Burlington Community Center & Gymnasium
Location: Burlington
County: Kit Carson County
Date Constructed: 1940
Built by: WPA
Architectural Description:
This Art Deco gymnasium and auditorium is adobe construction with a 2” reinforced-concrete coat and a reinforced-concrete structural frame. The exterior has wide horizontal bands and engaged pilasters that end in a parapet. Second-story windows appear between the pilasters and wrap three-quarters of the way around the building. Above the windows are either Art Deco ziggurat crenellations or chevrons. Garden-level windows also wrap the building, but most of them have been boarded up. There is a concrete-block shed addition on the north side.
Historical Background:
The gymnasium/auditorium was a WPA project. The first federal grant for the project was $35,808. The Consolidated County School district #1 of Burlington contributed $11,190. An additional grant of $5,329 was needed in order to complete the building; however portions of the second grant were used to paint the roof of the high school, refinish manual-training tables, and improve the athletic field. The application for the project noted that “The School children of the Town of Burlington do not have an adequate gymnasium. The present gym is located in the basement of the High School and it has a low ceiling, and is not near large enough. Auditorium and stage in school building is not adequate and room for band and music is badly needed. The community needs such a building.” The building was also used for plays. In addition, the center was available to rent out.