The Great Depression spread like wildfire across the United States, and while no city or state was immune to the devastation, North Dakota suffered greatly when the prices received for farm produce drastically declined. North Dakotans were struggling and our country was in turmoil. In response, President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted a series of programs and projects that aimed to restore prosperity to Americans, under the umbrella of the New Deal. One such program was the Works Project Administration.

The WPA was an ambitious employment and infrastructure program during the bleakest days of the Great Depression. Over its eight years of existence, the Works Progress Administration put approximately 8.5 million Americans to work building schools, hospitals, and roads. The WPA is perhaps best known for its public works projects, including right here in North Dakota. The Edinburg WPA Auditorium is a by-product of the program. Nearby, the Pembina City Hall, Langdon Post Office, and the former Grafton Public School were also constructed through the program.

Built in 1938, the auditorium in Edinburg was designed with style elements that paid homage to the Art Deco and Art Moderne movements. The auditorium quickly became a community hub and was used for a variety of social and recreational activities, including roller skating, until the middle decades of the 20th century. Today, the Edinburg WPA Auditorium is occupied by a hardware store. Its history was preserved in 2013 when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The auditorium stands as evidence of the remarkable achievement of the WPA in North Dakota.