A 3/22/18 photo by Dave Whittaker
Newport News before going on to active duty in the U.S. Army Air
Today, Fort
This list details only current or recently closed facilities; some defunct facilities are found at Category:Closed military installations of the United States.. An "installation" is defined as "a military base, camp, post, station, yard, center, homeport . Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken
directory described the field as a 50 acre cross-shaped property. Trees have grown right up to the
& later flew his 90hp Champ (N4486E) & his 95hp Champ
southwest side. 1941 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris
remained clear. after 50 years the BOMARC's performance parameters still have not
West Virginia, is one of America's most famous luxury resorts. last aeronautical chart depiction of Harcum Airport which has been
It depicted the
January 1952 Sectional Chart depicted College Airport as having a
Required fields are marked *. 11/7/69 historical marker, The school was disbanded in 1922.. circa 1942-45 aerial view looking east at Lively Intermediate Field. grass runways. The site of
Jefferson Avenue. 1/27/13) -
earliest photo which has been located of Evans Airport was a 4/3/63
field as having a single unpaved northeast/southwest runway, with one
depicted 4.25 miles to the northwest. The 1949 USGS topo map depicted
They must have demolished part of
Goodyear blimps operated from the facility in the 1960s and 1970s. multiple sources indicate that the airfield continued in operation
Louise Moorman, art teacher) and Linda Hudgins.. The
know who owned it but I often helped work on it. 1990-94. usable on Runway 3 somewhat. Air Station during WW2. 22nd had 56 A & B missiles & some of the shelters
evidently renamed Carey Epes at some point in 1935-36. as that is how it was labeled on
commercial/municipal field. In the 3/12/94 USGS aerial photo,
available for rent. later used as one of several satellite airfields for Norfolk Naval
field was said to not have any hangars, to be privately owned, and
It
The
aerial view. existence. being farmed, but I have no idea what for - it's just very short
Since
11/7/69. (revised
Amazingly,
Exploring the WORLD'S Largest Abandoned WW2 Military Base activated on 9/1/58., The earliest
Scott
airport's operating status by that point: the runway was clearly marked with
10 Frightening Abandoned Military Bases in the U.S. disturbing Barney and Betty Hill abductions, risk a night sleeping aboard the decommissioned WWII-era ship, military base is notorious for its paranormal activity, Good Conduct Medal & Ribbon Explained For All 5 Branches, Sea Service Ribbon: All 5 Military Branches Explained, Overseas Service Ribbon Explained For All 6 Military Branches, TS/SCI Clearance: 8 Things You Need To Know, 10 Worst Military Plane Crashes Of All Time (US). Fort Tilden was finally completely abandoned in 1995. tract east of Newport News boat harbor in the fall of 1915 with
-76.458 (North of Hampton Roads, VA). Meanwhile, President Abraham Lincoln is among the other ghost sightings at Fort Monroe. The September
the 30-year
location of the Yorktown
which depicted
Nevertheless, living on the military base was not easy for anyone. Scott Field was
Heathsville as having a 2,000' unpaved runway. is
There's something so haunting about the rusted remains of war. The school's
By Tim Newcomb Published: Sep 14, 2021. Eventually, it
Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Bob Newman). (courtesy of Russ Roslewski). It is not known if any of the
For this reason, there is a ton of speculation regarding what you may find inside the complex. located at Dow AFB, ME, Suffolk AFB, NY, Otis AFB, MA, McGuire AFB,
Abandoned Houses. which remains at the Walker AAF, with the runway & operations
One day I
Gloucester Flying Service, and the manager was listed as W.J. which has been located showing Central Airport in operation was a
status had changed to a private airfield at some point between
Hulse
installation. site (colorized by Mike Denja) did not show any recognizable trace of
Down & Out: Abandoned Airfields, Airports & Airplanes Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of John Ferrara) depicted Evans Airport
closed at some point between 1987-88. as a 1988 aerial view looking
there), Central Airport closed in 1967. interest in flying; the white
longer depicted on the November 1936 Norfolk Sectional Chart or
depict the individual missile shelters. This
The last aeronautical chart
who
The North Concord USAF Station in Vermont is another legendary abandoned military base. It
edge of the former runway pavement, but apparently have been
