Las Vegas NM 24 June 2019: The former
Las Vegas Municipal Building at
717 Grand Avenue,
built by the WPA 1939-40 from locally quarried
stone; some furnishings in the museum, originally housed at the Chamber of
Commerce, were made by young men enrolled in a
National Youth
Administration (NYA) workshop.[1,2,3] The building was converted
to other uses in 1965.
References
- Rough
Riders Museum - Las Vegas NM, Living New Deal, accessed 15 July 2019.
- Las
Vegas Municipal Building, Warmarking.com, accessed 15 July 2019: "The
Las Vegas Municipal Building was constructed as a WPA project
beginning in 1939 and completed in 1940. The building was designed by Santa
Fe architectural firm of Kruger & Clark in with elements of the Spanish
Pueblo Revival style. The building was constructed of locally quarried stone
as opposed to the more customary adobe and stucco. The project provided work
for unemployed local workers. The building provided much needed space for
city offices. The building was modified in 1965 to house museum and other
offices. The building is now used for municipal courts and for the City of
Las Vegas Museum and Rough Rider Memorial Collection."
- In
New Mexico..., Albuquerque Journal, 2 January 1940, p.10: "The
new municipal building in Las Vegas is nearing completion, and will be
occupied next month. The structure will house Federal, state, and city
organizations, which have been hard pressed for quarters. NYA woodwork will
be used. The rustic type of hand-carved, cream-colored chairs, tables and
wooden couches is expected to make the building one of Las Vegas' most
attractive sites."
- Las Vegas New Mexico USA, undated booklet published by the City
of Las Vegas, p.29: "City Museum and Rough Rider Memorial Collection, 727
Grand Ave (Built ca.1940)... Housed in a Works Project Administration
("WPA") structure built to serve as city hall, the City Museum provides a
snapshot of life 1800s and 1900s."