Rosewood in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Curtiss-Wright Hangar
Photographed by Mike Stroud, May 6, 2012
1. Curtiss-Wright Hangar Marker
This hangar, built in 1929 by the Curtiss-Wright Flying Service, was the first building at Owens Field, a municipal airport then 3 mi. S of the city limits. Curtiss-Wright built and operated numerous airports across America for the next two decades, also offering flight training. The airport, named for Mayor Lawrence B. Owens (1869-1941), was dedicated in 1930 with an airshow seen by 15, 000 spectators.
Regularly scheduled flights began in 1932, and civilian flight training began in 1939. Observation flights of the U.S. Army Air Corps began in 1940, and military training by the U.S. Army Air Force continued through World War II and beyond. In 1962 the city transferred the airport to Richland County, which has owned and operated it since. This hangar was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
Erected 2012 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by The Richland County Airport Commission. (Marker Number 40-173.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the South Carolina Historical Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.
Location. 33° 58.614′ N, 81° 0.096′
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tree of Life Synagogue (approx. one mile away); George Rogers (approx. 1.1 miles away); Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church (approx. 1.2 miles away); The "Columbiad" Cannon (approx. 1.2 miles away); Shandon Presbyterian Church (approx. 1.4 miles away); Early Columbia Racetrack (approx. 1½ miles away); Shandon (approx. 1½ miles away); Jaco's Corner (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Fridays Ferry (was approx. 1.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Regarding Curtiss-Wright Hangar. National Register of Historic Places:
Curtiss--Wright Hangar ** (added 1998 - - #98000418)
Also known as Owens Field Municipal Airport Hangar
1400 Jim Hamilton Blvd. , Columbia
♦ Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
♦ Architect, builder, or engineer: Curtiss Flying Services
♦ Architectural Style: Other
♦ Area of Significance: Transportation, Architecture
♦
Photographed by Mike Stroud, May 6, 2012
2. Curtiss-Wright Hangar Marker, reverse side
♦ Owner: Local
♦ Historic Function: Transportation
♦ Historic Sub-function: Air-Related
(Owens Field Municipal Airport Hangar) The Curtis-Wright Hangar, the first building erected at Owens Field in 1929, represents the contributions of air transportation to the city of Columbia and the state of South Carolina. The hangar grew and changed along with the airport and aviation history. It was first used to house airplanes for passenger and airmail services, then became the headquarters of the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, later was used as
space for the civilian flight training program, and finally was used for general aircraft maintenance. During the 1930s, Owens Field had the distinction of hosting many well-known aviators and personalities, including Amelia Earhart and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Curtiss-Wright Hangar is a running bond gray brick structure with a metal-clad barrel roof and is similar in style to other airport hangars built in the twenties. The hangar has a main open storage area for airplanes, which is flanked on either side by flat-roofed wings. The central storage area is about two stories in height, and has a clearance of approximately twenty feet beneath the steel roof girders. Listed in the National Register April 30, 1998.(South Carolina Department
via NPS, unknown
3. Curtiss-Wright Hangar
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
at NPGallery Digital Asset Management System
Click for more information.
at NPGallery Digital Asset Management System
Click for more information.
Also see . . . Curtiss-Wright Hangar (Columbia, South Carolina). Wikipedia entry (Submitted on July 27, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Additional commentary.
1. The Marker
Although printed and casted 2011, the marker was erected in 2012
— Submitted May 6, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.
Photographed by Mike Stroud, May 6, 2012
4. Curtiss-Wright Hangar Marker, looking west along Jim Hamilton Blvd. near Airport Blvd
Photographed by Mike Stroud, May 6, 2012
5. Curtiss-Wright Hangar, Housing a vintage B-25, and Marker (left)
Photographed by Mike Stroud, May 6, 2012
6. Curtiss-Wright Hangar with a B-25, nose first and Marker, at right, 2012
Photographed by Mike Stroud, June 26, 2011
7. Curtiss-Wright Hangar with a B-25 , tail first, in 2011
vintage B–25 from World War II, rescued from the bottom of Lake Greenwood, fills most of the space in the old hangar.
Photographed by Mike Stroud, May 6, 2012
8. Curtiss-Wright Hangar's B-25, nose first
S.C. Dept. of Archives and History, circa 1998
9. Curtiss-Wright Hangar, rear view (streetside)
S.C. Dept. of Archives and History, circa 1998
10. Curtiss-Wright Hangar Interior
Photographed by Mike Stroud, June 26, 2011
11. Curtiss-Wright Hangar Marker, seen along Jim Hamilton Blvd
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 6, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,497 times since then and 82 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 6, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 3. submitted on July 27, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on May 6, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 9, 10, 11. submitted on May 7, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.
