Across Sandoval County, the lasting impact of the New Deal is still visible in the public buildings, roads, bridges, parks, and public art that have shaped daily life for nearly a century. These remnants from a bygone era tell stories of resilience, community and hope, illustrating the enduring legacy that continues to influence our present and future.
The National New Deal Preservation Association (NNDPA) explores these themes in its latest book, “THE NEW DEAL: Looking Back, Moving Forward,” in which members and guest authors delve into New Deal personalities and programs, connecting the historical achievements to contemporary relevance.
In response to the severe economic effects of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration initiated a national effort known as the New Deal beginning in 1933 and ending when the U.S. entered World War II.
Programs such as the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps brought much-needed relief and development to communities across the United States. By 1935, these programs employed over half of New Mexico’s population, providing approximately 425,000 jobs.
Schoolhouses in Placitas, excavated ruins at Jemez Pueblo and the roads and structures in state parks underscore the impact of the New Deal on the county’s history.
Today, preservationists, notably the NNDPA, work to preserve, conserve and restore these landmarks, ensuring they remain a testament to this era in American history.
“(The New Deal) kept families from falling apart economically,” said Kathy Flynn, the executive director of the NNDPA. “It virtually affected every family in New Mexico except the richies.”
The WPA had broad impact, helping to provide jobs for the 12.8 million unemployed Americans in construction, arts and music. Projects like building schools, courthouses and murals improved communities culturally and economically, leaving a lasting legacy in infrastructure and community development across the United States.
It encompassed programs like the Federal Art Project, the Public Works of Art Project and the Federal Music Project (FMP).
The New Deal art projects employed 167 New Mexico artists to create murals, paintings and sculptures for public buildings, many of which can still be seen today. The FMP aimed to support music and cultural development by making sure as many towns as possible had a symphony. New Mexico’s director at the time focused on preserving and promoting Spanish American music traditions in New Mexico by creating a book on Spanish American music.
“Most of the Spanish American musicians had never seen music in writing and some people couldn’t read music, it was a thing that was passed out ear to ear,” Flynn said.
The CCC employed more than 3,000,000 men between 1933 and 1942 aged 18 to 25 from families on government assistance. They enlisted for at least six months to work on environmental conservation projects, transported and housed by the U.S. Army and guided by the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture. The men were paid a dollar a day, with $20 kept for personal expenses and the remainder sent home monthly to support their families.
CCC employees fought forest fires, planted three billion trees, maintained roads, protected 20 million acres from soil erosion, and built facilities like wildlife refuges, fish-rearing stations, and established 800 state parks around the country.
Sandoval County projects
In Sandoval County, numerous projects continue to serve their original purposes, while others have been repurposed to meet evolving community needs. However, some communities within the county have become ghost towns over time.
According to the Living New Deal website, the WPA constructed what is now known as the San Antonio Catholic Mission Community Center in Placitas, originally a two-room schoolhouse that also served as Placitas’ first library.
Later, Bernalillo Public Schools and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe executed a land swap. The school system acquired a gymnasium at Our Lady of Sorrows in Bernalillo, while the Archdiocese gained ownership of the Placitas school.
Roosevelt Elementary School, Bernalillo’s first public school, was built by the WPA in 1936. According to the Martha Liebert Public Library, the school fell into disrepair. However, a joint effort involving Bernalillo Public Schools, the Town of Bernalillo and Sandoval County helped secure funding from Bernalillo Public Schools and a capital outlay appropriation from the 1993 New Mexico Legislature for the renovation of the building.
Today, the Bernalillo Fire and Rescue Department is considering repurposing the abandoned Roosevelt Elementary School into a new fire station.
According to Flynn, other WPA projects in Bernalillo included the construction of a public welfare building, health center, road improvements, sewing rooms, canning and clothing projects and ditch drainage improvements.
New Deal Preservation
According to Flynn, the NNDPA has spent $100,000 to preserve or restore artwork around the state, receiving both federal and state funding. The organization employs conservators to assess and recommend necessary restoration work throughout New Mexico.Those who are interested in supporting the NNDPA can donate at nndpa.org/donate.