Massive Vacant Military Plane Factory in MO

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The Curtiss-Wright Airplane Factory is located at 130 Banshee Road in Hazelwood, St. Louis County, Missouri. Airplanes were designed, built, and flown directly out of the building and into the field-contributing immensely to the mobilization effort on the home front for both the Allied Forces and U.S. military. Rooted in the barnstorming tradition of renowned pilot, Glenn Hammond Curtiss, as well as with the inventors of manned flight, Orville and Wilbur Wright, heads of each successor firm ultimately came together in an effort to harness that genius when it combined the two and formed C-W in 1929. Curtiss's airframe inventions coupled with the superior engine designs of Wright, elevated the company to national prominence by World War II and they became the largest defense contractor in the world.

C-W had established itself from the beginning at St. Louis's Lambert Field where it produced aircraft and parts from a factory during the early 1930s; C-W also provided flight instruction and trained pilots on site. As the United States military sought to amplify the country's ability to supply airplanes to support the Allies, Curtiss-Wright received one of the nation's largest contracts for production in 1939. At this time, the small factory was over-extended and subsequently expanded in order to supply the demand. C-W looked to renowned industrial plant genius architect Albert Kahn to design a new factory and administrative building that could be built on and around the existing plant in order to continue operation; the finished plant was completed in 1941 with a final annex before 1945. Because of the great demands of reliable and trusted airplanes associated with war mass production, C-W slipped behind the new technology curve during the war and afterward was superseded by other aviation firms, subsequently leading to their ultimate demise. By 1948, C-W dissolved their airplane division and subsequently transferred the property to McDonnell Aircraft Company. McDonnell-Douglas evolved and finally, Boeing took over the property; it has sat vacant since the early 2000s. Without the contributions of Curtiss-Wright prior to and during the war, the outcome could have been drastically different, hardly an airplane flying during World War II lacked a piece of equipment developed and built by Curtiss. The thousands of airplanes manufactured and flown out of the complex played an important role in the dramatic mobilization effort undertaken by the United States in order to assist the Allies and American pilots in winning World War II.

Aviation in St. Louis and the Impact of World War I

The story of flight in St. Louis has a rich history that spans over 150 years. Charles Lindberg needs no introduction here. The earliest interest in local flight is said to have begun in May of 1836-a day when a traveling hydrogen-gas balloon pilot named Richard Clayton demonstrated a flight that began in downtown St. Louis and landed six miles away (without harm). Then in 1859, John Wise's Atlantic gas balloon ascended from St. Louis in an attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean. In 1874, a St. Louis sheet music publisher named Richard Compton and his partner Camille Dry, a wandering mechanical draftsman, joined forces in rising to the St. Louis skies in a balloon to draw every building, street and even tree within the city limits. Manned flights in balloons took off during the early 1900s and in particular with the coming of the 1904 World's Fair. One of these balloons was the California Arrow, an airship powered by a Curtiss motorcycle engine and demonstrated at the Fair.

Historical events including the James Gordon Bennett Cup International Balloon Race was held in the United States for the first time in 1907 and was hosted by St. Louis. Balloons in the race were filled by a "gasometer," a natural gas storage tank, likely the one formerly situated along the 4400 block of Chouteau (Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station 2/8/07; gasometer since demolished) in proximity to the park. Records and aviation firsts in the early 1900s in St. Louis include the nation's first aeronautical supply company in 1908 (Thomas W. Benoist at 3932 Olive Street), a balloon speed record in 1909 of 44 miles an hour, the 1910 flight which included the first U. S. President Theodore Roosevelt to soar the skies, and the first parachute jump from an aircraft in 1918. The 1920s were also filled with new advances in aircraft and especially in airplanes. St. Louis boasted the likes of Benoist Air Craft Company (1908), the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation (1918), Robertson Aircraft Corporation (1926), and Curtiss-Wright (1929).

Prior to merging as Curtiss-Wright, both companies had established themselves in their own right. The company founded by Glenn Curtiss became renowned as a designer and manufacturer of airplanes and the company that became the legacy of the Wright brothers began manufacturing airplane engines, achieving equal if not greater success. Prior to World War I, the fragile wood-and-fabric aircraft built by the two had very little practical applications and most often such craft were simply exhibited at fairs and special events in support of the magic of flight. At the onset of America's entry into that war, only the Curtiss company had any experience in "mass production" of any kind; Curtiss was at the time the largest airplane manufacturer in America and had received massive orders of seaplanes and training planes for England as well as the United States Army and Navy. At the same time, Wright-Martin-successor firm to the original Wright Company-were building aircraft engines for the French. St. Louis Aircraft Corporation formed in 1917 to construct the Curtiss JN-4D Jenny for the U.S. Government-becoming one of six companies to do so to meet delivery in 1918.

