van West, p. 87) style for a total cost of $30,000. The armory fulfilled both military and local community functions, serving as the base of Company K, 117th Infantry Regiment of the National Guard during World War II as well as hosting community events. The armory became private property in 1980.
  • Union City High School - Union City TN
    The Union City High School was erected in Union City, Tennessee during the Great Depression with the assistance of the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA Moderne, one-story brick school included an auditorium and football field and replaced a three story brick school demolished as part of the construction of the Central Elementary School project. The school grounds were quickly used as the grounds for a federal Office of Education pilot program, "Home and Family Life," which expanded upon an earlier Works Progress Administration (WPA) adult education program. The PWA high school is currently used as Union City Middle School.