Bldg 1 - Hangar One | aircraft hangar, interesting place, historic landmark, United States Navy

 aircraft hangar, interesting place, historic landmark, United States Navy

Hangar One was built in 1932 by the US Navy to house the USS Macon dirigible. It also housed US Navy P-3 Orion Patrol Squadrons and training school from the 1960s until the 1990s. It is the second largest building in the US without internal support. The US Navy is still planning on how to clean up this site, which is polluting the marsh and surrounding area.

By far the most famous and visible sites are hangars #1, #2, and #3, which dwarf the surrounding buildings. Hangar One is one of the world's largest freestanding structures, covering 8 acres. Hangars #2 and #3 are significant more for their size than their unique styling or design. Hangar One is a Naval Historical Monument and the entire airfield is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In May 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Hangar One on their list of America's Most Endangered Places.

The US Navy is in the process of stripping the skin from the hangar. 1.6 million pounds of redwood siding will be removed, stripped of lead paint, and sold. The metal siding cannot be recycled without severely weakening it, so all 1.3 million pounds of it will be sealed in airtight containers for burial at the Grassy Mountain landfill in Utah. The metal skeleton will be coated in sealant to protect it from the elements until it can be reskinned.

www.moffettfieldmuseum.org/
www.savehangarone.org/
members.aol.com/GCSP/moffett.htm
www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/santaclara/usn.htm
www.mv-voice.com/morgue/2003/2003_07_18.hanger.html
www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_20883358/stripping-relic...