18 Saturday Feb 2023
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Western Town
The mural “Western Town” by Jenne Magafan was painted in 1941 under the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and was a winner of the Treasury Section’s 48-State Post Office mural competition. The mural is 25.5 x 43.5 feet and painted with oil-on-fiberboard. It sits at the south end of the post office lobby and remains in pristine condition.
Located in the Helper Main Post Office at 45 South Main Street in Helper, Utah
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18 Saturday Feb 2023
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“Often mistaken for WPA art, post office murals were actually executed by artists working for the Section of Fine Arts. Commonly known as “the Section,” it was established in 1934 and administered by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department. Headed by Edward Bruce, a former lawyer, businessman, and artist, the Section’s main function was to select art of high quality to decorate public buildings if the funding was available. By providing decoration in public buildings, the art was made accessible to all people.” from “Articles from EnRoute : Off The Wall: New Deal Post Office Murals” by Patricia Raynor
17 Friday Feb 2023
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Life on the Plains
The historic post office in Beaver, Utah houses a fine example of New Deal artwork: “Life on the Plains,” an oil-on-canvas mural by John W. Beauchamp. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.
Located in the Beaver Main Post Office at 20 South Main Street in Beaver, Utah
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19 Wednesday Oct 2022
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Carbon County, Helper, New Deal Funded, Post Offices, utah, WPA
Helper Main Post Office
The Helper Main Post Office, built in 1937 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), is significant for its association with the federal government’s New Deal public arts programs. As one of only three Utah post offices that contain public art, it shows the depression era link between the federal government and the community. Built for less than $45,000, architect Louis Simon, engineer Neal Melick, and contractors Newstrom-Davis of Denver supervised the construction.
The interior mural hanging over the postmaster’s door was painted by Jenne Magafan and represents a notable type, period, and style of artistic expression. The oil on canvas mural, entitled “A Typical Western Town,” depicts a dusty main street of false front wooden buildings and two horsemen riding into a town. The design was the winner in a forty-eight state competition sponsored by the Fine Arts Section of the Federal Works Agency.
Marker placed in 1997 (CR-07-729.) by Division of State History. Located at 45 South Main Street in Helper, Utah
14 Friday Oct 2022
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Art Moderne style, Auditoriums, Carbon County, Helper, Historic Buildings, New Deal Funded, NRHP, PWA, PWA Projects, utah, WPA
Built in 1937, the Helper Civic Auditorium was designed by Salt Lake City architects Carl W. Scott and George W. Welch. The building is an excellent example of Art Moderne style also known as “Streamline Moderne.” The style was popular in the 1930s particularly in public buildings. The auditorium features Art Moderne elements such as the flat roof emphasized by concrete coping and coursing, smooth masonry with curved corners, glass block, and pilasters with abstracted capitals.
The Helper Civic Auditorium is part of the Utah Public Works Administration (PWA) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) Buildings Thematic Nomination. The building is significant because it helps document the impact of New Deal programs in Utah during the Great Depression. The Helper Civic Auditorium was one of 226 buildings (two of which were auditoriums) constructed in Utah during the 1930s and early 1940s under the WPA and other New Deal programs. Of those 226 buildings, 130 are still standing. On a local level the construction of the building was a boost to Helper’s economy by providing much needed jobs and funds through the purchase of building materials.
19 South Main Street in Helper, Utah
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28 Thursday Jul 2022
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Bryce Airport: Lifeline in the Wilds
Bryce Airport Hangar
Built in 1936, the airport’s hangar was funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which provided jobs for unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. WPA funding required matching work contributions from local communities, so local county commissioners designed the hangar and supervised construction. Built of native ponderosa pine, the hanger is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each year, thousands of tourists arrive by air at this historic airport to see Bryce Canyon National Park.
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Fire on the Plateau
Fires are a natural part of life here on the Paunsaugunt Plateau. When fires start in the region – whether by lightning, accident, or prescribed burn – the airport serves as a staging area for fire monitoring and management, as it did in 2002 during the 78,000-acre Sanford fire in Dixie National Forest.
