A public swimming pool in Adel IA was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1935. One of the earliest municipal pools constructed in Iowa, the facility was around for a good share of historical events – war, environmental disasters,… read more
“An earlier bridge that once crossed the Iowa River in Alden had long united the two sides of this small town. However, by the mid-1930s the existing wood structure had “long since seen its best day,” according to the Alden… read more
The mural “Daily Bread” — currently on display at the Algona Public Library — was completed with New Deal funds in 1941. The painting by Francis Robert White, formerly in the Algona Iowa post office, moved to the Algona Public… read more
The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (Public Works Administration) funded the construction of the Ames High school. Today, the building serves as the Ames City Hall.
Federal Works Agency (FWA) built the City of Anamosa, Iowa Post Office. The Cornerstone of the building lists John Carmody, the Administrator of the Federal Works Project.
Originally the Riverview Stadium and then the Alliant Energy Field. This stadium was built by the WPA in 1935-1937. It still has its WPA plaque.
"The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established in April 1933 as a part of the New Deal Program of President Roosevelt as an effort to provide work for unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. Many of Backbone's buildings were constructed… read more
The Rock Valley Baseball Park was built in 1937, and the Works Progress Administration built the grandstand several years later.
The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the Bremer County Courthouse in Waverly IA in 1935. The project received $60,750 from the PWA.
The New Deal dam in Coggon, located in northeastern Linn County, was replaced in 1967 by the current dam, known as the Buffalo Creek Park Dam.41 The New Deal dam was built in order to restore Manhattan Lake in Coggon…. read more
From the school website: “In the 1930s the famous WPA Murals, under the direction of Grant Wood, were painted for the walls of Callanan. The school was fortunate to be chosen to have two such artistic treasures to beautify the… read more
"The building is three stories and a basement in height and houses all the county official on the first floor. The second and third floors are occupied by the courtroom, offices for the court officers, and the jail. The structure… read more
A local newspaper from 1939 explains that, “The cemetery improvement work started on August 28, 1938, with provision of rebuilding some 500 feet of rock walls and rock masonary entrance portals; laying 1000 feet of water mains; sodding and landscaping… read more
“Mt. Pleasant City Hall on West Monroe Street. Built in 1936 by W.P.A. workers from Bedford stone salvaged from Seeley Memorial High School.” https://iagenweb.org
During the 1930s, the WPA did extensive work in Keokuk. In addition to grading city streets and installing sewers, stop signs and stop lights, the WPA also built a high school athletic field and made improvements to the National Cemetery… read more
The WPA constructed numerous stone walls, buildings and picnic shelters in the park in 1936-1938.
The WPA built latrines and a utility building in the park in 1938 (project number 2668).
An inventory of WPA project photographs compiled by Becky Jordan at Iowa State University includes reference to numerous public works projects undertaken by the agency in Iowa between 1935 and 1940. The collection of 1,271 photographs documents the variety and… read more
This simple community building was constructed by the WPA in 1937. The town’s fire station is housed in the right hand side of the building.
Credit Island Park is a 450 acre island in the Mississippi River on the south west side of Davenport Iowa. In addition to a natural historic preserve, the park contains a lodge, boat ramp, golf course and many other amenities…. read more
“Rhodes garnered a strong reputation within the WPA program in Iowa and was awarded three significant mural projects. The first, a mural for the Storm Lake post office titled “Storm Lake,” was designed and installed in 1937. After a new… read more
The Treasury Section of Fine Arts commissioned “the Wheelwright” painted by artist Daniel Rhodes in 1942 for the Clayton Branch Post Office in St. Louis, Missouri. The mural was removed from the post office in 1971 and relocated to the Des… read more
"This is a modern fire station which includes not only all the necessary facilities for the fighting but also provisions for training, recreation, housing of personnel, and maintenance of all equipment. The building is located in the business district of… read more
The mural “Shucking Corn” by John V. Bloom was painted in 1939 with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts for what was then the town post office. The building has since become the DeWitt City Hall.
“C.C.C. Company 2725 established camp DSP-3 (now SP-6) in Dolliver Memorial State Park on August 7, 1934, and immediately set to work constructing a series of barracks (Fig,.10) and a shop (Fig. 11). Aerial photography of Webster County from 1939… read more
The public swimming pool at Rafferty Slough in Dubuque, IA was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937. Measuring 75 x 225 feet, the Dubuque pool was the largest and most expensive of a number of publicly constructed… read more
Not to be confused with the park of the same name in Dubuque, Iowa, the WPA did extensive work on Eagle Point Park from 1935-1937. Workers deepened and widened Battle Creek, built trails and footbridges, and constructed many stone structures… read more
“The park took on a new look in the 1930s when the City hired Park Superintendent Alfred Caldwell. A $200,000 Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant was received and the gifted landscape architect began work. His love of Frank Lloyd Wright… read more
Echo Valley State Park is a 100-acre natural area, originally built by the CCC. On December 12, 1935 the Park was named Echo Valley. A stone and log shelter 35 ft X 27 Ft. with a stone fireplace and 945… read more
The Edmondson Park Swimming Pool and Bathhouse in Oskaloos IA was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937. It was one of over a dozen public swimming pools constructed in Iowa during the New Deal. The Oskaloosa pool… read more
An inscription on a bronze plaque on the Flag Pole (top of hill) reads on either side: West Side “This Park was made possible by a bequest to Oskaloosa by James DePew Edmundson 1936.” East Side- “How dear to my… read more
Home football stadium for Morningside College, East High School, North High School and West High School. Formerly known as Roberts Stadium.
The WPA constructed concrete steps in the park in 1935, and did grading and landscaping work.
The WPA Floyd River Project involved paving the channel of the river as it passed through the stockyards. The stockyards provided thousands of jobs; they were a very strong economic force in Sioux City and the surrounding agricultural industry. The… read more
“In 1938 and 1939 a Works Progress Administration project made several improvements” to Des Moines’s Glendale Cemetery, “which included improving curbing and the six miles of winding roads through the hilly property and making a two-acre lake which continues to… read more
Constructed as a New Deal project (attributed on one page to the Civil Works Administration, but more likely, based on the date, a Federal Emergency Relief Administration construction), Sioux City’s historic Grandview Park Bandshell “is 102 feet wide, 51 feet… read more
This 22′ x 5′ mural “Transportation” was painted by William Henning in 1935 with PWAP funds. It was restored in 2011.
“Plans for the current courthouse were approved in 1936. The Des Moines architectural firm of Dougher, Rich & Woodburn were retained to design the building. The county applied to the Public Works Administration, or PWA, to assist with the funding…. read more
Just before the phase-out of the CWA began in January 1934, the City of Independence applied successfully for CWA funds to build a trio of small dams across the Wapsipinicon at Independence downstream from the city’s mill dam. On further… read more
The PWA provided funding for the construction of the Iowa City High School, now City High, in 1937-1938. From Wikipedia: City High School was built through the Public Works Projects, one of many other programs formed in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s… read more