Aircraft Ownership
Wright buildings enter National Park Service
The Wright brothers’ home and the Wright Company factory in Dayton, Ohio, are now under the care of the National Park Service following the signing of a bill by President Barack Obama.
Hawthorn Hill was designed by Wilbur and Orville Wright and was the home of the Wright family until 1948. The Wright Company buildings in west Dayton are the first American facilities specifically designed and built for the manufacture of airplanes.
Founded in 1909, the Wright Company (later known under other names) operated at the site from 1910 to 1916 and produced 13 models of airplanes. The buildings continued in use for nearly a century and once housed a car manufacturer. The new legislation makes the sites part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. The exhibits are part of Dayton’s National Aviation Heritage Area.
The signing ceremony was attended by Amanda Wright Lane, a great-grandniece of the brothers, who now lives in Cincinnati.
“This wraps up the story,’ Lane told the Dayton Daily News. “It really completes the park.’ The bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Turner.
April 7, 2009
