| Dayton Aviation National Historical Park | |
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When most people think of the Wright Brothers, they think of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where Orville made his historic flight on December 17, 1903. The 428-acre Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills commemorates the achievements of the two brothers here with exhibits and reproductions of the 1902 glider and the 1903 flying machine, camp buildings, workshops, and a 60-foot granite monument.
A much more recent addition to the National Park System, the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, preserve some of the aviation heritage associated with Wilbur and Orville Wright both before and after the famous 1903 flight. It also honors the life and work of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a recognized African-American poet and writer, and friend and classmate of the Wrights.
The development of the park was due in large part to a successful grassroots effort that grew from the work of Aviation Trail Inc., a local non-profit organization established in 1981 to preserve and promote Dayton's unusual aviation heritage. Later, a National Park Service study of some of these historic properties resulted in their designation as national historic landmarks. Today the park is a partnership among federal, state, and local governments and the private sector to preserve and interpret the historic structures and districts associated with this area. The park consists of four sites: 1) the Wright Cycle Company and Hoover Block; 2) the Paul Laurence Dunbar House; 3) the Huffman Prairie Flying Field; and 4) the 1905 Wright Flyer III.
 Sample of the Wright Photographs |
The Wright Cycle Company, a national historic landmark, includes a restored building where Wilbur and Orville Wright operated a bicycle shop from 1895 to 1897. Located adjacently to the building is the Hoover Block, where the Wright Brothers operated a job printing business from 1890 to 1895. The Dunbar House, also a national historic landmark, is the restored home bought by Paul Laurence Dunbar for his mother in 1904, and lived in with her until his death in 1906. Dunbar published 21 books during his short life -- he died at age 33.
The Huffman Prairie Flying Field, also a national historic landmark, is located within Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and is the area of the Wrights' hangar, landing field, and later their school of aviation. The final component of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park is the 1905 Wright Flyer III, which is featured at Carillon Historical Park, along with thousands of artifacts representing the history of the Miami Valley, including antique automobiles, trains, and bicycles.
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