(The Williamsport Town Hall in Washington County, Maryland, built by WPA workers in 1939. Photo by Brent McKee, 2014.)
Between 1935 and 1943, WPA workers engaged in 125,000 public building projects. These projects included new constructions, repairs, painting, utility improvements, etc. The types of buildings worked on included schools, firehouses, libraries, gymnasiums, hospitals, jails, warehouses, and more. We are still utilizing thousands of these buildings today.
The town hall you see above is an example of what can result when the unemployed are given job opportunities instead of insults. Sadly, many of our policymakers today can think of no other response to pervasive unemployment that extended unemployment benefits (Democrats) or perpetual scorn and insinuations of laziness (Republicans).
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