In the Great Depression, the New Deal ignited an unprecedented response to address crucial public services as a way to kick-start the American economy. President Franklin Roosevelt said that in a hundred years, his New Deal would be remembered more for its arts than its job relief.

Discover landmarks, art, and other still-visible projects from the New Deal period with author David Taylor during a walking tour in Washington, D.C.

We begin at Judiciary Square to see the public sculptures and dramatic courthouse bas reliefs there, including one by John Gregory, a well-known architectural sculptor. Highlights along the route include the Henry F. Daly Building, constructed in the Classical Moderne style with the aid of Public Works Administration (PWA) funds; and the Federal Trade Commission Building, which features monumental sculptures by WPA artists in Art Deco style. We pass the National Mall and Washington Monument, both of which were renovated during the New Deal period. We conclude at the Department of the Interior for an optional staff-led tour of more than 40 New Deal–era murals, plus several 1941–1942 photomurals by Ansel Adams. The tour will also be offered September 18 and September 25.

Taylor is the author of Soul of a People: The WPA Writers’ Project Uncovers Depression America and co-producer of a Smithsonian documentary film by Spark Media, also titled Soul of a People, and a producer for The People’s Recorder podcast.