[1] During the depths of the Great Depression, the unemployment rate in the southern Keweenaw Peninsula was over 75%.
[2] The South Range Community Building was built in 1933-35 and funded by the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration as a way to employ the miners and craftsmen of the area.
[2] The building was intended to function as both a social and governmental hub for the community of South Range, and it continues to serve this purpose today.
[2] Inside, the building contains village offices and a multi-use auditorium.
[2] The center entrance on the first floor has been converted into a fire station.