The Public Works Administration (PWA) channeled federal funds to local governments during the depression for construction of civic facilities. A major focus of the agency’s funding was local school districts. Most schools built with PWA funds between 1934 and 1936 fell into two architectural styles – either Spanish/Mission Revival, predominately used in the southwest, or Art Deco, used throughout the United States.
Wynn Seale Junior High School was built in the former style, Spanish Colonial Revival. The school has an E-shaped floor plan centering on an auditorium and gymnasium, flanked by large side wings. The auditorium was important – at the time public auditoriums were in great demand, and it quickly became a cultural center for the entire community. Two detailed fountains graced the front of the building, dolphins spouting water into a basin, but they have since been filled with dirt. |
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