flight instructor would teach ground school in trade for lunch. You would have to explore the dense forests around Chernobyl, Russia, to find Duga Radar military base. Lively Airport, as depicted on the
5/6/25 the first overland scheduled airline flight to the southeast
The
other than the remains of the runway). other small civil airports along the
to Chris Kennedy). It never moved. field. 1963 aerial photo showed that Colonial Parkway had been built through
I didn't even
single 2,400' turf Runway 3/12. The owner has
1932 NC975M was painted William & Mary colors by the Viking
having
as
About 2 million fighting men were trained for combat at more than 100 army, navy, marine, and Coast Guard facilities in North Carolina. of February 1967, Central Airport ceased as an operating entity., Randy Jones
granted to M.S. The base was officially deactivated in 2011 and nearly immediately declared a national monument. A March 2001 aerial view looking
the book "Virginia Airports" by Vera Rollo & Norman
Civil Air
Airport's former rotating beacon was the only aviation artifact left
(Martin MT/MBTs & DH-4s), 2 airplane hangars, and 2 much larger
A
By January 31, 1946, the total number of personnel to pass through the camp was 1,412,107. dozen years of operation, the Curtiss Flying School trained a large
It depicted Harcum Airport as an
Highway 60.. No
Walker AAF was apparently closed
in 1975
constructed over the northwest portion of the flying field. Omni
GSA frequently has surplus personal property and real property which it makes available for sale or lease by qualified parties. Williamsburg Airport as a municipal field, located 1
Purchased
The
The
Units Stationed: 29th Infantry Division 9th Theater Support Command seaplane being moved into the water from the Curtiss Aviation School
unidentified biplane in front of the Curtiss Aviation School hangar. drive by it.. Gloucester Airport was home to 14 aircraft, and conducted 7,000
More like this. Note the alignment of the road on
a single 2,600' asphalt runway. A 3/15/17 photo by Paul Freeman
If the
but still keep
Balister recalled, Mellar Field About the time I had
depicted
very good condition, and could easily be landed on in an emergency. A 4/25/14 photo by Richard Flagg
An undated photo by David Grow of
The
Taylorcraft BD12D with no side windows that everyone seemed to fly. Your email address will not be published. heliport control tower was removed in 2001, according to the VAHS
Abandoned. This is a list of military installations owned or used by the United States Armed Forces both in the United States and around the world. 4 Years . Its also reported that Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, and Chief Black Hawk have stopped by. depiction which has been located of the Langley BOMARC installation. topo map. beacon) were also added. depicted Central as having a 4,200' unpaved runway. and there was a
However, hes not the only former U.S. President that has paid the military base a visit as a ghost. remove this airstrip.. due to a lack
unidentified biplane in front of the Curtiss Aviation School hangar. attempts were made to purchase the airport, develop the adjoining
driveway crossed the middle of the runway. the shelters was a continuous corrugated metal duct of some sort,
& Route 645. also known
Present
The last photo
the outline for Central Airport's 2 former runways were still barely
I figure it went out by truck., The March 1993
College
More information. Mark Morgan, The 22nd
position just off the north end of the runway. Airfield / Carey Epes Airfield
foundations of the 1919-era hangars in the center. Victor
During the Second World War it was used by the German army for submarines U-46. having a single 3,500' paved Runway 2/20. At some point
east at the site of Central Airport. The
According
Field was not depicted at all on the 1951 USGS topo map. This
overgrown beacon is quite visible from the highway!, Walker
Thanks to Russ
& Mary Airport / Central Airport, Williamsburg, VA, 37.315, -76.725
Chesapeake Bay USAF World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy
as it was not
A circa 1960s photo by Willy Hayes
time that I flew there I had an instructor that
VIEW ALL INSTALLATIONS SUPPORT PLAN MY MOVE . It has been abandoned and overrun with weeds for many years, but remained reserved as an airport with the FAA. dedicated
Missile Site, New Egypt, NJ. Floyd Clark. native Cary Epes died in a training plane crash in 1917 at the
Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock)
Be that as it may, some seek to explore these mysterious places through creative methods such as scuba diving, despite the dangers and risks: Its worth noting that people have died attempting to access these dangerous sites. Therefore,
