Emporia, Virginia’s historic National Guard armory building was constructed with federal funds and labor. The building, presently owned by Greensville County, also served as a school gymnasium. It has housed operations for the local chapter of the Boys & Girls… read more
The FWA constructed two sewers as part of the work done in Fairfax County. From the Washington Post: “The biggest sewer job in this area is the 20-mile Fairfax County trunk sewer costing approximately $1,500,000. There are two branches of… read more
An extension to the Newport News Federal Building’s main structure was built with Treasury Department funds. Construction was completed in 1941. The building, which is still in use, houses New Deal artwork. The original Newport News Federal Building was built in… read more
The Newport News Federal Building contains three unglazed terra cotta sculptures by Mary B. Fowler, completed with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds in 1943. The sculptures depict local history: “Captain Newport Brings News and Aid to the Starving Colonists,” “Present… read more
Originally the Harrisonburg United States Post Office and Court House, this Louis A. Simon-designed federal building opened in 1940. The GSA writes that the building “is located at the northeast corner of North Main and East Elizabeth Streets in the… read more
The 5-foot-high fresco entitled “Country Fair, Trading, Courthouse Square” wraps around four sides of the room and was painted with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds.
The historic Forest Hills Elementary School in Danville, Virginia was originally constructed as a high school. The project was undertaken with federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. PWA Docket No. VA 7126
Originally called Fort Humphreys, this Army post was established during World War I. The name was changed to Fort Belvoir in 1935. “Title I of the Work Relief and Public Works Appropriation Act gave $13,942,572 in WPA funds and $52,283,400… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed the Fort Hunt site as a recreational park from 1936 to 1939. The work was very extensive, including excavating a lake, a golf course, roads and parking areas, and a storm drainage system. The… read more
The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to improve Fort Monroe. $53,924 was allocated for the project in November 1938.
In 1934 several New Deal Programs provided funding and employed Fort Monroe laborers in the construction of the Fort Monroe Bandshell in Continental Park. The new bandshell replaced the previous one that had been destroyed by hurricanes in 1933. Capt. Harrington W…. read more
Fort Myer is a US Army post adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery. Along with many other military installations throughout the country, it received significant funding and improvements from New Deal agencies. One result was a new NCO housing area: “The… read more
Originally known as the Arlington Cantonment and then as South Post, this area was a part of Fort Myer. In 1940, WPA labor was used to: “Construct, improve and rehabilitate buildings, including installing plumbing, heating and electrical facilities, public utility… read more
The Franklin Road Bridge was paid for by the New Deal-era Public Works Administration during the Great Depression. The 363-foot span carries vehicular traffic over railroad tracks to eliminate dangerous train-car accidents. The Art Deco ornamentation on this bridge is… read more
Galax, Virginia received a new school in 1937 with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The facility replaced a building that burned in 1936. Living New Deal believes the facility to be what is now Galax Elementary… read more
George Washington Middle School in Alexandria, VA was completed in 1936. It was funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA) with a grant of $300,000 made in 1933. It was originally the George Washington High School, which replaced two prior high… read more
A 1934 addition to Emporia, Virginia’s old Greensville County Training School was constructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA contributed $16,957 toward the project, whose final cost was $56,533. (PWA Docket No. VA 3495.)… read more
"The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics constructed this 8-foot high-speed wind tunnel for test purposes. It is the largest structure of this kind in the world and is built of reinforced concrete throughout except that the air passages are lined… read more
The City of Richmond, Virginia utilized Civil Works Administration funds to restore the Holden Rhodes House, a ca. 1840 Greek Revival granite house. An inappropriate addition of a two-story wraparound porch was removed and new porches constructed. In addition, handrails… read more
The area encompassing Holliday Lake State Park and the surrounding state forest was cleared in the 1800s for farmland. In the 1930s, the federal government, through the Resettlement Administration, began buying the farms to return the land to its former… read more
The old main post office in Arlington VA was constructed in 1937 by the Treasury Department to consolidate postal services in the surrounding area. “As the first federal building in the County, the post office provided a focal point for… read more
The old Main Post Office in Arlington VA, opened in 1937, contains seven New Deal murals by Auriel Bessemer in its lobby. The mural series is titled, “Agricultural and Industrial Scenes – Sketches of Virginia.” They were commissioned by the… read more
Purcellville, Virginia received a new public library in 1937 with the aid of a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) grant. Virginia.edu: “In 1936, however, the Blue Ridge Library board elected to build a new building for a Purcellville Public Library… read more
This ballpark (also known as Calvin Falwell Field) was built with the assistance of WPA funds is currently home to the Lynchburg Hillcats, a Minor League baseball team. “The ballpark project began in 1936, after the city purchased 28 acres… read more
Charlottesville, Virginia’s historic former McIntire High School building was constructed during the 1930s with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The building now houses a private Christian school, The Covenant School.
