mentioned in Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District: The International and Art Moderne styles were mildly popular, with a total of 20 contributing homes in the district. Although these modern styles were not largely popular in all of Utah, one of the largest concentrations of them in the state can be found at the southeast portion of Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District. Examples of these modern styles include the International style Paul Duplex at 2910 Brinker Avenue and the Art Moderne style Blair Apartments at 541 23rd Street. Two other modern styles can also be found in the district, including the Art Deco United States Forest Service building at 505 25th Street and the PWA Moderne former Weber College Mechanic Arts Building at 2450 Adams Avenue.
also: An important development in 1930s Ogden was that of federal aid. With the onslaught of depression in the United States, beginning in 1929, the federal government eventually sought to create work and construction projects designed to help the nation’s rising unemployed. In the early 1930s, Congress appropriated $250,000,000 for construction projects, one of which was the U.S. Forestry Building located in the district at 507 25th Street. In 1932 the architectural firm Hodgson and McClenahan was commissioned to design the structure, and by 1933 the construction of the building was underway. The building is done in the Art Deco style and is one of the three most significant Art Deco style buildings in the state, with the other two being the Ogden Municipal Building and Ogden High School.
Built in 1940-41 as the Salt Lake County Library and later used as the Midvale city hall building, and eventually demolished. It was located at 665 West Center Street in Midvale, Utah and added to the National Register of Historic Places (#82004129) on July 26, 1982.
From the nomination form for the historic register: Built in 1940-41 as a-UFA-project, the Salt Lake County Library is exceptionally significant the original headquarters of the Salt Lake County Library System, and as part of the Public Works Buildings Thematic Resources nomination. 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 1932-40 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 construction of this library marked an important step in the development of a county library system for Salt Lake County. As headquarters of that system, this building was the center for processing and distributing books for the entire 19-branch system.
Midvale is located approximately seven miles south of Salt Lake City. Together with the nearby area of Murray, Midvale became a center in Utah’s mining industry, serving as a central location for the smelting of metal ores. In 1902 the United States Smelting, Refining, and Mining Company completed its smelter at Midvale, and rendered the town as a primary settlement for southern and eastern European immigrants who were utilized as labor for the plant. “Americanization and educational efforts among the state’s foreign-born population, especially during the 1919 national Americanization movement, became important as Utah became one of few states to pass an Americanization law. This act was part of the 1919 Utah Educational Program which also included provisions for county library systems. The reading and writing of English was seen as paramount to Americanization, and as such, libraries became of special significance.
Until 1919, only incorporated cities and towns in Utah could raise taxes for libraries. Consequently, unincorporated areas had no publicly supported library service. In 1919, however, the Utah State Legislature passed legislation providing that county commissions could levy taxes up to one mill to establish and support a county library system. Between May 1919, when the law took effect, and August, 1919, ten counties established library systems: Cache, Grand, Iron, Morgan, San Juan, Tooele, Uintah, Wasatch, Washington, and Wayne. Salt Lake County did not establish its own system until nearly 20 years later. Until then, it had public libraries in only two cities, Murray and Salt Lake City. The rest of the county either had no libraries, or inadequate private library “associations.”
In the fall of 1938, Calvin Smith, Superintendent of the Granite School District, and C. N. Jensen, Superintendent of the Jordan School District, headed a drive for a Salt Lake County Library system, and in the spring of 1939, it was established, with a budget of $33,822; Ruth Vine Tyler as the head; and a staff of four people. The first Library Board was made up of the following members: Superintendents Smith and Jensen, Mrs. Alf G. Gunn, J. R. Rawlins, and J. Hollis Aylett, Mayor of Midvale. Temporary quarters were established in two rooms of the Midvale Elementary School at 575 East Center Street, and plans were laid to construct a new building. The Library Board decided to build it in Midvale, at least partly because Midvale City donated a piece of land 178 feet x 910 feet at the southeast corner of Main and Center Streets on which to construct the building.’ The project became a WPA effort, illustrating the federal government’s role and concern not only in public works, but also in funding buildings to be used for public and educational needs.
The architectural firm of (Raymond J.) Ashton and (Raymond L.) Evans designed this PWA Moderne-style building. Ashton and Evans, a prominent firm, also designed several other public work buildings during the 1930s and ’40s, including the Wayne County High School, the Thomas Library at the University of Utah, and the Wasatch County Library in Heber City, the design of which is very similar to this building.
The architectural drawings for the building were completed by the end of 1939, the building contract was awarded to Jense Bros, in the spring of 1940, and construction began in June of that year. Construction was completed in August 1941 and a grand opening held August 9, 1941. The building was intended to serve as the Midvale City Library, and as the center for processing and distributing books for the entire Salt Lake County system, which by that time had 19 branches: Bacchus, Bingham, Copperton, Draper, East Mill creek, Garfield, Granger, Herriman, Holladay, Magna, Mill creek, Riverton, Sandy (2), South Salt Lake (2), Taylorsville, Union, and West Jordan. Its facilities included an adult reading room, a children’s room, a board meeting room, several offices, a work and stack room, and shelves for 30,000 volumes.
The building served as a library until 1976, when it became the Midvale City Hall.
The Salt Lake County Library 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 20 buildings constructed in Salt Lake County, of which 10 remain. It is one of six public works library buildings constructed in Utah, of which five are known to remain. Libraries were included in at least five other public works buildings in the state, but the primary function of those buildings was as a city hall.
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.
“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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Located at 35 West Center Street in Fillmore, Utah and added to the National Historic Register on (#100006003) January 4, 2021.
