Constructed by the WPA, between 1938 and 1941, the Prowers County Welfare Housing presents an important record of the federal relief programs administered in Colorado’s Eastern Plains during the Great Depression.  The construction of the housing complex provided much-needed employment in Prowers County over several years.  The housing complex also represents a remarkable effort by Prowers County to provide public housing for its needy.  It is the only complex of the kind constructed in eastern Colorado.

New Deal public housing projects were primarily limited to urban areas. Additionally, the Welfare Housing property is an excellent example of the WPA Rustic Style.  Rustic characteristics featured in the buildings include the use of native stone, traditional construction methods, evident hand craftsmanship, and simple, functional design.  The Prowers County Welfare Housing meets the registration requirements under the New Deal Resources on Colorado’s Eastern Plains Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF).  The Prowers County Welfare Housing meets the registration requirements of one property type delineated in the MPDF-Social Welfare Buildings (subtype: Welfare Housing and Offices).