Hammondsport in Steuben County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Hammondsport, New York

AIAA Historic Aerospace Site

— Glenn H. Curtiss —

Hammondsport Marker image. Click for full size.

1. Hammondsport Marker

Inscription.
Hammondsport is the proud hometown of Glenn H. Curtiss, a legendary figure in early flight and the Father of Naval Aviation. It was here, between 1904 and 1915, that Curtiss collaborated with other aviation pioneers, including Alexander Graham Bell, to foster significant advancements in the field. In 1908, John Newton Williams achieved the first U.S. manned vertical lift with a Curtiss engine.
The Curtiss School of Aviation, founded in 1910, witnessed Blanche Stuart Scott's historic flight as the first woman to solo an aircraft in the U.S.

In 1920, the Aerial Service Corporation was established, later known as Mercury Aircraft Inc., developing the pioneering T-2 Mercury Chic aircraft and contributing to the nation's efforts in World War II by manufacturing P-40 tail sections for Curtiss-Wright in Buffalo. Their legacy continues today as Mercury Integrated Manufacturing.

Glenn Curtiss timeline:
1907 — "Fastest Man on Earth"
1908 — Hammondsport - Center of American aerial activity
1908 — First officially witnessed flight of one kilometer
1909 — Won Gordon Bennett Trophy for

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1910 — Won $10,000 prize for Albany to NYC flight
1910 — First takeoff from a U.S. Navy ship
1911 — Issued pilot's license no. 1
1911 — First U.S. Navy aeroplane -Curtiss A-1
1912 — Developed the Flying Boat
1914 — Rebuilt and tested Dr. Langley's Aerodrome
1915 to 1918 — Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co., the largest manufacturer of aeroplanes in U.S.
1919 — Navy Curtiss NC-4 made the first Atlantic crossing by air
1930 — Curtiss made his last flight at the controls of a Curtiss Condor Transport

Erected 2025 by The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the AIAA Historic Aerospace Sites series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.

Location. 42° 24.418′ N, 77° 13.189′ W. Marker is in Hammondsport, New York, in Steuben County. It is on Liberty Street (New York State Route 54). Located in Glenn H. Curtiss Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7 Liberty Street, Hammondsport NY 14840,

Hammondsport Marker Dedication image. Click for full size.

courtesy AIAA, June 28, 2025

2. Hammondsport Marker Dedication

United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York,

specifically in Western New York,

and in the Southern Tier.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Town of Urbana Civil War Monument (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Champlin House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pulteney Square (approx. ¼ mile away); 1900 - 1904 Two Wheels on the Ground (approx. ¼ mile away); B&H R.R. Depot (approx. ¼ mile away); Vertical Flight Heritage Site (approx. ¼ mile away); 1906 - 1916 Floating and Flying (approx. ¼ mile away); Mallory Mill (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hammondsport.

More about this marker. The American Institute of Aeronautics

Photographed by Craig Baker

3. Hammondsport Marker

and Astronautics recognizes significant accomplishments made by the aerospace industry. AIAA dedicated 58 plaques between 2000 and 2013, and they began dedicating new plaques again in 2025. This is their second plaque this year. The first honored Otto Lilienthal at Gollenberg in Stölln Germany.

This plaque was originally located at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum. It is now located in Glenn H. Curtiss Park.

Also see . . . Glenn H. Curtiss Museum. (Submitted on July 9, 2025.)

Curtiss Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker

4. Curtiss Park

Glenn Curtiss Timeline image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker

5. Glenn Curtiss Timeline

Located at the park’s flagpole.

Glenn H. Curtiss Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker

6. Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

Located one mile west of the park.

Curtiss Flying Boat at Hammondsport N.Y. 1913 image. Click for full size.

courtesy AIAA

7. Curtiss Flying Boat at Hammondsport N.Y. 1913

Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 9, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 458 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 9, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 19, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 6, 7. submitted on July 9, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.