The mural entitled “Gathering Pecans,” painted by Otis Dozier in 1941, is an example of New Deal artwork. It was created for the historic former post office in Arlington, Texas, which is now privately owned. Dozier was a painter, printmaker… read more
The Works Progress Administration built an arched stone bridge over a small creek near the intersection of Pou Avenue and N. 13th Street. The bridge consists of two arches. Located along the side of the bridge is a rock wall that… read more
“Funding from the WPA was also granted to North Texas State Teacher’s College. Some of the smaller projects included the construction of tunnels that connected the power plant on the college campus to the larger buildings such as the library,… read more
Prairie Creek, Texas “was a farming community north of State Highway 64 and nineteen miles southeast of Canton.” (TSHA) The community possessed “a tiny country school of the Prairie Creek Common School District in Van Zandt County, Texas, costing $2,695”… read more
Two-story wood school building erected by the Works Progress Administration for this community when their school burned in 1939. Work started in 1940 and was completed in 1941. The s chool was consolidated with the Coolidge School district fall of… read more
In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) rebuilt a portion of the Presidio de San Saba, but due to poor workmanship, it soon fell into ruins. A WPA project rebuilt a portion of the fort for the Texas Centennial in… read more
Text From the state historical marker reads: Kilgore’s first public library opened in 1933 under the direction of two local women’s clubs. With funding from the Federal Public Works Administration, support from the city, and labor from the Works Progress… read more
Fort Worth’s first library opened in 1901 thanks to a $50,000 donation from wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. By the late 1920’s the need for additional space became critical, but a bond issue for a larger library failed. When funds became… read more
On April 26, 1933, the City of Jacksonville issued a charter to the Jacksonville Library Association to reestablish the Jacksonville Public Library, which had closed in the mid 1920s. The City Commission granted use of space vacated by removal of… read more
The library contains four murals by Jerry Bywaters completed under the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in in 1934: “Rebuilding Paris,” “The 1916 Paris Fire–3rd Worst in American History,” “John Chisum,” and “Davy Crockett.
This public market structure was built with Works Progress Administration funds in order to relieve traffic congestion around the courthouse square where the farmer’s market had been held. “The new market is entirely fireproof, constructed of heavy pipe welded in… read more
WPA grant was obtained in 1939 to build a school. Three low-water dams on the Paluxy River, several local school buildings, and a canning plant were built with Work Projects Administration money.
The Commissioner’s court minutes of 1939 show that the Kendalia RCSD#14 was authorized to issue $2500.00 of school bonds to build a new school building. In 1940 the old frame school house was replace with a 3 room native rock… read more
School and landscaping around the school done with PWA funding in 1940. Abilene Reporter-News 1940: “Working orders for the PWA project for the Rule Public schools was issued Thursday. The contract calls for the building of an eight room grade… read more
The completed project, including the local funds and Works Progress Administration money, totals around $37,000. The structure is built of native stone, it contains eight class rooms, study hall, library, office, text book room and auditorium. Hardwood floors were used… read more
The Public Works administration funded the construction of the public school in Trent TX. There is a metal plate with 1937 mounted on the facade, but it only mentions the Board of Trustees. Metal walls have been added to the… read more
The no-longer-existent town of Pyron received a $20,316 in PWA grants toward construction of a new school. Consolidated in 1948, the school and its gymnasium are presently abandoned.
The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway and Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Overpass is a two-lane reinforced-concrete highway bridge that conveys West Broadway Street over railroad tracks in downtown Sweetwater. The Texas Highway Department in cooperation with the… read more
"This bridge across the Neches River, connecting Orange with Port Arthur, has a total length with approaches of approximately 7,750 feet. The main span is 680 feet from pier to pier and the clearance of the bottom chord at mean… read more
“The Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area, built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, surrounds a 45- acre lake. The lake was once a log pond and source of water for the Central Coal and Coke Company Sawmill which logged the… read more
The Works Progress Administration built the Recreation Center in Stephenville between 1936-1939. The two story white rock building has basketball courts and a stage. A metal plaque on the front notes the date 1938-1939, while a marble cornerstone has the… read more
In 1916, the Pecos Valley of Texas Water Users Association (which consisted of the Porterville, Farmers Independent, Cedarvale/Imperial, Barstow, Big Valley-Grandfalls, Imperial and Zimmerman irrigation districts) filed a petition with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to request that a… read more
A Works Progress Administration grant of $71,325 was allotted Refugio County, to be matched by $87,175 of the county bond money, for the hospital project, with the total amounting to $158,500.
