Located at 12441 S 900 E in Draper, Utah and designed by School District Architect Niels Edward Liljenberg, the Draper Park School was constructed in 1912, replacing an 1883 school on the same site. The building was named in honor of Dr. John R. Park, a leading figure in Utah’s educational history and early school teacher in Draper. The school originally accommodated both elementary and junior high school students. Additions were made to the south of the building in 1928 and to the east in 1963. In 1938 a mural depicting the history of education in Draper was painted on the interior by artist Paul Smith as a WPA project. The school was converted into the Draper City Hall and community center around 1980 and is the home of the Draper Historical Society.
Built in 1935-36, the Mount Pleasant High School Mechanical Arts Building is part of the Public Works Buildings Thematic Resources nomination and is w significant because it helps document the impact of New Deal programs in Utah, which was one of the states that the Great Depression of the 1930s most severely affected. In 1933 Utah had an unemployment rate of 36 percent, the fourth highest in the country, and for the period 1932-1940 Utah’s unemployment rate averaged 25 percent. Because the depression hit Utah so hard, federal programs were extensive in the state. Overall, per capita federal spending in Utah during the 1930s was 9th among the 48 states, and the percentage of workers on federal work projects was far above the national average. Building programs were of great importance. During the 1930s virtually every public building constructed in Utah, including county courthouses, city halls, fire stations, national guard armories, public school buildings, and a variety of others, were built under federal programs by one of several agencies, including the Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), the National Youth Administration (NYA), the Works Progress Administration (WPA), or the Public Works Administration (PWA), and almost without exception none of the buildings would have been built when they were without the assistance of the federal government.
The Mount Pleasant High School Mechanical Arts Building is one of 233 public works buildings identified in Utah that were built during the 1930s and early 1940s. Only 130 of those 233 buildings are known to remain today and retain their historic integrity. This is one of 107 public school buildings constructed in Utah, 55 of which remain. In Sanpete County 18 buildings were built. This is one of 11 that remain and are relatively unaltered.
The building was constructed between 1935 and 1936 as a Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) project. It was a duplicate of the Moroni High School Mechanical Arts Building that was constructed at the same time. The project was approved in November 1934; construction began in January of 1935 and was completed in April 1936.
This building is one of three high school shop buildings constructed in Sanpete County using the same basic design. The other two are in Ephraim and Moroni, both of which are still standing and eligible for nomination. All three of these buildings are large, two-story box-like structures with rectangular plans and centrally placed two-story entrance porticos. The Mt. Pleasant building, like the one in Moroni, is built of cream-colored limestone and has a low-pitched hip roof. The openings are arranged symmetrically around the entrance bay which has a gable roof, heavy cornice returns, a round arch upper story window, and a molded cornice over the door itself. There are low-relief quoins at the corners. The building remains in good original condition.
Built in 1935-36, the Moroni High School Mechanical Arts Building is part of the Utah Public Works Administration (PWA) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) Buildings Thematic Nomination and is significant because it helps document the impact of New Deal programs in Utah, which was one of the states that the Great Depression of the 1930s most severely affected. In 1933 Utah had an unemployment rate of 36 percent, the fourth highest in the country, and for the period 1932-1940 Utah’s unemployment rate averaged 25 percent. Because the depression hit Utah so hard, federal programs were extensive in the state. Overall, per capita federal spending in Utah during the 1930s was 9th among the 48 states, and the percentage of workers on federal work projects was far above the national average. Building programs were of great importance. During the 1930s virtually every public building constructed in Utah, including county courthouses, city halls, fire stations, national guard armories, public school buildings, and a variety of others, were built under federal programs by one of several agencies, including the Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), the National Youth Administration (NYA), the Works Progress Administration (WPA), or the Public Works Administration (PWA), and almost without exception none of the buildings would have been built when they were without the assistance of the federal government.
The Moroni High School Mechanical Arts Building is one of 233 public works buildings identified in Utah that were built during the 1930s and early 1940s. Only 130 of those 233 buildings are known to remain today and retain their historic integrity. This is one of 107 public school buildings constructed, 55 of which remain. In Sanpete County 18 buildings were built. This is one of 11 that remain.
The building was constructed between 1935 and 1936 as a Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) project. It was a duplicate of the Mt. Pleasant High School Mechanical Arts Building that was constructed at the same time. The project was approved in November 1934; construction began in January of 1935 and was completed in April 1936.
I haven’t been able to find out exactly where this was located, if you know please comment on this page or let me know.
During the 1930s, UTNG used federal money, often supplied through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), to build or expand a number of UTNG facilities. The WPA funded eight armories and several garage and storage areas for the UTNG. By 1940, 13 armories were in use by the Utah Guard including” that in Cedar City.
The location of the historic armory is presently unknown to Living New Deal. The building has since been demolished.
During the 1930s, UTNG used federal money, often supplied through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), to build or expand a number of UTNG facilities. The WPA funded eight armories and several garage and storage areas for the UTNG. By 1940, 13 armories were in use by the Utah Guard including” that in Spanish Fork. The historic armory in Spanish Fork has since been demolished.(*)
During the 1930s, UTNG used federal money, often supplied through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), to build or expand a number of UTNG facilities. The WPA funded eight armories and several garage and storage areas for the UTNG. By 1940, 13 armories were in use by the Utah Guard including” that in Nephi.
“Construction of the National Guard armory in Nephi will be furthered with $34,669” in WPA funds, Provo’s Daily Herald reported.(*)
The Great depression was extremely hard on Utah, federal agencies gave funding as part of the New Deal for projects to keep people working.
Utah had 232/233/226 (I’ve seen different numbers reported) projects.
Below are listed the WPA (Works Progress Administration), PWA (Public Works Administration), CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and other New Deal projects I’ve found and documented.
The Camp W.G. Williams historical masonry ditch is a concrete and rock-lined irrigation ditch system constructed for the Utah National Guard by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. As such, a federal appropriation of $22,155 was utilized, many Utahns were provided with jobs, and the cantonment area was improved. The project, originally proposed to the WPA in December of 1938, was completed by 1940. The masonry ditch was designed and constructed to irrigate newly planted trees along the camp avenues as well as enhance camp aesthetics. The stone was obtained from a local quarry located west of the cantonment area in the military reservation. The stone and mortar workmanship is characteristic of many WPA projects. All in all, the masonry ditch is credited as the first federally funded “curb and gutter” project in the United States. To this day, the preserved portion of the ditch contains architectural landscape significance for its association with the WPA and early Camp W.G. Williams improvement.
