Providence Airport
Providence Airport was an airfield operational in the mid-20th century in Seekonk, Massachusetts.[1]
Providence Airport | |
|---|---|
| Summary | |
| Operator | Private |
| Location | Seekonk, Massachusetts |
| Built | Unknown |
| In use | 1929-Before 1954 |
| Occupants | Private |
| Elevation AMSL | 28 ft / 9 m |
| Coordinates | 41°46′51.45″N 71°18′14.87″W |
History
On July 21, 1927, aviator Charles Lindbergh visited Quonset, Rhode Island as the first stop on his national tour after his famous transatlantic flight.[2] Lindbergh, a hugely popular figure, stressed the importance of building an airport to serve the Providence area.[2]
In 1928, the Providence Airport Corporation was formed to build the city's first airport.[2] World War I flying hero Clifton Badlam Thompson was chosen as the chief pilot, but Thompson died in an air crash before the airport was complete.[2]
The field, located in Seekonk at Route 6 and what is now Industrial Way, featured two crossed, unpaved runways.[2] Later, a single hangar was built, with the name “Providence Airport” painted on the roof.[2]
Providence Airport was closed sometime between 1951–54.[1] At some point between 1963 and 1995 the land was built over as an industrial park, and no trace of the airport remained.[1]
References
- "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Southeastern Massachusetts". Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- Lennon, Frank (11 November 2017). "Twist of fate, part 1: R.I. aviation pioneer's love of flying turned his family's world upside down". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 12 November 2017.