WPA Sewing Rooms 1933-43
#1
WPA Sewing Rooms 1933-43
I just recently learned that we have a Works Progress Administration (WPA) building down the street a block or two from my house that included a women’s sewing room. It’s our Municipal Swimming Pool building, and was built by the WPA in 1935. A small second level over the main building housed the sewing room, that included treadle machines and cutting tables. The building is still in use, although not for sewing.
Sewing rooms were part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” to put unemployed people back to work following the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression. While the men were put to work building roads, bridges, and a host of municipal building projects, sewing rooms, libraries, and gardening & canning facilities were also built by the WPA to provide jobs for women nation-wide. Clothing, household goods (including quilts), and mattresses were among the items made in the sewing rooms, and some rooms included mending and clothing repair. Wages were very low, but it was a wage. From what I have learned, by 1936 there were about a half million women working these WPA jobs, which also included school lunch programs and housekeeping duties to assist relief families suffering from illness. By 1943, most of these work projects were discontinued as the nation went to war.
The vast history of sewing in my little community is interesting to me, and I’ve only begun to learn about it. I have found a couple of threads here at QB that gives mention to WPA Sewing Rooms or machines, and wondered who else could comment on this sewing history.
CD in Oklahoma
Sewing rooms were part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” to put unemployed people back to work following the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression. While the men were put to work building roads, bridges, and a host of municipal building projects, sewing rooms, libraries, and gardening & canning facilities were also built by the WPA to provide jobs for women nation-wide. Clothing, household goods (including quilts), and mattresses were among the items made in the sewing rooms, and some rooms included mending and clothing repair. Wages were very low, but it was a wage. From what I have learned, by 1936 there were about a half million women working these WPA jobs, which also included school lunch programs and housekeeping duties to assist relief families suffering from illness. By 1943, most of these work projects were discontinued as the nation went to war.
The vast history of sewing in my little community is interesting to me, and I’ve only begun to learn about it. I have found a couple of threads here at QB that gives mention to WPA Sewing Rooms or machines, and wondered who else could comment on this sewing history.
CD in Oklahoma
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Tomball (near Houston), Texas
Posts: 172
I do not remember the details, but my grandmother worked for the WPA sewing, during that time period in south Texas. She was a young widow with 5 children to support. Mother mentioned, along with the story, that grandma finally was able to get a job as a cook at a local cafe. She preferred it, because she did not like taking a hand-out. I can recall them mentioning feed sack dresses, too. Unfortunately, I was young and did not take notes. Now they are both gone, so I cannot ask them.
#3
when DH and I were traveling and buying antique quilts, we saw an old "cheater" quilt (whole cloth top printed to look like patchwork) and were told the fabric was distributed by the gov't during the depression so people could make quilts.
#6
I thought your post was extremely interesting as I have never heard of these WPA sewing projects. Would you mind if I quoted part of your post on my blog? I would not mention your name or specific town, but would say Oklahoma if that is ok. I think it would be great to pass the word about this history. I'm going to look into it more. Thanks for this interesting topic.
#7
I thought your post was extremely interesting as I have never heard of these WPA sewing projects. Would you mind if I quoted part of your post on my blog? I would not mention your name or specific town, but would say Oklahoma if that is ok. I think it would be great to pass the word about this history. I'm going to look into it more. Thanks for this interesting topic.
I was aware of the WPA work projects, but am just learning about the Sewing Rooms. A post here in the Pictures Forum at QB talks about and shows a machine that was once part of a WPA Sewing Project. The thread is WPA Singer 31-15.
The program was set up to assist the women that were “head of households” around the nation. A husband and wife couldn’t both work on a WPA job, so not all women were eligible. Single, widowed, or abandoned women that were out of work were the intended workforce. Hand sewing was common at that time, but machine sewing was not. The Sewing Room taught women how to use the machines, while at the same time, making a wage that they could live on. The WPA furnished the machines, salaries, and sometimes portions of the cost of buildings. The community had to provide the utilities and other operating expenses to keep it going.
CD in Oklahoma
#9
I have been reading and found an article about a famous 1937 strike by the women's sewing room right here where I am in Tampa, FL. This sewing room had been initially set up as a WPA project. Who knew?!!
Thank you again for this interesting thread.
Thank you again for this interesting thread.
#10
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 56
I just recently learned that we have a Works Progress Administration (WPA) building down the street a block or two from my house that included a women’s sewing room. It’s our Municipal Swimming Pool building, and was built by the WPA in 1935. A small second level over the main building housed the sewing room, that included treadle machines and cutting tables. The building is still in use, although not for sewing.
Sewing rooms were part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” to put unemployed people back to work following the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression. While the men were put to work building roads, bridges, and a host of municipal building projects, sewing rooms, libraries, and gardening & canning facilities were also built by the WPA to provide jobs for women nation-wide. Clothing, household goods (including quilts), and mattresses were among the items made in the sewing rooms, and some rooms included mending and clothing repair. Wages were very low, but it was a wage. From what I have learned, by 1936 there were about a half million women working these WPA jobs, which also included school lunch programs and housekeeping duties to assist relief families suffering from illness. By 1943, most of these work projects were discontinued as the nation went to war.
The vast history of sewing in my little community is interesting to me, and I’ve only begun to learn about it. I have found a couple of threads here at QB that gives mention to WPA Sewing Rooms or machines, and wondered who else could comment on this sewing history.
CD in Oklahoma
Sewing rooms were part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” to put unemployed people back to work following the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression. While the men were put to work building roads, bridges, and a host of municipal building projects, sewing rooms, libraries, and gardening & canning facilities were also built by the WPA to provide jobs for women nation-wide. Clothing, household goods (including quilts), and mattresses were among the items made in the sewing rooms, and some rooms included mending and clothing repair. Wages were very low, but it was a wage. From what I have learned, by 1936 there were about a half million women working these WPA jobs, which also included school lunch programs and housekeeping duties to assist relief families suffering from illness. By 1943, most of these work projects were discontinued as the nation went to war.
The vast history of sewing in my little community is interesting to me, and I’ve only begun to learn about it. I have found a couple of threads here at QB that gives mention to WPA Sewing Rooms or machines, and wondered who else could comment on this sewing history.
CD in Oklahoma
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