October 25, 1940
GYMNASIUM BUILDING APPROVED BY ROOSEVELT MORE WORK AT ARMY POST
Construction of a gymnasium for use by Marfa school students may be under way within the next few weeks, according to information received this week.
President Roosevelt Monday approved a Work Projects Administration for such a building, allotting $15,189 in federal funds for the building. The project calling for Marfa Independent
School District expenditure of $24,995, was approved by the state administrator September 24.
The building, it is said, will be constructed south of the high school-elementary building, an area used as a playground.
The President approved Friday a Work Projects Administration $11,156 undertaking to provide Fort D. A. Russell improvements consisting of a fence around the Quartermaster Corps area, west on U.S. Highway 90, the shaping of roadbed and realignment of railroad spur grading, and the grading and leveling of grounds.
November 22, 1940
MARFA PEOPLE KNOW THEM
As a result of Work Projects Administration activity in Marfa, people here have become well acquainted with the trio shown here. Left to right, they are: Richard (Dick) Schwartz, G. D. McLean, J. Paul Henderson. Mr. Schwartz supervised Blackwell Junior High School building work, Mr. McLean is division director of operations for the Work Projects Administration activity.
The picture was taken by a Sentinel representative at the time of the Blackwell school dedication program recently.
Excavation work was begun this week which will provide space for footings for the new school gymnasium to be built alongside the high-school-elementary building by the Work Projects Administration and the Marfa Independent School District.
Supervising the work is Richard (Dick) Schwartz, who was in charge of the work at the Blackwell Junior High School where a building was completed recently. He said Tuesday that he had eleven men working but that he hoped to increase the force by about seventeen Monday.
The building, expected to cost the school district $24,995 and the government agency $15,189,
Will be thirty feet from the present school building. “Overall” dimensions of it are 73 feet, 8 inches by 110 feet. Seven tiers of concrete bleachers accommodating a large number of people will be built along the inner wall of the building. At each end of the bleachers unit will be a refreshment, or concession, room.
Dressing rooms and shower baths for boys and for girls will be under the bleachers. A storage-office room, an office for the coach of athletics, rest rooms and an admission tickets booth will be other facilities included in the structure which Mr. Schwartz hopes to see completed by about the middle of May. Although nine months has been set up as the construction period it is not believed that it will take that long.
Large, steel sash windows will be used in the south side of the building, with large windows of similar type in the north wall above the bleachers height. Lower in the wall will be smaller windows providing ventilation and light for the dressing room units.
Adobe blocks will be used in the basic construction work on the building, Mr. Schwartz said. As a whole the gymnasium will be an attractive building which will add greatly to the school plant which at present consists of the high school-elementary building, football stadium and tennis courts. The heating plant that is being used at present also will serve the gymnasium, according to plans.