Bryce Airport’s Vital Role
In this remote region, with major hospitals and airfields hundreds of miles away, Bryce Airport provides critical emergency support. built in 1936 as an emergency landing strip for commercial airlines, the airport has served that purpose twice since then. In 2005, American Airlines Flight 28, with more than 50 passengers on board, lost all engine power and safely landed here. Bryce Airport is also the main staging area for local search-and-rescue operations and fire management.
At 7,400 feet long, Bryce Airport’s runway is unusually long for a small airport. That’s both because it is designed to receive commercial aircraft and because of the high elevation of the runway (7,586 feet). Air is thinner at higher altitudes, providing less lift for airplanes. Heat further thins the air, forcing some small planes to avoid mid-day take-offs here during the summer.
Plaque located near the Bryce Canyon Airport in Bryce Canyon, Utah
17 Sunday Jul 2022
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The Fillmore Armory, located at 35 West Center Street in Fillmore, Utah was constructed in 1937-1938 and is associated with the second generation of Utah National Guard (UTNG) armory construction. Even in times of peace, training was essential for soldier to be effective and prepared for active service during state and national emergencies. Due to the need for a space to perform drills and store equipment, the armory became a significant property type of the UTNG. During the early 1900s, few existing facilities could accommodate National Guard training, drilling, and storage for arms and equipment. Beginning in 1928, construction began on a second generation of armories in Utah meant to specifically address these needs.
Construction of the Fillmore Armory began with New Deal era funding as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Initial construction employed mostly unskilled laborers. Local men supervised the project and used locally purchased building materials. Fillmore residents also donated funds and materials to install a hardwood floor in the building.
The Fillmore Armory was primarily constructed to house Utah National Guard artillery units, including batteries of the 213th Field Artillery Battalion (disbanded in 1967) as well as the 222nd Field Artillery Battalion. Members of these units would train in Fillmore and go on to serve overseas during the Second World War and the Korean War. Later, the 222nd would complete two deployment tours during the Iraq War. In addition to its use in military defense, the building has also served as a community recreation center and dance hall. Ownership of the armory was transferred from the Utah National Guard to the City of Fillmore in 2019 for continued public use.
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27 Saturday Nov 2021
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Kaysville Municipal Building / Old Kaysville City Hall / Old Kaysville Library
Built in 1940, located at 44 North Main Street in Kaysville, Utah and added to the National Historic Register (#100004476) September 30, 2019.
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05 Friday Mar 2021
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City Hall Buildings, Historic Buildings, Hurricane, Libraries, New Deal Funded, NRHP, utah, Washington County, WPA
Hurricane Library/City Hall
This building was constructed in 1938-40 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. The WPA was one of several New Deal programs designed to stimulate economic recovery during the Great Depression while providing needed public services and facilities. Over 230 public works buildings were constructed in Utah; approximately half of them retain their architectural integrity.
This building housed the city offices, library, police, and Hurricane Canal Company until the mid-1980s. The city then made it available to the Hurricane Valley Pioneer Heritage Foundation to develop as a museum.
The structure is built chiefly of hand-hewn sandstone that was quarried by construction workers from the banks of Berry Springs, about six miles west of Hurricane. The original estimated cost of construction was $22,300, but as the material cost was greatly reduced, the city was obligated to pay only $7,000.
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26 Saturday Dec 2020
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Dance Halls, Historic Buildings, Libraries, NRHP, Pool Halls, Post Offices, Sanpete County, Spring City, utah, WPA
Sandstrom’s Pool and Dance Hall
William Sandstrom built this two-story frame and adobe commercial building in 1911. The first floor operated as a pool hall with a dance hall above. Later in the century, it was operated as a grocery store. It also served as the post office and, during the 1930s, had a WPA library on the upper floor. At one time it was occupied by the Dahl family.
Located at 37 N Main St in Spring City, Utah
William Sandstrom (1877-1911) built this two-story adobe-lined, wood frame commercial building about 1911. The first floor operated as a pool hall with a dance hall above. After Sandstrom’s death, James W. Blain ran a grocery store here and in the teens it was the post office. It also served as a bicycle shop, WPA library, and Dahl’s Grocery.*