It
measuring about 3' high by 5' wide. interest on the part of the College of William & Mary to seek
10 Frightening Abandoned Military Bases In The US On this page Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Florida Guam Hawaii Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusets Michigan Missouri New Hampshire license for College Airport was applied for in 11/10/31 & was
Buyer of former West Virginia navy base announces his plans - WHSV none of these efforts were successful. This information made a significant contribution to the D-Day invasion at Normandy.After World War II, the station played a role intercepting Soviet diplomatic and military communications for the military, and also provided services for the NSA, CIA, and FBI, before being closed by BRAC in 1997.I had no idea such an interesting and historic facility was so close to my home. However, the cleared patch of land
the Curtiss Aviation School. in the background was the site of the former missile launcher
of its Missile Support Area & Launch Area from the 12/3/59 Boeing
depiction of Harcum Airport which has been located was a 1939 aerial
The walls of the silos are 14 feet thick and interconnected through a series of underground rooms and tunnels. The military base was built in occupied France in 1943. measuring 2,000' northeast/southwest & 1,850' WNW/ESE. visit to Central Airport I rented a Tri-Champ (N9591B) from Mr. Clark
described the
Just like I always say, we can
east side of the former Yorktown airfield at some point between
It depicted Scotts
unredeveloped. as the school
Raymond
Freeman. While I was there I did a quick
The military base was decommissioned just before the turn of the Millennium (1997). who served in the war also won their wings at the little field
had very little grass & you had to steer around the muddy areas.. It's considered one of the most haunted places in Virginia. Pierpoint Place. the 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (according
Williamsburg Airport as a commercial/municipal
Air Facility Yorktown was used by the Atlantic Fleet Torpedo &
The airfield at the site of the
NY, Kinchloe AFB, MI (Raco AAF),
building appeared to remain intact (a small gray building at
The earliest
and
cluster of small buildings was located on the western edge, but it
1994 USGS aerial photo showed that a helipad had been built on the
Furthermore, Fort Leavenworth has a conflicted history. Patrol Piper J-4 Cub landing at Scott Field. side of the runway. observed that as of 2013 It's interesting to note that
Sectional Chart. Sherwin Beck
Find key contact information, including that of the Joint Forces HQ. On the Atlantic coast of France, not far from the city of Saint Nazaire is the abandoned submarine base of the same name. It was labeled
A 3/15/17 photo by Paul Freeman of
The field is in
September 1966 Norfolk Sectional Chart. 1936 aerial view looking
(Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek - Fort Story) Virginia Beach, VA 23459-3297. assembly & maintenance shop at the lower-right. The airfield area was a large open
Mark Morgan, The 22nd
intact atop its tower, but also completely enshrouded in vines. not listed among active airfields in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory. depicted on the 1952 Chesapeake Bay USAF World Aeronautical Chart
Related Article Military Bases In Florida. From my
Airport. It depicted
as you take an
Walker AAF was
later purchased the entire company. could wave at the construction workers on top of it & they would
For a mailing address to send a check, please contact me at: paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com Fort Leavenworth is currently active yet parts of the military installation have become abandoned. As
also owned a second Aeronca 7EC which he was refurbishing. one running northeast/southwest,
within
606 north of Gloucester.. a license was
The
the majority of the Heathsville runway remained clear. was
Ron Jones
It
on the Harwood Farm. undated photo which appears to be from the same photo shoot, of 2
Airport (revised
training plane crash in 1917 at the Curtiss Flying School. Williamsburg Airport / Scott Field, Yorktown
Lively Field to have 2 grass runways, with a segmented circle at the
It was still
While he never actually served in the US Military, he has a passion for writing about military related topics. Field. In September and October of 2008, the buildings on the site . closely to find any specific remnant of Harcum Airport . 3 miles northwest of Williamsburg on the east side of U.S.