Today, the stretch called Mount Vernon Memorial Highway is located mainly in Alexandria, VA, but connects there to the stretch now called the George Washington Memorial Parkway which runs along the Potomac River mainly on the Virginia side. Though the… read more
The historic former Municipal Building (“Town Hall”) in Front Royal, Virginia was built with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $10,707 grant for the project, whose total cost was $38,235. Construction occurred between… read more
In 1933-34, the CWA erected a wharf in Occoquan. The PWA and CCC also worked on other nearby improvements. The original docks and wharves have been replaced over time due to disastrous floods in 1965 and 1974, but the photos… read more
WPA Constructed National Guard Armory, built in Portsmouth, VA. GIS gives a sale (completion?) date of December 5, 1936.
The New Deal made substantial improvements to the Newport News Shipyard in the 1930s. Several federal agencies were probably involved, including the National Industrial Recovery Administration, Public Works Administration (itself created by the NIRA), Civil Works Administration, and Works Progress Administration…. read more
The Norfolk Botanical Garden is a 155 acre garden with 12 miles of paved trails and 65,000 plants. It receives about 300,000 visitors every year. Among the many interesting things at the Garden are tram tours, boat tours, a library,… read more
"The original application for a grant from the P.W.A. of $45,900 contemplated an annex to the existing school at an estimated cost of $102,000. Investigation disclosed that the old building was a fire hazard, so the city demolished it and… read more
“A sports stadium was constructed at the Norfolk Division in 1936. The stadium cost approximately $300,000; money was appropriated through municipal funds and from the Virginia Emergency Relief Administration and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). During the summers, the stadium… read more
“The Administration Building, complete with a library, offices, six classrooms, two gymnasiums and a swimming pool, opens in September 1936. Funded by a loan and grant from the federal Public Works Administration, the cost is $123,000. In continuous use ever… read more
“The courthouse and its grounds underwent major changes during the depression years, courtesy of the Federal Government’s Public Works Administration (PWA). Under the courthouse the PWA workers hand-dug a basement to create office spaces.”
From the National Park Service’s Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary for Richmond: “The Works Progress Administration built the wide drive and stone retaining walls along Oregon Hill Park in the late 1930s, and the city rebuilt these in 2007… read more
The historic former Parcel Post Building at 1100 E Main St. in Richmond, Virginia was originally designed by Marcellus Eugene Wright, Sr. in association with the Richmond architectural firm Lee & Smith & Van der Voort. According to some sources… read more
The former Parcel Post Building in Richmond, Virginia housed multiple examples of New Deal artwork: murals by Paul Cadmus and Jared French, respectively, which were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Paul Cadmus’s work was a [multi-panel?] mural… read more
The former Parcel Post Building in Richmond, Virginia housed multiple examples of New Deal artwork: murals by Paul Cadmus and Jared French, respectively, which were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Gerard French’s work was a mural: “Stuart’s… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted numerous projects at what is now Petersburg National Battlefield, as detailed in Wallace and Conway’s “A History of Petersburg National Battlefield,” developing infrastructure, creating illustrations for the museum, and… read more