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Wright Brothers Company Factory Damaged By Fire

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By Compiled From N... - March 28th, 2023

A fire that broke out early Sunday morning heavily damaged the Wright Company Factory in Dayton, Ohio/NPS

Fire damage to the Wright Company Factory in Dayton, Ohio, where Orville and Wilbur Wright built the first airplane manufacturing site in the United States, is being assessed to determine whether the facility can be saved.

The fire, which was detected early Sunday morning, burned throughout the day before it was doused. Its cause was under investigation.

“Despite over 100 years of intense use, the Wright Company Factory still had most of its original wood roof, windows, and other historic fabric intact. We are working with our partners to assess the damage to this irreplaceable resource,” said Superintendent Kendell Thompson. “I am thankful for the hard work and dedication of the firefighters who worked diligently through the night to quell the blaze and prevent further destruction of this unique part of aviation history.”

The Wright Company Factory site is closed at this time as fire crews work to evaluate the extent of the fire and clear the area. All other park locations are open normal operating hours.

The factory was added to the legislative boundary of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park in 2009 and is currently owned by the City of Dayton. Dayton's involvement in the invention of early flight and airplane manufacturing started in the back of a bicycle shop and grew to a full-fledged industry that today supports world travel and the exchange of goods and services across the globe.

The Wright Company Factory opened in 1910 as the first factory in the United States designed especially for building airplanes, a testament to the brothers’ attempt to commercialize their invention. Students at the Wright School of Aviation also came to the Factory to learn flight controls on a simulator as part of their flight school training at Huffman Prairie Flying Field, now Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Beyond the Wright Company, the site was used extensively for manufacturing and became part of a larger automotive manufacturing complex.

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