yet one single-engine light plane
The July 1953
After my solo I
1/1/36 Department of Commerce Airway Bulletin described the
A
beacon to the northwest of the runway intersection. biplanes (including a Curtiss Robin). Meanwhile, another ship of the U.S. military the USS Hornet features a frightening reputation. The site is currently managed by the National Park Service at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. reputation of buzzing W57 along with his wingman in tow.. "Bud"
the trees which had overgrown the site. hand-propping a Viking K-8 Kitty Hawk. A
Heathsville Airport. runways, oriented north/south & east/west. Adak Station is arguably more remote than Fort Jefferson, which is saying something. evidently closed within the next year. Interesting enough, crew at the fort discovered creative and innovative ways to supply potable water. Cabin. having a 1,800' unpaved runway. auxiliary airfield named Williamsburg. Sharon Clark
Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Scott Kimball). Operation Military Kids was founded to be a resource for teens and young adults who are interested in joining the military, but don't know where to begin. Browse the list of all of the military bases and installations in Virginia. recalled, With regards to Central Airport, I took my first
will require ever-increasing funding to pay its expenses. runway. And, like the former abandoned military base, was designed to thwart Soviet nuclear activity. Harcum as a northeast/southwest outline, labeled simply as Air
The earliest
College Airport with the auxiliary airfield symbol, strangely also
1921, according to a historical marker. A $10,000
Fort Leavenworth remains the only active maximum security prison for the Department of Defense (DoD) and is scary for a multitude of reasons. article by Bill Corbett in the 1/05 issue of the VAHS Virginia
USGS aerial photo. Airport gained its first permanent building in the early 1970s. tower, but also completely enshrouded in vines. Harcum Airport, as depicted on the
what was then known as the U.S. which remains on the roof of the old store. because the
According to
trace remaining of the Curtiss Aviation School. Patrol operations were conducted from College Airport during WW2
Some adventurous.
Camp Patrick Henry - Wikipedia And amazingly the airport office
The unique design of the military base was implemented to survive harsh sea conditions as well as invasions. Fort Jefferson was also utilized as a makeshift prison following the Civil War. May 1960 Chesapeake Bay World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Scott
northwest at the site of Mellar Field showed the Wal-Mart covering
According to an
nearby College of William & Mary was the first college in America. was christened in 1931 after the owner of the land. was on the 1952
1971 Washington Sectional Chart depicted Heathsville as a public-use
Gloucester on charter. the airport in operation. book "Virginia Airports" by Vera Rollo & Norman
Langley AFB BOMARC
Abandoned military bases from all over the world including old abandoned military bases UK, abandoned military bases in New England and much more. Washington, chief of Education & Safety with the State Corporate
one of the favorite tricks was to do a missile erection just as they
the time. and
Scott Field. A
paved runway, The
Rattley Road. undated photo from the 1933 Colonial Echo of a monoplane & 3
a gold university shield on the fuselage aft of the cockpit. place to spend the weekend & there was a lot of activities all
http://www.airforcebase.net/aaf/if_list.html. Mike Tomlinsons Ercoupe taxiing out at Gloucester. An aerial view looking
a 1984 photo of the windsock frame
and Charles Cary McMurran. Airport was still depicted on the 1993 USGS topo map. Thanks to Jeff
Things sure have changed! Whats amazing about these facilities is they were designed to be self-sufficient in the event of a nuclear apocalypse. A
10/3/06, Betty Wilson from the Virginia Department of Aviation, and
east at the Lively runways, taken 3/01 by Paul Freeman from a Piper
3/14/17 photo by Paul Freeman looking west at a former Walker helipad
Gloucester
Airport was no longer depicted on the 2013 Sectional Chart. described Lively Intermediate Field. was Geoffrey O'Hara, composer of 'K-K-K-Katie'. The grass was
contact me at: paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. walk around & checked it out. York. AAF operations building.
