This tour was curated by: Eastern New Mexico University
The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and covered 380 acres. It contained twin artificial lakes, a bathhouse, a caretaker's house, a latrine foundation, a picknicking slab, and the slab/pump of the well to fill the lakes. The park was never fully finished and the land was eventually given over to other use. A fire in 2022 burned the last remaining structures.
The Portales City Park and swimming pool were constructed as New Deal projects in 1936, partially funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Cement and labor were furnished by the WPA, and the city furnished about 10% of the materials. Original construction included a sunken garden, a wading pool, tennis courts, and a softball field.
This 4-story, 1938 Art Deco style courthouse replaced a smaller courthouse on the same location. It was built to serve as a courthouse and a jail. It was partially funded with Public Works Administration (PWA) funds; the final cost for the building was $18,756. The county celebrated the completion on January 5, 1939.
This Classical Revival style building was funded by the Works Public Administration (WPA) and completed in 1937. In 1938, Theodore Van Soelen painted a mural, "Buffalo Range", in the lobby over the postmaster's door. It is oil on canvas and measures approximately 5'x12'. The mural depicts a herd of buffalo on a plain.
Originally widely called "North Hall", ENMU’s Quay Hall was constructed as a women's dormitory as a New Deal project in 1935-6. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a loan and a grant to cover most of the cost of the project, amounting in $34,000 and $15,000, respectively. The total cost of the project amounted to $53,652.
The museum was founded in 1940 through funding provided by the Works Project Administration (WPA). A couple of New Deal art pieces are housed in the building. It is located on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University. The museum is open to members of the public during regular houses and can host tours with advance notice.
The Administration Building was the first building to be used when the school opened in 1934 as Eastern New Mexico Junior College.Several pieces of artwork can be found in this building. The Administration Building boasts a large mural painted under the WPA in 1936 by Lloyd Moylan title "The 12th Chapter of Ecclesiastes". An additional mural by Moylan faces it across the hall but is not a WPA work. The abstract mural "Art" by Raymond Jonson is displayed in this building, and it's companion piece "Science" is housed in the Golden Student Success Center.
While the Golden Student Success Center is not a New Deal building itself, it holds many important art pieces that were made as part of a New Deal Program. The largest, and therefore most noticeable, pieces are three works in a series by Nils Hogner and "Science" by Raymond Jonson. "Science" is a companion piece to "Art", which is housed in the Administration Building nearby. Other New Deal paintings include: “Penitente Friday” and “Acoma” by Gene Kloss, “Black and White Sawmill” and “Abstract” by Stuart Walker, “Mesas” (which may not be New Deal-sponsored) by Cady Wells, and “Sawmill” by Brooks Willis.
Lea Hall at ENMU was constructed as a National Youth Administration project under the New Deal in 1936. The Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) provided a $46,000 loan and $37,636 grant for the project, whose total cost was $85,034 (P.W.A. Docket No. N.M. 7048). Two additional wings were later added on in 1947 to enhance the structure.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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The New Deal only existed from the late 1930s-1940s but resulted in striking cultural artifacts in Portales, New Mexico. Walk around the campus of Eastern New Mexico University and drive downtown to see local Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) architecture and Federal Arts Program (FAP) artwork.
