History
Building the Community Building
The Phillipsburg Community Building was built in 1936-1937 during the Great Depression as a project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which was established by the federal government and the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 to provide relief to the unemployed. The local newspaper reported this project to be "the biggest WPA project in the sixth district, involving an expenditure of $107,205, exclusive of the rock quarrying project to provide building stone." Local architect Owassa J. Jennings worked on the project, Dr. Guy Innes served as the project superintendent, and H.C. Townsend was the foreman.
74 men worked to quarry limestone in November of 1935 at the quarry south of Glade, Kansas. A crew of 58 men began excavating at the building site in February of 1936 and construction of the 9,200-plus square foot building began March 24, 1936. The community building was formally dedicated on Tuesday, October 26, 1937.