Cumberland Homesteads was one of the largest of about 100 New Deal Subsistence Homesteads Communities built to aid “needy, yet worthy families” with jobs, training, and the purchase of homes. Architect W. M. Stanton designed the layout and the structures of the community, including Homesteads Tower, which served as government offices until 1947. Houses for 251 families were built. The district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its Social History, Agriculture, Community Planning and Development.