After the war, Curtiss and Wright-Martin had a great advantage over any other aviation-related firm in the country. Besides obtaining invaluable experience in mass production and organization of processes (despite the more common bulk of American aircraft manufacturers having only modest standardization of parts and little knowledge of mass production), both companies created a core group of highly talented engineers and design staff. Unfortunately, however, after the demand for military aircraft waned, both companies took a direct hit, this coupled with the lack of popular interest in commercial aviation at the time brought Curtiss close to bankruptcy. At the same time the American aircraft industry in general took a hit after the war. When the Armistice was signed, the Allied forces canceled their current orders forcing many companies out of business and leaving 175,000 workers unemployed.

Enter financier Clement Keys, an investment banker and Curtiss's vice president for finance during World War I. Keys personally supported the company's research and development during the first half of the 1920s-ultimately seeing the Curtiss D-12 engine, the "finest liquid-cooled engine of the decade" come to fruition. Planes powered by the D-12 broke several international speed records and facilitated the United States to a prominent world position in aviation technology (in tandem with Germany who also enhanced their efficacy for war aircraft).

In a timely event in 1926, the American government began to address the low supply of military aircraft as well as antiquated aviation technology and established five-year expansion programs for the army and navy to increase production as well as focus on new innovations in the industry. Curtiss benefited immediately and received large orders for fighter and attack aircraft. Wright-Martin had reorganized as the Wright Aeronautical Corporation and stuck to what they were best at, the manufacturing of airplane engines. The excitement around Charles Lindbergh's 1927 flight to Paris stimulated aviation efforts and ultimately investors soon began to purchase aviation stocks on Wall Street. Within a few years, Clement Keys pondered the combination of the powers of the Curtiss and Wright companies with Wright's chairman, Richard F. Hoyt, and by 1929, a merger was complete and Curtiss-Wright (C-W) was born.

The new C-W company brought together at least a dozen separate companies including manufacturing interests as well as private airlines; at its peak shortly after the merger, C-W had a capital of $170 million, second only to the United Aircraft Corporation. With the stock market crash and subsequent Depression, that aviation empire was ultimately crushed. C-W was reorganized and its business enterprises were reduced to a reasonable supply-and-demand model which would remain in place into the early 1930s.

Curtiss-Wright & Lambert Field

The earlier firm of Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Company built their first factory at St. Louis's Lambert Field in 1927; equipped to construct and repair airplanes, the factory had immediate access to adjacent runways as well as a railroad spur of the Wabash Railroad. After the merger of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation (C-W) by 1929, activity at the field increased. During the 1930s, the original factory was used to fabricate small military and civilian airplanes as well as provide pilot training and flight instruction; the factory had been pushed to full capacity by 1940. With a government interest in increasing defense in the United States at the onset of WW II, and with special financing awarded to C-W to help fulfill that mission, expansion of the factory now became conceivable. The government interest was influenced by an inventory it had recently completed which showed that there was a major shortage of military aircraft that included only 2,755 planes used by the Army Air Corps-many of which were trainers or obsolete combat models. To have any hope of effective mobilization, the government had to cooperate with and subsidize private entities like C-W to facilitate the large-scale production of airplanes and parts that were needed.

On April 27^th, 1939, the United States War Department announced a $12,872,898 contract awarded to C-W for 524 Curtiss P-40 planes-the largest single contract since the end of World War 1. Of the 84 American plants making planes, only 23 (including Curtiss-Wright) produced military models. In order to expedite production, the Allies advanced funds to a handful of companies including Curtiss, Douglas, Bell, Lockheed, Martin, Boeing, and others. At this time C-W managed two other factories in addition to the one in St. Louis; these were located in Buffalo, New York, and Columbus, Ohio (Louisville, Kentucky would open in 1942); the work was split among the three. Then in May of 1940, at the original St. Louis factory, the first P-40s left the production line with 200 delivered to the United States Army by September; the remaining 324 were deferred so that C-W could complete 140 H81As (export P-40s) for Allied Forces in France. With the subsequent German invasion of France during the summer of 1940, those planes were sent to England to help the Allied cause. C-W's role in supplying military aircraft was essential, and ultimately, a government subsidy was allocated in November of 1940 to provide the funding to construct a new factory (Portions B and C) and administrative (Portion A) complex on the site of the original C-W factory directly north of Lambert Field (an annex to the engineering department, Portion F, shortly thereafter). By December of 1940, Pratt & Whitney (Kansas City) and Wright Aeronautical continued to churn out air-cooled engines, hoping to meet 900 engines per month.

