Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)

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The Great Depression, like the contemporary economic crisis, struck a grievous blow to the building trades and professions in the United States, arresting construction projects throughout the country and leaving laborers and architects alike jobless. In response, architect Charles E. Peterson of the National Park Service proposed an innovative New Deal program that would relieve unemployment among architects, draftsmen, and photographers while documenting the nation's threatened architectural heritage.

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Inaugurated in I933, the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) would be administered by the National Park Service, with professional support …