Washington Sites

A water main construction project was undertaken in Port Orchard, Washington with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Construction occurred during 1936. PWA Docket No. WA 1174

"An adequate domestic water supply for Gold Bar, Snohomish County, is assured under a recent Works Progress Administration allotment of $8,627, for setting up a project to construct a conversion dam and lay a feeder pipe to the town. The work ... will begin approximately November 26, 1937. In applying for the federal grant the town of Gold Bar raised $3,008 to buy pipe and other needed materials. The 25 men slated to work on the project will be drawn from the unemployed rolls of Snohomish County. The finishing touches on the dam, pipeline and the road which will give access...

A waterworks construction project was undertaken in Brewster, Washington with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Construction occurred between 1935 and 1937. PWA Docket No. WA 8085

A large water main construction project was undertaken in Chehalis, Washington with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA provided a $109,400 loan and $33,972 outright grant toward the project, whose final cost was $144,571. Construction occurred between 1934 and 1935. PWA Docket No. WA 1563

Grays Harbor water system improvement was one of a number of WPA and PWA projects in Washington State: "At a cost of $97,385 the project greatly improved the water delivery system. The town previously relied on well water that was going to become salty and undrinkable within 12-18 months."

A waterworks construction project was undertaken in Mabton, Washington with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Construction occurred between 1935 and 1936. PWA Docket No. WA 5723

A waterworks construction project was undertaken in Omak, Washington with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Construction occurred during 1935. PWA Docket No. WA 4258

A waterworks construction project was undertaken in Silver Lake, Washington with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Construction occurred during 1938. PWA Docket No. WA 1172

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 announced: A project "expected to swing into action December 20, is financed by a WPA grant of $174,763, and will provide the City of Vancouver, Wash. with an entirely rebuilt domestic water system within one year."

"Final approval of two improvement projects for the City of Yakima was announced today by Don G. Abel, Works Progress Administrator. Construction of a new unit to the municipal water system is guaranteed by a total allotment of $14,498, of which the WPA will supply $7,342 and the city $7,156. Of this amount the federal grant will be used to pay the wages of the fifty WPA workers to be employed and the city's portion used to purchase valves, pipe and other materials needed to complete the extension. Initial operations are expected to begin November 29."

"Olympia will improve their water distribution system with a WPA grant of $3,777 ..."

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 reported that "Two Poulsbo projects, one for sidewalks and the other for water system improvement," received $5,919 in WPA assistance.

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 states: "Don G. Abel, State Director of the Works Progress Administration today announced approval of a $148,458 project to improve the water distribution system in the Kenwood district, in Seattle. More than 200 men taken from relief rolls will have about eight months employment, Abel stated. The district affected lies between 15th avenue NE and Lake Washington nnd north of E 85th street to E 155th street. The project calls for excavating, laying pipes, installing fire hydrants and necessary tunneling and backfilling. No additional taxes or assessments will be placed on property holders as...

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 reported that a water mains project in Wenatchee was allocated $50,355 in WPA funds.

A waterworks and sewer system construction project was undertaken in 1933 with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. PWA Docket No. WA 1845

This US Treasury building replaced the old building in 1938. Both buildings are now part of the Wenatchee Valley Museum. "As a Depression era public works project, the proposal for replacing the old Federal building drew considerable attention from the local press. In 1933, after three years and in the middle of a series of more than 30 first and second page news articles on the subject, headlines reported 'Hope glimmers for post office building here.' "Plans for the new building were not finalized until late in 1936. Congressman Sam B. Hill secured an appropriation of $305,000 which was estimated as the...

"A Seattle sewer project, at West Prospect and Van Buren was allotted $1,140" in WPA funds in late 1937.

WPA workers completed several improvement projects at West Queen Anne Playfield between 1936 and 1939. The largest of these projects was the construction of a combination shelter house, grandstand, and baseball backstop near the intersection of West Blaine Street and 2nd Avenue West, at what was then the southwest corner of the playfield. Work on this one-story, concrete structure was completed in 1937. During the following year, WPA laborers painted the shelter house, regraded the baseball field, and added a new layer of top soil. This was followed in 1939 by the installation of a new water and drainage system,...

