Blimp Squadrons Are Ordered
Decommissioned TCOM Aerostat ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:  August 3, 1995  Loss of the World's Largest Wooden Structure ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: |
On May 31, 1957 the Daily Advance headlines read, ''Blimp Squadrons Are Ordered Decommissioned'', by June 30th it was all over, after 15 years and 3 months Weeksville Naval Airstation, the last purely lighter-than-air facility, closed its gates. Today out of over one hundred buildings, less then one dozen remain, the rest have been torn down or moved to other locations. The two hangars stood for years as landmarks to navigation on the river and prompted water travelers to ask, ''what are those two huge buildings?'' From 1971 to 1995 the wooden hangar (Airdock #2) was used for lighter-than-air activities as the manufacturing facility of TCOM, L.P., producer of tethered aerostats and Westinghouse Airships Inc. manufacturer of blimps. In addition the facility was used as a maintenance base for most of the blimps flying in the United States today. The steel hangar (Airdock #1) was owned by Bruce Cabinets (IXL) from 1971 to 1996 and used for the manufacture of kitchen and bathroom cabinets. In the early hours of August 3, 1995, disaster struck Airdock #2. An unseen spark from a welders torch started a fire in the doors at the east end of the hangar, despite the efforts of the local fire departments by daybreak all that remained of the largest wooden building in the world were the concrete door columns and smoldering ruins. On April 2, 1996 it was announced that TCOM, L.P. had purchased Airdock #1 from Bruce Cabinets and would be moved in by the end of August, 1996. By the end of 1997 it is hoped that Airdock #1's massive clamshell doors will be opened once again for the airships she was built for. |
