the Scottish Rites Cathedral, the Masonic Temple, the Florida Hotel, a car dealership, a sporting goods store, an investment company, the Old Lake Worth City Hall, and an auditorium at Lake Worth Community High School. Additionally, the bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway was virtually destroyed. The hurricane caused approximately $4 million worth of damages in Lake Worth, as well as three deaths. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, the Gulf Stream Hotel was converted to a makeshift hospital. The devastation left Lake Worth without a functional center for city government, although records were mostly unscathed. Consequently, a temporary city hall was established at the Lauriston building. The storm, combined with the Great Depression led to a severe economic decline within the community. Construction projects primarily shifted to repairing damaged buildings. However, there were a few conservation, construction, and New Deal projects during the 1930s. This included when President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration built the striking, Moorish-styled "city gymnasium" on the corner of Lake Avenue and Dixie Highway. The building today serves as the Lake Worth Beach City Hall. World War II to present Although no military installations were located in Lake Worth, the presence of military bases and repair facilities in nearby towns led to a significant increase in the city's population during World War II, from 7,406 in 1940 to 10,615 about five years later. Development started again after World War II, especially due to the approval of the G.I. Bill, allowing new homes to become affordable. Many veterans who trained in South Florida also returned to the area, leading to a population boom. The city also saw a wave of immigrants, especially from Finland. These Finnish immigrants established three churches in Lake Worth to preserve their heritage while also benefiting the local economy, which returned to a state of stability in the post-war years. Two hurricanes impacted Lake Worth later in the 1940s, one in 1947 and the other in 1949. Although the former damaged nearly all businesses and about half of homes, few structures suffered serious damage. However, among the structures experiencing substantial impact was the Lake Worth Casino, which was repaired and reopened in the 1950s with a shoebox style architectural design. Although the 1949 hurricane made landfall in Lake Worth, the cyclone caused less impact than the 1947 storm. Around 300–400 homes were damaged, with one destroyed, while the storm deroofed many