Before Washington National Airport there was another. Right here stood Washington Airport. A bustling hub of activity in its day. It served the Washington D C area. It opened quietly in late 1927. Its owners included Robert E Funkhouser and Herbert Fahy. They were investors in several small airlines. They wanted a better airport than Hoover Field. Hoover Field was the first major airport. It was plagued by safety issues. It had short unpaved runways. There were also dangerous obstructions. A burning garbage dump further reduced visibility. Washington Airport wasn’t much better. Arlington Beach an amusement park nearby caused more problems. A landfill also smoldered nearby. The smoke obscured the field. The stench was infamous throughout the city. The owners couldn’t afford to pave the runways either.
However things changed. In April 1928 Washington Airport contracted to receive fill dirt. This dirt came from the construction of the Federal Triangle. It dramatically enlarged the airport. Land reclamation increased the size sixfold to 97 31 acres. This made the airport impressive. President Hoover even proposed a federal loan to improve both Hoover Field and Washington Airport. He wanted to create a model municipal airport. The expansion wasn’t without its problems. A legal battle ensued with the Smoot Sand and Gravel Corp. The Supreme Court ruled that Virginia’s boundary was at the high-water mark.
Despite the setbacks improvements continued. Three new paved runways were built. A new hangar and larger office building replaced the old ones. The night airmail flight was even transferred from Bolling Field. The airport paid to bury utility lines that were hazards. In 1933 however Washington Airport faced financial difficulties. It was auctioned off. It was purchased by National Aviation Corp. They soon merged it with Hoover Field. The combined airport was called Washington-Hoover Airport. It lasted until 1941. That’s when Washington National Airport opened. Washington-Hoover closed forever. It was purchased by the War Department to make way for The Pentagon. So next time you see The Pentagon remember the airport that once stood here. A small piece of aviation history now gone.