Listed in Arkansas Register of Historic Places on 06/05/96
SUMMARY
The White Hangar is being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion C with local significance as a good example of a World War II-era aircraft hangar. The White Hangar, located at Drake Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was designed and constructed by assistant City Engineer Henry George. The War Department and the 305th College Training Detachment joined to assist in the funding of the project in 1941.
ELABORATION
The White Hangar, located at Drake Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was designed and constructed by assistant City Engineer Henry George. The War Department and the 305th College Training Detachment joined to assist in the funding of the project in 1941. Since the building of the structure was during the war years, there was a serious shortage of building material. The builder decided to build the hangar from the plentiful supply of wood found in the nearby Boston Mountains. While the timber was being cut and processed, a search was organized to find the metals required to hold the building together. Old barns, cars, buildings, and junk yards were all sources for obtaining the materials used to make the hangar’s nails and sixteen, four hundred pound doors, including rails and runners.
There were two separate phases of construction. The concrete footings were put down first. These footings were dug six feet into the ground as supports for the eleven trusses sitting on top of them. The footings were fifteen feet long at the base and twelve inches wide. After these were in place, the foundation was poured. The one hundred by one hundred fifty foot foundation rose high enough above the ground to protect the wood trusses from rot and insect infestation. The eleven half moon trusses sat on top. The trusses were constructed on the ground so that they could first be assembled by hand. The finished trusses were then raised by pulleys and the use of local trucks. Braces were than placed between so as to prevent structural damage from wind forces.
Only eight men at a time worked on the hangar. Henry George did all of the plumbing, welding, electrical wiring and engineering work while four carpenters and three helpers accomplished the completion on the exterior as well as the interior of the structure.
Henry George boasted that the completed hangar would hold eighty aircraft. A short time later, he had the opportunity to prove his claim. However, he was only able to fit forty-one planes in the hangar for the simple reason there were only forty-one planes on the grounds. In order to fit the forty-one planes in the structure, it was necessary to tip some of the J-3 Cubs on their noses.
Henry George and seven other men constructed a one hundred and thirty six by one hundred and fifty foot all wood hangar using what materials they could find locally. It became a reality in less than fourteen months at the cost of $15,000.
The structure has been kept in good repair.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Eckels, mike. The Fayetteville Experience. The Story of the Fayetteville, Arkansas, Civilian Pilot Training Program, War Training Service and the 305th College Training Detachment (1934-1944).