Restoring the Birthplace
of the Aircraft Industry
Unprecedented History
Wilbur and Orville Wright often are
remembered for their first sustained,
controlled, powered flights on the beaches
of Kitty Hawk on Dec. 17, 1903. Yet, it
was their subsequent development and
commercialization work, leading to factory
production of airplanes that made them the
legendary creators of the “first World Wide
Web.” The Wrights forever connected the
world through flight in ways never imagined.
Unlike many experimenters of the day,
the brothers applied rigorous scientific
investigation and analysis to hone and
complete 13 different models and 120
airplanes at the Wright Company Factory
in Dayton, Ohio, from 1910 to 1915.
While the Wright brothers’ process of
invention took place in their bicycle shop,
the production activities that put flight
within reach of the public took place in the
Wright Company Factory that exists today
in Dayton. Now, there is an opportunity to
preserve this unique piece of aviation history.
The National Aviation Heritage Alliance
(NAHA) is determined to sustain the legacy
of the Wright brothers by recognizing
the Wright Company Factory site as a
center for aviation heritage, tourism and
aerospace innovation right in the place
where it all started … Dayton, Ohio.
“The Wright Brothers created the single greatest cultural force
since the invention of writing. The airplane became the first
World Wide Web, bringing people, languages, ideas, and
Bill Gates
values together.”
About NAHA
The National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA) is a private,
not-for-profit corporation designated by the U.S. Congress as
the management entity of the National Aviation Heritage Area.
NAHA’s vision is for the Heritage Area to be the recognized
center of aviation heritage tourism and aerospace innovation,
sustaining the legacy of the Wright brothers. The National
Aviation Heritage Area is one of 49 National Heritage Areas
in a program administered by the National Park Service (NPS).
Visit www.aviationheritagearea.org to learn more about NAHA.
The City of Flight
Recognizing the Wright Company Factory site is fitting because it was the first
American factory built for the purpose of producing airplanes—truly the birthplace
of America’s aerospace industry.
The Wright brothers symbolize the spirit of innovation around the world because their
achievement was not limited to invention but persisted across the spectrum of economic
development, from invention to development to commercialization—establishing not just
another factory, but a whole new industry that today is crucial to national security and
America’s balance of trade. While the factory and its innovative workforce passed to other
owners, its existence in Dayton permanently changed the region. For example:
■Their work led directly to the Army’s
establishment of critical aviation missions
in the Dayton area, resulting in what is
now Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
■Orville Wright and the Wright Company
Factory buildings became a part of the
Dayton-Wright Airplane Company, which
produced thousands of military aircraft in
World War I.
■After General Motors acquired DaytonWright, a Wright factory invention—a
new steering wheel—launched GM’s
Inland Manufacturing Division, creating
thousands of high-paying manufacturing
jobs that supported Dayton’s economy for
six decades.
■Places and artifacts central to the Wright
brothers’ story are preserved in Dayton
through innovative public/private
partnerships involving two national
entities—the Dayton Aviation Heritage
National Historical Park and the closely
affiliated National Aviation Heritage Area.
Dayton’s aviation heritage is not only about the past, but also about how the legacy
continues in new research, development and advanced manufacturing. A tangible example
is GE Aviation’s construction of the $51 million Electrical Power Integrated Systems
Research and Development Center (EPISCENTER) on the University of Dayton campus.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics recently gave an award to
the X-51A hypersonic aircraft program—managed at Wright-Patterson and utilizing
the Air Force Research Laboratory’s hypersonic wind tunnel—a reflection of the
Wright brothers’ pioneering wind tunnel research in Dayton more than a century ago.
Opportunity
Given the significance of aviation in
Dayton, its citizens are excited by the
prospect of renovating and expanding the
Wright Company Factory historic site for
future tourism and aviation innovation.
Alliances have been created to make this
dream come true. Partnerships have been
formed to reclaim the historic Wright
Company Factory buildings—north of
U.S. 35 and south of Third Street in
Dayton to:
■Serve as a National Historical Park on
a 20-acre parcel of land.
■Open up 34 additional acres
surrounding the National Historical
Park for commercial development where
business/aerospace partners can develop
for the future and help Dayton expand.
■Become a new site for area tourism.
Owners of the property have already
invested more than $5 million in upgrading
the site. The clean-up has been essential
as the space was used for decades as an
automotive manufacturing site.
“The Wright Company Factory
buildings are significant because
they were the origins of the
American aircraft industry.
Every one of the major aerospace
companies can trace its roots
back to this site.”
Dean Alexander,
national park superintendent
Once acquired, the original two factory
buildings will be deeded to the NPS for their
restoration as an interpretive center. The
remainder of the buildings will be targeted
for use that complements the interpretive
operation of the NPS, and the land that
surrounds the buildings will become
parking and green space. The NPS will pay
for the continuing operations of the two
historic buildings and their fair share of
maintenance costs. NAHA, with partners,
will assume responsibility for the cost and
operation of the remainder of the buildings
and surrounding acreage.
The remaining two parcels (a total
of 34 acres) will be developed and
purchased by commercial entities. The
goal is to develop partnerships within
the aeronautical community to bring
sustainable industries and jobs to the
Dayton community.