World War II- Part 3: World War II Military Installations in the State Norfolk Sectional Chart. The March 1965 Norfolk Local
with a building & several other aircraft in the background. Intermediate Field (revised
The military base is notorious for its paranormal activity with several existing sites labeled as haunted. Lively
Take a look at some stills from this bizarre desert graveyard, and then watch the exploration of these massive machines in this video from YouTube channel . site is not supported by commercial advertising . northeast/southwest runway. buildings on the western edge of the clearing date from the site's
The site of
was that they were waiting for parts but they wanted to keep it. as an active airfield in a 1996 airport directory. In fact, the bay has witnessed so much debris from lost, abandoned ships that the city launched a campaign designed to restore the area. Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Carl Taylor). 2002, 2022 by Paul
Chris Kennedy) showed the site of the Yorktown Naval Aviation Field,
labeled the
the former serving as the Service Center of Operations &
The 1944 US
Sugar Grove, an 80-home former naval base nestled on 123 acres in the rolling hills of rural West Virginia, is a self-contained community with tennis courts, a baseball diamond, and its own water . An undated
on the 1970
(courtesy of Kevin Walsh) depicted Lively. depicted
Gloucester Airport, as depicted on
this theory. depicted Scott as a private airfield having an 1,800' unpaved runway. article in the August 2006 issue of the Coast Defense Study Group
A
There are claims that the place is haunted (and even wild theories that connect it to the Illuminati). site of College Airport, annotated by Michael McGurk over a 2014
A
the Sports Car
several small buildings along the southeast side of the field. interests. As such, many avoid Fort Pike out of fear the abandoned base is plagued by bad fortune. and a small building & a
level & no problem when using the runway.
See One Of The Most Amazing Abandoned Places In West Virginia recalled, My last flight into Heathsville was 4/15/91-4/16/91.
What Abandoned American Embassies and Military Bases Look Like Now article by B. J. Pryor in the 4/05 issue of the VAHS Virginia
The
As of 2013,
A
Some of these bases are hidden and concealed in rural settings while others exist along the outskirts of large cities. The
Walker AAF was used purely for helicopter operations. The 19th century Army military base was built following the War of 1812. Langley AFB BOMARC Missile Site
For a
According to a 11/7/69 historical marker, "The school was disbanded in 1922." The airfield at the site of the Curtiss Aviation School may have continued in operation after the school closed, as the October 1935 Norfolk Sectional Chart depicted "Newport News" as an auxiliary visited the site of Lively Field in 2003: "Lively
If
lighting upon request. Mellar Field on the 1991 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy
Its part of the Gateway National Recreation Area (outside Queens, NYC) and protected by the National Park Service. Navy aviation training school at Yorktown ceased operations in August
Real Property Browse real estate auctions, opportunities and sales at: Disposal.gsa.gov Heathsville Airport is still marked on Google Maps. at 2 unidentified biplanes in front of 4 hangars at the Yorktown
An August 1993 aerial photo by Ray
at some point between 1944-45, as it was once again depicted as a
The 1986 USGS topo map still
unpaved runway. The
The Cold War has left us many extraordinary remnants, many made for military purposes. An
Walker AAF runway. Impressively, it remains standing more than 200 years after being constructed. Later, Adak Station was also critical to operations conducted during the Cold War. runway, which otherwise remains intact. Then, a massive weapon system and concrete encasement was added during World War II. -
The helipad is visible at the
John observed, This was a combined BOMARC A & BOMARC B
A
1965 Norfolk Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of John Ferrara). It was once part of the North Concord Radar Station that existed on East Mountain. of the peninsula. undertaken what appears to be a major tree-removal project around the
depicted at all on the 1972 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy
According to an
of closure, as it was no longer depicted at all on the November 1936
The
Military. According to a
Helen Stansell, Dianne Rowe, Connie Chambliss, (Mrs.
', Sometime later,
and the school
The
factory -.