The Mural Room

The large central room with the murals completes the tour of the Museum of Public Health. This spacious room was used for formal receptions for visitors to the hospital. It was decorated in the 1930's with murals painted by artists who worked under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project, part of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) program during the Depression of the 1930's. The murals are attributed to artists W. Lester Stevens (born in 1888 in Rockport, Massachusetts); Maurice Compris (born in 1885 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands); and Samuel F. Hershey (born in 1904, in Peru, Indiana). Hundreds of murals were painted throughout the United States in post offices, courthouses, and other public buildings, with financial support from the WPA; many of these murals incorporated local scenes of socio-political motifs. Like most of these murals painted by WPA-supported artists, these depict local industries and farming endeavors. The mural near the fireplace, depicting looms, was painted by Compris; the mural over the windows, depicting quarries and factory work, was painted by Hershey; and the remaining murals of farm work, boat building, and fishing are by Stevens. These murals, painted on canvas, remain in excellent condition, having been protected from sunlight which could have faded them over the past 60-plus years. The largemap of Massachusetts on the wall was also painted in the mid-1930's.

The most prominent feature of the room is the huge fireplace, complemented by the andirons in the shape of native Americans and the seal of Massachusetts above. The steep staircase up one wall leads to a little room which was used to store records for the various offices of the hospital located in this building. None of the furniture in this room or in the other rooms, is originally from here, but was collected over several years by the Museum from the Tewksbury Hospital and other state institutions. This room is also used for special exhibits, from time to time.