Not Clarksdale, but it is a former educational building. I hesitate to give a yes or no to whether it is in the Delta; it may be, or it may not be. I think I will let people guess for a little while longer before I narrow down the region for everyone.
If you’re gonna have to give clues, I’ll answer it. Especially since you might get four points for 13.5.3. :-)
This is the Carson Consolidated School Gymnasium and Auditorium in Carson, Jefferson Davis County. It is a PWA project that was announced in 1935 and completed in time for the 1936-1937 school year. it’s really quite a cool campus. Great stumper, W!
I don’t think the building technically has an street number address but it’s on Marion Avenue. I promise not to intentionally ruin anymore fun. I don’t think anyone will guess the answer to 13.5.3.
13.5.3 is a hard one. It is an architecturally and historically important building, so I have kept my promise of not using “such obscure buildings that no one would have a chance of identifying them.” But, I knew that it had the possibility of being a stumper. Do you know what it is?
PWA project W1013 Auditorium Gymnasium; loan 15,000; grant 12,192; approved 9/25/1935. First contract awarded 12/12/1935, construction started 12/26/1935, and completed 7/8/1936 for a total cost of $27,235. I can now make a new submission to the Living New Deal Project unless you beat me to it.
I would not write up a submission to the “Living” New Deal Project right away if I were you, for a reason I will make clear after the contest has ended.
I will look forward to your clarification. Are you saying the official government documents that verify this as a completed project are w…ww…rrrr…ooo..ng?
No, since it is late and I doubt anyone else will comment, I will just go ahead and tell you that the gymnasium burned to the ground last month: https://www.magnoliastatelive.com/2019/03/21/iconic-early-20th-century-mississippi-school-building-burns-to-ground/. I found that out when I was searching for more information about the building a couple of weeks ago. I was quite bummed as it was a great old building which I had come across on Street View last year, months before it burned. I was struck by how unusual it was; I am not an expert on Mississippi’s rural schools (unlike a mutual acquaintance of both of ours), but I am not aware of any other art deco gymnasiums. A few art moderne ones, yes, but ones with Carson School’s brick detailing, not that I am aware of. Now it is just a pile of burned rubble.
Well, this does present a conundrum: if this gym was built in 1912, where is the gym built by the PWA? Is it possible that the other parts of the building were constructed earlier and the reporter erred? (Frankly, I find a lot of erring reporters when writing about anything older than they are.) . I see where my day is going–finding out the rest of the story. As to LND, even a non-extant building is reported. We are building a database of every project in every state.
No, the gym was built in 1935-36. The 1912 date is for other school buildings, I think. It was a little hard for us Mississippi historic preservationists to track down the history of this school, so imagine a reporter on a deadline who doesn’t know squat about old buildings.
I just meant that the building is no longer “living.” The school is passed on. It is no more. It has ceased to be. It is an ex-school, etc., etc.
Preservation in Mississippi 
A Sad Place
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No points for that, but yes, a sad sight to see.
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Art Moderne gymnasium = James Spain, Architect?
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Art Moderne gymnasium ≠ James Spain, Architect.
If you can even call this gymnasium Art Moderne.
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I would call it Art Deco.
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As would I.
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A school (formerly) somewhere in the Mississippi Delta. Clarksdale?
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Not Clarksdale, but it is a former educational building. I hesitate to give a yes or no to whether it is in the Delta; it may be, or it may not be. I think I will let people guess for a little while longer before I narrow down the region for everyone.
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If you’re gonna have to give clues, I’ll answer it. Especially since you might get four points for 13.5.3. :-)
This is the Carson Consolidated School Gymnasium and Auditorium in Carson, Jefferson Davis County. It is a PWA project that was announced in 1935 and completed in time for the 1936-1937 school year. it’s really quite a cool campus. Great stumper, W!
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I step away from my computer for a couple of hours and come back to find that Thomas Rosell has ruined my fun. :-(
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I don’t think the building technically has an street number address but it’s on Marion Avenue. I promise not to intentionally ruin anymore fun. I don’t think anyone will guess the answer to 13.5.3.
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13.5.3 is a hard one. It is an architecturally and historically important building, so I have kept my promise of not using “such obscure buildings that no one would have a chance of identifying them.” But, I knew that it had the possibility of being a stumper. Do you know what it is?
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I promised no more ruining fun. 🤐
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TR, good to know I was on track with searching all my New Deal information. :)
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PWA project W1013 Auditorium Gymnasium; loan 15,000; grant 12,192; approved 9/25/1935. First contract awarded 12/12/1935, construction started 12/26/1935, and completed 7/8/1936 for a total cost of $27,235. I can now make a new submission to the Living New Deal Project unless you beat me to it.
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Nope, all yours.
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I would not write up a submission to the “Living” New Deal Project right away if I were you, for a reason I will make clear after the contest has ended.
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I will look forward to your clarification. Are you saying the official government documents that verify this as a completed project are w…ww…rrrr…ooo..ng?
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No, since it is late and I doubt anyone else will comment, I will just go ahead and tell you that the gymnasium burned to the ground last month: https://www.magnoliastatelive.com/2019/03/21/iconic-early-20th-century-mississippi-school-building-burns-to-ground/. I found that out when I was searching for more information about the building a couple of weeks ago. I was quite bummed as it was a great old building which I had come across on Street View last year, months before it burned. I was struck by how unusual it was; I am not an expert on Mississippi’s rural schools (unlike a mutual acquaintance of both of ours), but I am not aware of any other art deco gymnasiums. A few art moderne ones, yes, but ones with Carson School’s brick detailing, not that I am aware of. Now it is just a pile of burned rubble.
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Well, this does present a conundrum: if this gym was built in 1912, where is the gym built by the PWA? Is it possible that the other parts of the building were constructed earlier and the reporter erred? (Frankly, I find a lot of erring reporters when writing about anything older than they are.) . I see where my day is going–finding out the rest of the story. As to LND, even a non-extant building is reported. We are building a database of every project in every state.
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No, the gym was built in 1935-36. The 1912 date is for other school buildings, I think. It was a little hard for us Mississippi historic preservationists to track down the history of this school, so imagine a reporter on a deadline who doesn’t know squat about old buildings.
I just meant that the building is no longer “living.” The school is passed on. It is no more. It has ceased to be. It is an ex-school, etc., etc.
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