The WPA did extensive work in this Dallas park as part of “an extensive parks beautification program intended to make the city a showplace. For Reverchon, this meant the introduction of a series of stoneworks, including the floral amphitheater known… read more
“Rita Blanca Lake’s heyday began when the Works Progress Administration came to town in 1939. The W.P.A. was formed by the government on the heels of the Great Depression to help create jobs for the unemployed in communities around the… read more
During the late 1800’s citizens of San Antonio became concerned about preserving and protecting the winding little river that ran through the center of their town. In 1929 Robert H.H. Hugman had presented his master plan using an Old World… read more
The city of Sweetwater, Texas received an $81,000 grant from the PWA for road paving.
A road paving project in Galveston, Texas was undertaken with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $12,389 grant toward the $28,853 total cost of the project. Work occurred between September and December 1938…. read more
A large road paving project in Victoria, Texas was undertaken with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $162,000 grant toward the $341,634 total cost of the project. Work occurred between October 1938 and… read more
The National Youth Administration (NYA) in cooperation with the Texas Highway Department created roadside picnic areas in Texas. The Gonzales park, constructed adjacent to U. S. Highway 183 near the south bank of the Guadalupe River was part of the… read more
This picnic area on U.S. 281 in Hamilton County is an early roadside park constructed by the Texas Highway Department (now Texas Department of Transportation). This roadside park was completed in 1936 to accommodate motorists attending the State’s Centennial Events…. read more
The National Youth Administration (NYA) in cooperation with the Texas Highway Department created roadside picnic areas in Texas. The La Grange park, constructed adjacent to U. S. Highway 77 was part of the development of roadside parks begun in 1935… read more
Picnic table and steps on the left as you head out of Fort Davis toward Fort Davis State Park. This is just one of several along this scenic route. In 1927 the legislature instructed the State Highway Department to build… read more
These two stone bridges were built by the WPA as part of the same project that built the town hall.
On October 31, 1938, the Public Works Administration offered the City of Austin a grant not to exceed $613,127 to cover 45% of the costs of school buildings, a stadium and field house, a central heating system, an underpass, an… read more
“Further improvements in the Robert Lee school are assured with allocation Saturday in Washington of a $1,350 grant in PWA funds.” (Sweetwater Reporter) The address and current status of this structure are not presently known by Living New Deal.
Robertson Stadium was “constructed as a joint project between HISD and the Works Progress Administration by the Fretz Construction Company.” Originally Named Public School Stadium it was completes in 1942. Houston Independent School District renamed the stadium Jeppesen Stadium. In… read more
Rock and brick building labeled Rochelle ISD has a WPA plaque which reads, “Work Projects Administration 1938-1940.” The adjacent rock building labeled “1935 Rochelle School Auditorium” looks typical of structures built by the WPA, but has no plaque attesting to… read more
This rock wall was constructed 1935-1937 by the Works Progress Administration and partially encloses a city block. It is unknown the original purpose for the wall’s construction, though it now encloses the Old Jail Museum Complex.
An onsite marker reads: “Rockport School has served the town of Rockport for many years as both an educational and community institution. It dates to 1935, during the era of the Great Depression. One of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New… read more
Check out our latest map and guide to the work of the New Deal in Washington, D.C. It includes 500 New Deal sites in the District alone, highlighting 34 notable sites, and includes an inset map of the area around the National Mall which can be used for self-guided walking tours.
Take a look at our previous guides, equally comprehensive, covering key New Deal sites in San Francisco and New York City.
