Save Hangar One

Save Hangar One
Name	Hangar One
Location	Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California
Coordinates	37°24′34″N 122°04′01″W
Built	1931–1933
Architect	Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Area	8 acres (hangar structure)
Height	198 feet
Owner	National Aeronautics and Space Administration (leased), United States Navy (historical)

Save Hangar One is a preservation and advocacy initiative centered on Hangar One, a landmark airship hangar at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View, California. The campaign arose from concerns about the structural integrity, hazardous materials, and proposed demolition of the hangar, bringing together local governments, advocacy groups, technology corporations, and federal agencies. The effort intersects issues involving National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United States Navy, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and regional stakeholders in Silicon Valley.

History

Hangar One was constructed between 1931 and 1933 to house the USS Macon (ZRS-5), reflecting interwar developments in United States Navy lighter-than-air aviation and the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company era. The structure became part of Moffett Field operations, later transitioning through uses by NASA Ames Research Center and the Defense Department during World War II and the Cold War. Ownership and stewardship shifted among federal entities including the United States Navy, NASA, and the General Services Administration, while regional actors such as the City of Mountain View, Santa Clara County, and private companies like Google became involved in preservation discussions.

Architectural and Engineering Features

Hangar One is notable for its immense clearspan steel frame, riveted skin panels, and iconic curved profile, placing it alongside other large hangars such as those at Lakehurst Naval Air Station and Moffett Federal Airfield contemporaries. The hangar’s steel truss system and cladding allowed a vast unobstructed internal volume used for airship operations, echoing design principles from firms like Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation and construction techniques seen in landmark facilities such as Hangar B (Buena Park) and Cardington Airship Sheds. Its scale and materials have drawn attention from preservationists similar to campaigns around Boeing Field structures and TWA Flight Center-era projects.

Environmental Contamination and Remediation

Investigations revealed that Hangar One’s composite panels and sealants contained hazardous substances including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), leading to remediation challenges familiar from sites like Love Canal and Hanford Site. Federal environmental law frameworks such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act informed cleanup processes under oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency and state regulators like the California Environmental Protection Agency. Remediation planning required environmental assessments akin to those at Naval Air Station Alameda and coordination with agencies including the Department of Defense and National Aeronautics and Space Administration to balance historic preservation with public health.

Preservation Campaign and Advocacy

Local activists, historical societies, municipal governments, and corporate stakeholders rallied to preserve the hangar, coordinating strategies similar to efforts by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and grassroots campaigns connected to landmarks like Penn Station (1963) and Union Station (Los Angeles). Advocacy included petition drives, public hearings before bodies such as the National Historic Preservation Act review panels, collaboration with entities like the Moffett Federal Airfield Museum, and involvement from private firms including Google which committed resources to stabilization. Stakeholders referenced precedents from preservation successes at Eero Saarinen-designed sites and industrial heritage cases like the High Line project to argue for adaptive retention.

Legal and Regulatory Issues

Legal debates invoked federal leasing statutes, historic preservation obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act, and environmental compliance under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Litigation and administrative negotiations resembled disputes at sites such as Presidio of San Francisco and Ellis Island, requiring interagency agreements between NASA, the General Services Administration, and state historic preservation officers. Local ordinances from the City of Mountain View and county-level planning commissions played roles comparable to municipal actions in cases like San Francisco's Ferry Building rehabilitation.

Adaptive Reuse Proposals

Proposed adaptive reuse scenarios ranged from exhibition and museum space akin to conversions at Smithsonian Institution satellite facilities, to technology incubators reflecting nearby Stanford University and NASA Ames Research Center research partnerships. Concepts included mixed-use cultural venues inspired by projects such as Tate Modern, aeronautical heritage museums modeled on Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and commercial redevelopment partnerships following examples set by Pier 70 (San Francisco) and Brooklyn Navy Yard. Private-public models involved corporate tenancy proposals from firms in Silicon Valley and university-affiliated research labs seeking to integrate historic preservation with contemporary innovation.

Cultural Impact and Recognition

The hangar has been recognized as an industrial-age icon linked to interwar aviation, Cold War history, and regional aerospace development involving figures and institutions like Howard Hughes-era aviation enterprises and the Langley Research Center lineage. Media coverage, documentary treatments, and advocacy reports paralleled attention given to preservation narratives at Route 66 landmarks and major aviation heritage sites, earning mention in registers and prompting consideration by the National Register of Historic Places. The campaign elevated discourse on sustainable reuse of monumental structures in the context of Silicon Valley urban identity and regional heritage preservation.

Category:Historic preservation in the United States Category:Buildings and structures in Santa Clara County, California