Hangar One (Los Angeles, California)
Encyclopedia
Hangar One, commonly referred to as Hangar No. 1, is an airplane hangar
located on the grounds of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
in Los Angeles, California
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1992.
Hangar No. 1 was built in 1929 and was the first structure built on what was then known as Mines Field. At the time, the airport consisted of a dirt landing strip in the middle of bean
and barley
fields. The building was constructed by the city for $35,000, and leased to the Curtiss Wright Flying Service
. The airport opened in 1930 as the Los Angeles Municipal Airport, and was purchased by the city in 1937 and renamed the Los Angeles Airport. During this period the hangar was used by Charles Lindbergh
and the German LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
was tied down near its doors during its stop in Los Angeles. In the 1933 and 1936, tens of thousands of spectators lined up near Hangar No. 1 to watch the National Air Races
. Commercial passenger air service did not begin at the airport until December 5, 1946.
The building was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
No. 44 by the city's Historical Heritage Board on November 16, 1966. However, the building fell out of use in the 1970s and sat vacant. It was marked for demolition in the early 1980s to make way for airport expansion, however a group with interests in architecture and aviation stepped in and persuading airport officials to save it. In 1990, a $2 million renovation brought it up to modern earthquake codes and restored its 1930s appearance. As a condition of renovation, the developer, Texas-based AVIA Development Group, earned permission to develop two new cargo buildings nearby. AVIA also made the application to the National Register of Historic Places, partly in order to gain $400,000 in tax credits.
It currently serves as a cargo building for the Aviation Facilities Company.
The two-story brick and concrete building was one of five designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, and is the only remaining structure. The hangar is noted for its architecture, especially its elaborate towers, tile roofs and arches. The designers intent was likely to promote the new airport. The building is 17,037 sq.ft., currently divided into 10497 sq ft (975.2 m²) of cargo handling space and 6540 sq ft (607.6 m²). office space. The bay is 99’ width by 114' length with a 20' to 24' height. It has two apronside doors with a 26’x18’ door width and height.
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
located on the grounds of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1992.
Hangar No. 1 was built in 1929 and was the first structure built on what was then known as Mines Field. At the time, the airport consisted of a dirt landing strip in the middle of bean
Bean
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
fields. The building was constructed by the city for $35,000, and leased to the Curtiss Wright Flying Service
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the company was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States...
. The airport opened in 1930 as the Los Angeles Municipal Airport, and was purchased by the city in 1937 and renamed the Los Angeles Airport. During this period the hangar was used by Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
and the German LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German built and operated passenger-carrying hydrogen-filled rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a Graf or Count in the German nobility. During its operating life,...
was tied down near its doors during its stop in Los Angeles. In the 1933 and 1936, tens of thousands of spectators lined up near Hangar No. 1 to watch the National Air Races
National Air Races
The National Air Races were a series of pylon and cross-country races that took place in the United States from 1920 to 1949. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew rapidly during this period; the National Air Races were both a proving ground and...
. Commercial passenger air service did not begin at the airport until December 5, 1946.
The building was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites in Los Angeles, California, which have been designated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.-History:...
No. 44 by the city's Historical Heritage Board on November 16, 1966. However, the building fell out of use in the 1970s and sat vacant. It was marked for demolition in the early 1980s to make way for airport expansion, however a group with interests in architecture and aviation stepped in and persuading airport officials to save it. In 1990, a $2 million renovation brought it up to modern earthquake codes and restored its 1930s appearance. As a condition of renovation, the developer, Texas-based AVIA Development Group, earned permission to develop two new cargo buildings nearby. AVIA also made the application to the National Register of Historic Places, partly in order to gain $400,000 in tax credits.
It currently serves as a cargo building for the Aviation Facilities Company.
The two-story brick and concrete building was one of five designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, and is the only remaining structure. The hangar is noted for its architecture, especially its elaborate towers, tile roofs and arches. The designers intent was likely to promote the new airport. The building is 17,037 sq.ft., currently divided into 10497 sq ft (975.2 m²) of cargo handling space and 6540 sq ft (607.6 m²). office space. The bay is 99’ width by 114' length with a 20' to 24' height. It has two apronside doors with a 26’x18’ door width and height.