Air Service, Inc. Hangar at Bellanca Airfield - New Castle, Delaware
Posted by: Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
N 39° 39.854 W 075° 35.202
18S E 449674 N 4390655
Historic former aircraft hanger at the former Bellanca Airfield in New Castle, Delaware.
Waymark Code: WMKV86
Location: Delaware, United States
Date Posted: 05/30/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 3

Located in an industrial park and adjacent to a ball field complex at the southwestern edge of the city of New Castle, Delaware, the Air Service Inc., Hangar at Bellanca Airfield is an approximately 60' x 180' airplane hangar that is the only surviving piece of aviation history left at the former Bellanca Airfield. Built in c. 1936, the Air Service Inc., Hangar is built predominately of concrete block with brick detailing at door openings and at the locations of the piers that support the wood roof trusses. The modified closed arch roof is supported by a series of three wooden fan trusses. A one story frame addition is attached to the west elevation of the building and runs longer than the full width of the arched section and on the east elevation a one story frame addition runs approximately half the width of the building. On the main hangar section, asbestos shingle siding covers the original weatherboard siding. The windows throughout the hangar are covered with a temporary, protective, rigid board siding. The interior has non-structural partitions constructed to accommodate post-airplane hangar uses. Despite these minor changes the building retains its physical integrity...

The Air Service, Inc. Hangar at Bellanca Airfield, located in the vicinity of the city of New Castle, Delaware, is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places ... for its association with the development of private aviation in Delaware and ... as a rare surviving example of a mid-1930s frame airplane hangar. Built c. 1936 after a fire destroyed the existing Delaware Air Service, Inc. hangar, this building is all that is left that represents the pre-World War II period of aviation in New Castle. Constructed on a formerly 350 acre site composed of the airfield, the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation headquarters, and the Bellanca manufacturing facility, this building and the nominated acreage are the only features that survive to represent this important part of Delaware's history.

- National Register Nomination

The former hanger is being preserved and is being converted into an aviation museum.

Street address:
DE 273 and Center Point Blvd
New Castle, Delaware


County / Borough / Parish: New Castle

Year listed: 2005

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering

Periods of significance: 1925-1949, 1950-1974

Historic function: Transportation

Current function: Vacant, Project on going

Privately owned?: yes

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]

Season start / Season finish: Not listed

Hours of operation: Not listed

Secondary Website 2: Not listed

National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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