Wright Brothers National Memorial
Vorlage:Infobox protected area Wright Brothers National Memorial, located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, commemorates the first successful sustained powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. Wilbur and Orville Wright came here from Dayton, Ohio because of the steady winds. They also valued the privacy this location, remote in 1903, afforded the inventors.
History
The first four flights were made at this location by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903. It is possible to walk along the actual flight routes of the first flights, with small monuments deliniating their starts and finishes. Two wooden sheds, reconstructed from historic photographs, simulate the world's first airplane hangar and the brother's living quarters. A 60-foot (18 m) granite monument dedicated in 1932, is perched atop the adjacent 90-foot (27 m) tall Kill Devil Hill commemorating the achievement of these two aviation pioneers. Many of their glider tests were conducted on the massive shifting dune that was later stabilized to form Kill Devil Hill.
There are ranger-conducted programs. Recently, a new expanded museum opened with artifacts, videos, and other exhibits. On December 17, 2003, the Centennial of Flight was celebrated at the Park. The ceremony was MC'ed by flight enthusiast John Travolta, and included appearances by President George W. Bush, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Chuck Yeager.
Administrative history
Authorized as Kill Devil Hill Monument on March 2, 1927, it was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933. It was renamed and designated a national memorial on December 4, 1953. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the national memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The memorial's visitor center, designed by Ehrman Mitchell and Romaldo Giurgola, was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 3, 2001. The memorial is co-managed with two other Outer Banks parks, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The Wright Memorial Bridge which leads to the Outer Banks is named for the site.
References
- The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
See also
Exterior links
- Official NPS website: Wright Brothers National Memorial
- Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center NHL information