West End in Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Naval Air Station Richmond

WWII L.T.A. Facility

Photographed by Marsha A. Matson, May 3, 2014

1. Naval Air Station Richmond Marker

Inscription. At this site, on 15 September 1942, the United States Navy established a 2,000 acre (810 hectare) lighter-than-air facility. The Navy constructed 3 huge hangers, each 17 stories (175 feet/54 meters) high, 297 feet (110.5 meters) wide, and 1,088 feet (404.8 meters) in length. Among the largest wooden structures in the world, each covered about 7 acres (2.8 hectares). This base was home to Fleet Airship Wing 2 and Airship Patrol Squadron ZP-21, consisting of 25 “K” class blimps. Airships from NAS Richmond searched for German submarines over the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Other station activities included training homing pigeons, helium equipment operators, and night torpedo bomber crews. Exactly 3 years to the date of the commissioning of NAS Richmond, a severe hurricane and resulting fire destroyed all 3 hangers containing 368 military and civilian aircraft, 100 automobiles and 25 airships. Winds of 170 mph/272 kmh to 196 mph/309 kmh were recorded at nearby Homestead Air Base. The facility was never rebuilt. In this area of the base you can see the remaining concrete supports for the

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51 wooden truss arches of hanger number 1 and the sole remaining massive main door support.

Erected by The Historical Association of Southern Florida and Goldcoast Railroad Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Disasters • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is September 15, 1942.

Location. 25° 37.011′ N, 80° 24.01′ W. Marker is in Miami, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It is in West End. It can be reached from SW 124th Avenue one mile south of SW 152nd Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located near the Gold Coast Railroad Museum gift shop. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12450 SW 152 Street, Miami FL 33177, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida

and on the Gold Coast.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian

Photographed by Marsha A. Matson, May 3, 2014

2. Naval Air Station Richmond Marker

Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ferdinand Magellan (within shouting distance of this marker); Richmond Naval Air Station (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Perrine Land Grant (approx. 3.4 miles away); Miami Serpentarium (approx. 5 miles away); Silver Palm Historic District (approx. 5.3 miles away); Special Agent Jerry Dove, Special Agent Benjamin Grogan (approx. 5.4 miles away); Old Cutler Road (approx. 5.4 miles away); Chinese Bridge (approx. 5.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Miami.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Town of Peters (was approx. 3.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . Richmond Naval Air Station. Gold Coast Railroad Museum website entry (Submitted on April 13, 2026, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Remnant of original hanger door frame image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Marsha A. Matson, May 3, 2014

3. Remnant of original hanger door frame

Blimps inside hanger at NAS Richmond, ca. 1944. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Marsha A. Matson, May 3, 2014

4. Blimps inside hanger at NAS Richmond, ca. 1944.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2014, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,205 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 4, 2014, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.