Evening star., 1934-07-29
LIFE FRIGHTENED
| BYP. WA. HOMES
Alta VISTA, Va, Mill Workers
Aided by L0W-Cost
Housing Project.

z Life has a new significance for the
Mil workers in the little town OF
Alta Vista. Campbell County. Va 2e
4niies south OF Lynchburg. on the
fastern slaspe Of the Blue Ridge Noun
tains. who are now occupying for the
FIRST time the so model homes built
for them from public works funds.
II is the first Of the low-cost nous
sng projects In the Government pro-
gram 10 be completed. and is the
sorerunncr Of other projects under
taken by the housing division Of p.
w. A. in a si25 600 coo program 70
combat oyercrowded living conditions
IN cities and small towns, To the
mill folk OF Alta Vista. some Of whom
had been forced 10 live in crowded.
Equalid rooms IL Is the FIRST sign OF
that more abundant life" Of which
President Roosevelt is back, and Of
the humanitarian objects Of the sd-
ministration.
For SIS and $40 month the work
ers Of the rayon factory IN this Vir-
ginia town are provided with comfort
able. one-family houses. each with two
bed rooms and bath. The homes cover
three square blocks and overlook
municipal playground and a small
lake. The higher rental Is for cor
ner house, with the advantage OF
little more yard,
Completed Ahead Of Schedule.
With the completion of this under
taking. the p. w. A. housing program
has been started on It's way with a
record breaking accomplishment. the
project being completed five days
ahead OF construction schedule. II
cost 100000. OF which $4,000 was
borrowed from the Public Works Ad-
ministration by the Alta Vista Hous-
ing Corp, a limited dividend organ
lzRtion.
One OF the six limited dividend
projects under the supervision Of the
housing division, the Alta Vista group
illustrated In small scale the entire
process OF sthe public works theory. in
planning, in construction and COM
pletion. II created employment, pro-
vided orders for material, put money
into action In a community and will
leave the town of Alta Vista with a
self-liquidating. permanent and badly
needed addition to its capital value.
1t was hard to conceive the living
conditions in Alta Vista, officials said.
Employment at the mills had increased
steadily and the housing situation had
become acute. Old houses, lacking
sanitary facilities. were crowded with
mill families. In one house Of four
rooms. 18 persons were forced to live.
Employees were sleeping In beds by
shifts In some cases beds were never
without occupants.
Then along came the movement for
Federal low-cost housing project
that would give these hard working
mill people some of the comforts of
privacy, modern plumbing and sani-
tation. The Alta Vista Chamber of
Commerce sponsored the movement
and formed limited dividend cor
poration to carry 1t out. Stock to the
extent of $4,000 was underwritten
by the business men of the town.
Loan Agreement Signed.
A loan agreement was signed by
Secretary Ickes on March and IL
days later the work started. All is
completed now but the finishing
touches on landscaping and seeding.
-Four types of small houses have
been constructed. Each home has
lot about 81 by 14o feet and will
have lawns and landscaping. Each
home will have at least two trees
and its own hedge. In the back yard
is ample space for vegetable gardens.
The project presents a picture of
trim, bright little homes.
The four types vary somewhat in
size, but all have an ample living
room. two airy bed rooms, some with
three exposures and all with cross
ventilation.
The kitchens are modernly equip
ped and the bath rooms would satisfy
the most fastidious. Interior wood
work is finished with standard mill
work. and walls are plastered with
o two-tone sand finish, pronounced by
experts to be one of the best plaster
ing Jobs ever seen in small homes.
High-grade plumbing has been in
stalled.
The exteriors are finished in clap
boards and are painted white. Varie-
gated composition shingles are used
on roofs, and chimneys have been
built. The project is built on hill
overlooking the town, the houses bor-
dering on three 60-foot streets. Sew
ers were installed as a Civil Works
Administration project.
Houses Overlook Lake.
For the children and adults, too,
there is a well equipped playground,
with base ball field, tennis courts and
a swimming pool. One row of the
new houses overlooks a small lake.
At peak of construction, 200 men
were employed on the project, with
a peak pay roll of $500. Town mer-
chants reported to H. NJ. Lane, presi
dent OF the corporation, that buSi-
ness had never been better than dur
ing this period, Nor has the bene-
fetal impetus ceased. With families
moving into the homes new furniture
is being bought. One of the homes
serves as a model demonstration unit
and has been furnished by the mer-
chants of the town.
The project differs from Federal
housing project, in that 1t was spou-
sored by private groups. The $4,000
borrowed from P w. A. will be repaid
as straight loan Under a Fe1-
eral project, the Government fur
nishes funds without any loan in
.volved.
p;oeno TS ReScued