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Venturia Village Hall

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1937. 116 Main St.
  • (Photograph by Steve C. Martens)

The extent of federal work relief investment in local communities is dramatically illustrated by the construction of this stylish Moderne, site-cast-concrete building in a community whose population even at its peak was never more than three hundred. The concrete material would have been delivered by rail on a line that no longer exists. It is somewhat astonishing to encounter this degree of architectural refinement in such a small, out-of-the-way village. Entrance steps and molded concrete side balustrades ascend to a central entrance that is surmounted by a shallow canopy and cornice that extends above and wraps around the parapet. Windows are the original nine-pane sash with six-pane transoms above. The building still reflects the hand-rubbed, slip-form construction method that would have created immediate employment opportunities for the greatest number of laborers as required by the WPA. This hall continued in use at least through the 1990s, rented out as a popular site for impromptu musical events arranged by a local rock and roll promoter.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay
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Citation

Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay, "Venturia Village Hall", [Lehr, North Dakota], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/ND-01-MT4.

Print Source

Cover: Buildings of North Dakota

Buildings of North Dakota, Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015, 205-205.

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