In 1937, the WPA's Federal Art Project commissioned Jacob Elshin, an immigrant/refugee artist from Russia to produce a 3-panel historical mural for display in the West Seattle High School in Seattle. The panels of the mural illustrate the landing of settlers at Alki on the outskirts of Seattle, and show trade with the Seattle area native population and the development of a logging industry. The panels were originally installed in the entranceway to the high school auditorium, but were taken down prior to a remodeling in the 1950s and were temporarily lost. The Seattle Public Schools Archivist was able to...

The PWA built the Physical Education building at what was then the Western Washington College of Education (docket #W1049-R). From the WWU Library Special Collections site: "The Physical Education Building, designed by Bebb and Gould of Seattle, was completed in 1936 by the Henrickson-Alstrom Construction Company. It included a 90 x 100 feet gym, a pool, offices, classrooms and shower rooms." The building is now known as "Gym D." The complex is undergoing extensive renovations, but the original building is slated to be preserved.

"The road improvement project in Whatcom County calls for an investment of $9,955 by the WPA, $7,963 by the Whatcom County Commissioners and will put the roads in the vicinity of Ferndale in the best of condition. Fifteen WPA workers are slated to start clearing, grubbing, grading and surfacing the road the day following Armistice Day anQd will complete the pork in about two months."

The Works Progress Administration built a bridge and walls in Whatcom Falls Park, in the vicinity of Bellingham. The bridge is in good condition and is located 100 yards from the park entrance.

"The White River Mess Hall and Dormitory is the only remaining Civilian Conservation Corps camp structure remaining in Mount Rainier National Park. The wood-framed building was built in 1933, and comprises 2185 square feet, originally containing a kitchen dining room, living room, two bathrooms, a bedroom and a bunkroom, as well as a service porch. The building no longer serves as a residence and is used for storage. It is located at the White River entrance to the park, part of a complex of service buildings." (Wikipedia)

The Treasury Department funded the construction of the Seattle federal courthouse, which was the first single-purpose federal courthouse on the west coast.  The project was originated in 1936 by the department's Procurement Division and completed in 1940, by which time responsibility for federal facilities had been transferred to the Federal Works Administration, where the old Procurement Division had morphed into the Public Buildings Administration. The design of the courthouse is Moderne, a stripped-down and flattened version of Neoclassical, that was common for public buildings at the time.  The Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department was Louis Simon and Consulting Architect was...

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 reported: "At Aberdeen the "E" Street approach to the Wishkah Street Bridge will be improved through WPA funds totalling $1,277 and an appropriation from the City ef $1,112.50. A WPA crew begins immediately on the removing of the old trestle, and construction of a new trestle, including concrete floor slabs. The job will require three months to complete."

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided funding and labor for numerous improvement projects at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo during the New Deal period. The initial projects were completed in 1933. In the following years, dozens of additional projects resulted in significant upgrades to the zoo's infrastructure and animal quarters. Work on the zoo continued until late 1941, when the United States entered World War II. The first New Deal projects at the zoo were completed through the CWA in 1933 and 1934. These included the construction of new sewers, walkways, and fences in various parts...

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 states: "a project scheduled to begin December 20 calls for construction of sidewalks and curbs along public thoroughfares throughout the city. A WPA allotment of $9,049 augmented by $5,952 in city funds will finance the work, sponsored by the City of Camas."

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 reported that "Two Poulsbo projects, one for sidewalks and the other for water system improvement," received $5,919 in WPA assistance.

One of many WPA and PWA projects in Washington state: "Constructed to stop the degradation of the Yakima river and adjacent tributaries due to contaminated return flows." (https://depts.washington.edu)

The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds provided funding for the construction of a high school gymnasium in Walla Walla, Washington. The facility, located at the southwest corner of S. Park St. and E. Birch St., is presently used by the YMCA. The PWA provided a grant of $51,750; the total cost of the project was $141,750.