The Works Progress Administration was founded by the Roosevelt Administration during the Great Depression to employ millions of Americans, building a number of public works projects.  Roads, lodges, theaters, parks, and pools were among the ambitious list of projects undertaken at the time. The craftsmanship on these projects is outstanding, encouraging us to think a little deeper about why it's so nice to buy and source locally.

McCarren Park Pool has just reopened in Brooklyn. It hasn't been used since the year I was born (so, literally a lifetime), but it's a classic building and the pool can host 1500 people! The fact that it was a WPA project reminded me of the Timberline Lodge, built at the top of Mount Hood also as part of the WPA.  We learned about this during our year-long Architecture History course, with Henry Dietrich Fernandez.

This photo is circa it's opening in 1938.

And this is today, where it is used year-round for visitors of Mount Hood for lovers of skiing, mountain biking, hiking, etc. And since it's Monday, we can all daydream about all of those things plus heading down to Brooklyn for a swim!