PWA Moderne
PWA Moderne is an architectural style of many buildings in the United States completed between 1933 and 1944, during and shortly after the Great Depression as part of relief projects sponsored by the Public Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration.
The style draws from traditional motifs such as Beaux-Arts classicism and Art Deco and is similar to Streamline Moderne, often with zigzag ornamentation added. The structures reflect a greater use of conservative and classical elements and have a monumental feel. They include post offices, train stations, public schools, libraries, civic centers, courthouses, museums, bridges, and dams across the country. Banks were also built in the style because such buildings radiated authority.
Elements of the style
Typical elements of PWA Moderne buildings include:- Classical balanced and symmetrical form
- Windows arranged as vertical recessed panels
- Surfaces sheathed in smooth, flat stone or stucco
Examples of PWA buildings
Arizona/Nevada
- Hoover Dam – on the Colorado River in Arizona and Nevada.
- Arizona State Fairgrounds Grandstand – Phoenix, Arizona. The exterior of the grandstand has 23 bas-relief panels by David Carrick Swing and Florence Blakeslee, that were funded by the Federal Art Project.
- WPA Administration Building – at 19th Avenue and McDowell Road on the Arizona State Fairgrounds, Phoenix, Arizona. It was headquarters for Works Progress Administration−WPA projects in Arizona.
Florida
- Jacksonville
- *Ed Austin Building, 1933, Marsh & Saxelbye
California
Greater Los Angeles
- Burbank: Burbank City Hall, Allen Lutzi
- Culver City:
- *Helms Bakery, 1930, E. L. Bruner
- *MGM Studios, 1938–39, Claude Beelman, Beaux-Arts in the guise of PWA Moderne
- El Segundo: El Segundo Elementary School, 1936
- Hermosa Beach: North School, 1934 Samuel Lunden ; Pier Avenue School, 1939, March, Smith, and Powell
- Inglewood: Inglewood Memorial Park, buildings 1933 and 1940, Walter E. Erkes
- Lancaster: Post Office
- Lawndale: Leuzinger High School, T.C. Kistner & Cómo.; Kistner & Curtis; Eugene D. Birnbaum and Associates
- Long Beach
- *Jefferson Junior High School Building, 1936
- *Long Beach Main Post Office, 1934, Louis A. Simon and James A. Wetmore
- *Municipal Utilities Building, 1932, Dedrick and Bobbe
- *Robert Louis Stevenson school, c. 1936
- *Veteran's Memorial Building 1936–37, George Kahrs
- Los Angeles:
- *Abraham Lincoln High School, 1937–38, Albert C. Martin
- *Carpenter Community Charter School
- *Distribution Station #28, Department of Water and Power, 1945–46, G. E. Benker, engineer
- *Federal Building and Post Office, 1938–1940, Louis A. Simon
- *Hall of Administration, 1956–1961: A continuation of the PWA Moderne style in the 1950s
- *Hollywood Branch Post Office, 1937, Claude Beellman, Allison and Allison
- *Pacific Stock Exchange, 1929–30, Samuel E. Lunden
- *Police and Fire Station of Venice, c. 1930
- *San Pedro High School, 1935–1937, Gordon B. Kaufman
- *Sepulveda Dam, 1941, flood control dam on the Los Angeles River in the San Fernando Valley, 1939–1941, War Department
- *U.S. Customs House and Post Office, 1935
- *U.S. Naval and Marine Corps Armory, 1939–40, Stiles Clements
- *University of Southern California campus: Alan Hancock Foundation and Memorial Museum, 1940, Cram and Ferguson
- Pasadena:
- *Armory Gallery, 1932, Bennett and Haskell
- *Grover Cleveland Elementary School, 1934
- San Gabriel: San Gabriel Union Church and School, 1936
- Santa Monica:
- *Santa Monica City Hall, 1938–39, Donald B. Parkinson and J. M. Estep
- *Post Office, Robert Dennis Murray, Louis A. Simon
- Torrance:
- *Auditorium
- *Torrance Public Library, 1936, Walker & Eisen
- Whittier:
- *National Trust and Savings, c. 1935, William H. Harrison
- *Whittier Post Office, 1935, Louis A. Simon
- *Whittier-Union High School, 1939–40, William H. Harrison
Elsewhere in California
- Bakersfield: Kern County Hall of Records, 1939 remodel, Chris Brewer
- Fresno: County Hall of Records, 1937, Allied Architects of Fresno
- Jackson: Amador County Courthouse, 1940 remodel, George Sellon
- Oakland: Alameda County Courthouse, 1939
- Salinas: Monterey County Courthouse, 1937, Robert Stanton & Charles Butner
- San Diego: San Diego County Administration Center, 1938, Samuel Wood Hamill, William Templeton Johnson, Richard Requa, Louis John Gill
- San Francisco: San Francisco Mint, 1937
- San Luis Obispo: San Luis Obispo County Courthouse, 1940, Walker & Eisen
- Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 1939
- Visalia: Tulare County Courthouse, 1935, Ernest Kump
District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)
- Folger Shakespeare Library, 1932, Paul Philippe Cret
- Library of Congress Annex, 1939, Pierson & Wilson
- Harry S Truman Building of the United States Department of State, 1939, Underwood & Foster
Iowa
- Animosa: Jones County Courthouse, 1937, Dougher, Rich and Woodburn
- Audubon: Audubon County Court House, 1940, Keffer and Jones
- Atlantic: Cass County Courthouse, 1934, Dougher, Rich and Woodburn
- Burlington: Des Moines County Court House, 1940, Keffer and Jones
- Charles City: Floyd County Court House, 1940, Hansen & Waggoner
- Dakota City: Humboldt County Courthouse, 1939
- Independence: Buchanan County Court House, 1940, Dougher, Rich and Woodburn
- Indianola: Warren County Court House, 1939, Keffer and Jones
- St. Olaf: St. Olaf Auditorium, 1939
- Sioux City: Sioux City Municipal Auditorium, 1938–50, Knute E. Westerlind
- Waukon: Allamakee County Court House, 1940, Charles Altfillisch
- Waverly: Bremer County Court House, 1937, Mortimer Cleveland
Minnesota
- Minneapolis: Minneapolis Armory, 1935–36, P.C. Bettenburg; Walter H. Wheeler
Mississippi
- Mississippi: Amory National Guard Armory, 1937–38, Overstreet & Town
Nevada
- Pioche: Lincoln County Courthouse, 1938, A. Lacy Worswick; L.F. Dow
Oregon
- Salem: Oregon State Capitol, 1938, Trowbridge & Livingston
Tennessee
- Nashville: Martin Luther King Magnet at Pearl High School
Texas
- Austin: Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse 1930,1931, Page Brothers
- Longview: Gregg County Courthouse 1932, Voelcker and Dixon
Utah
- Orderville: Valley School
- Provo: Superintendent's Residence at the Utah State Hospital, 1934
- Santaquin: Santaquin Junior High School
Washington
- Seattle: William K. Nakamura Federal Courthouse, 1940, Gilbert Stanley Underwood