Benefits
This planned expansion provides Dayton and adjacent communities with:
■Continued
Challenge
As with any major preservation and building
project, challenges need to be addressed.
When the U.S. Congress designated the
Wright Company Factory site as a part of the
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical
Park and authorized the National Park
Service (NPS) to acquire and manage the site,
it did not provide funding for the acquisition
or renovation of the buildings and the site.
That’s why NAHA has taken on the
fundraising challenge to raise $4 million
to acquire the land and begin work on
restoring the historic Wright Company
Factory buildings. The historic buildings
and surrounding acreage remain in the
hands of a private developer. He is willing
to work with NAHA and the NPS but must
sell the property in order to recover his
share of the cost to clean up the site.
“This is one small step toward
opening the Wright Company
Factory to the public as a unit of
Dayton’s National Park, but it’s
a giant leap in terms of gaining
recognition for the importance
of this project.”
Tony Sculimbrene,
executive director of the
National Aviation Heritage Alliance
urban development associated
with the Dayton Aviation Heritage
National Historical Park in the Wright
Dunbar area to the east, and the historic
Dayton VA Medical Center to the west.
■A sustainable anchor for development
with the NPS.
■A quality educational site for Dayton
students with access to multiple,
high-quality educational venues.
■Expanded public and private partnerships
within the 20-acre site that could bolster
the NPS’s ongoing operating costs while
helping the surrounding community.
■A
business hub to attract high quality
jobs.
■Ready access to major highways.
■Clear visibility from those highways to
attract naming opportunities for donors
who have a passion for this project as well
as branding opportunities for business
partners. There may be opportunities for
naming rights for the green space that
will surround the historic buildings that
will be operating as a part of the NPS.
The Fundraising Goal
and Timeline
■R aise
$4 million.
■Acquire property when fundraising goal
is met—anticipated in 2015.
■Begin partial restoration of historic
structures; open small element to public
mid-2016.
■Develop partners for park area, library,
college and others to be determined.
■Market Parcels 2 and 3 for commercial/
industrial use in partnership with a real
estate developer.
Conclusion
When Neal Armstrong stepped on to the
moon 66 years after the Wright Brothers'
first flight, he carried a piece of canvas
and wood from the 1903 flight with
him. Armstrong understood—as did Bill
Gates—that Wilbur and Orville Wright
gave us a revolutionary way to connect
with the world when they helped us all
rise above it.
NAHA looks to key leaders,
philanthropists and industrialists to help
reach its $4 million goal to acquire and
begin innovation of the Wright Company
Factory buildings and to establish an
additional national park site, as well as an
aeronautical business hub for the future.
From this new park site, inspired students,
thriving businesses and scientists will
help propel Dayton into a new century of
aviation innovation … while remaining the
city of flight for the world to take note.
National Aviation Heritage Alliance
PO Box 414, Wright Brothers Station,
Dayton, OH 45409
937.443.0165 ★ www.aviationheritagearea.org
National Aviation Heritage Alliance
Trustees-At-Large
Frank Winslow, Chair, NCIC Capital Fund
Ray Keyton, Vice Chair, AAA Allied Group
Col. (Ret.) Susan Richardson, Secretary
Jerry Gecowets, Treasurer,
Ultra-Met Carbide Technologies
Anthony Perfilio, Past Chair,
Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis
John Bosch, Commander Aero, Inc.
Dr. Tom Crouch,
Aeronautics, Smithsonian Institution
Thomas S. Finkelmeier, Jr.,
Finkelmeier Insurance Agency, Inc.
Dawne Dewey, Wright State University
Dr. Michael Heil, Ohio Aerospace Institute
Mary Mathews, Community Volunteer
Mike Morris, MGM Consulting
Margaret Peters, ASALH (Dayton Branch)
Ted Prasse, Hahn Loeser LLP
Col. (Ret.) Neil “Skip” Raymond, R&R Associates
Judge Walter H. Rice,
US District Court, Southern District of Ohio
Harry A. Seifert, Jr.,
Independent Management Consulting Professional
Joseph Lanni, Director, Lockheed Martin
Ernest Sheeler, Fairborn School District
Designated Trustees
Dr. Vince Russo, Air Camp USA
Marvin Christian, Aviation Trail, Inc.
Ray Keyton, Dayton History
Brian McKenzie, Dayton Montgomery County CVB
Toni Overholser, Greene County CVB
Mary Luttrell, Greene County Historical Society
Jim White, Historic Grimes Field
Fran Duntz, National Aviation Hall of Fame
Glenda S. Greenwood, Ohio Historical Society
Col. (Ret.) Susan Richardson,
Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc.
Mike Emoff, US Air & Trade Show
Don Willis, Historic WACO Field
Ken Ott, Historic WACO Field
Jay Jabour, Wright B Flyer, Inc.
Amanda Wright Lane, Wright Family
Stephen Wright, Wright Family
Walter Ohlmann, Wright Image Group
Col. (Ret.) Curt Nelson, Wright Image Group
Advisors, Liaisons and Staff
NAHA Staff
Patsy J. Reeves,
USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB
Tom Zerba, 88 ABW/CD
Patty Trap, National Park Service
Dean Alexander,
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park
Anthony Sculimbrene, Executive Director
Jessie Duckro, Program Manager
Tim Gaffney, Director of Communications