The timely subsidy was provided by the Defense Plant Corporation of the federal government's Reconstruction Finance Corporation; it allowed the seven major air frame manufacturers including Curtiss-Wright, Douglas, Consolidated, Boeing, Martin, Lockheed, and North American to enlarge their production space from some 8 million square feet to more than 18 million at a cost of a little over $83 million. A total of $3 billion was planned by Washington to either construct new plants for defense production or to enlarge existing ones throughout the nation. Disputes over plant locations ensued as Midwestern representatives demanded more factories in their states, as opposed to the seaboards, since the Midwest already housed most of America's war industry and inland plants would theoretically be safer from enemy attack. As a result, the expansion of Curtiss-Wright was the nation's largest and included a plant in St. Louis, one in Buffalo, one in Columbus, and the final in Louisville (1942). Earlier in June of 1940, C-W reorganized its aircraft manufacturing operations. The St. Louis Airplane Division and the Curtiss Airplane Division were combined to form the Airplane Division of the C-W Corporation. The St. Louis expansion was one of the most vital as it had access to a major airport (for the time) where finished aircraft could be taxied and sent into the skies for delivery. Also, it was located at an extant factory site that had already been active in churning out military aircraft; practically in the center of the country, the St. Louis factory would be heavily protected from attack by land, sea, or air.

C-W had begun to produce war material earlier in March of 1941 for France and ultimately Great Britain in an effort to gear up production for the Allied forces. St. Louis as a city however started considering how to assist the Allied forces a year previous. In early 1940, the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce initiated a census of manufacturers in the metropolitan area; under the leadership of Chamber President Thomas N. Dysart, a detailed survey followed. The survey provided a thorough analysis of the machinery, equipment, floor space, and manpower available in each St. Louis factory. To give St. Louis a jump ahead of other cities, the Chamber made copies of the five-volume survey and sent it to each of over 1,000 prime defense contractors in the nation. In an effort to increase the skills and mindset of St. Louis workers, the Chamber even went as far as establishing a "training within industry" program in cooperation with several local schools including Hadley Vocational, Ranken, St. Louis University, Washington University, Alton Vocational School and the Booker T. Washington Technical School. Focusing in on increasing general production skills in multiple industries, courses also centered in on the burgeoning aviation industry. The Chamber's scheme worked as planned and the C-W aircraft plant at Lambert Field was awarded a $16 million order for training and cargo planes in June 1940 (original factory demolished but work commenced in new buildings). Nearby Weldon Spring was established with a $14 million contract to build a high-explosives plant in October and quickly became the nation's largest plant producing 800 tons of TNT daily.

Design & Groundbreaking of the Curtiss-Wright Factory

Curtiss-Wright (C-W) had contracted with noted architect and "war factory expert" Albert Kahn to design each of its factories and had called upon him again in 1940 to design its St. Louis plant. Kahn was responsible for 19% of all architect-designed U.S. industrial buildings by 1938 and was called upon by the government to expand in order to help make America the "Arsenal of Democracy" at the advent of World War II, as he would design most of the principal airplane factories at the time, he was best suited to get C-W up and running.

Groundbreaking for the new C-W factory and administrative offices commenced with great celebration on November 19^th, 1940. At the site of the original factory, the new facilities were literally constructed around and then on top of the old one. This construction method allowed for airplane production to continue without interruption. Once portions of the new factory were finished they were immediately placed in service and the corresponding portion of the earlier factory was then dismantled. With the new factory also came the latest technological innovations in mass production of airplanes and parts; tracks within the concrete floor (extant) allowed constant movement of pieces and ultimately mostly complete aircraft. The construction of the new massive factory provided an economic boost for the community and provided thousands of new jobs-at its peak of production there were over 12,000 workers at the St. Louis factory alone.

By December of 1940, work had commenced on the new complex in St. Louis. Although the future factory would elevate St. Louis in housing the "world's largest airplane manufacturer," construction had begun to impact the available landing space at Lambert, in fact, a shortage of 50% was reported there. Private pilots and flying school operators were affected the most. St. Louis had boasted its Municipal Airport at Lambert, being one of the few available in the country that combined both private plane and commercial airline traffic. As a response, the operators of Lambert stated that with the increase in military production and commercial travel that the improvements (including new facilities, hangars, runways, and airplane factories) were deemed necessary if St. Louis was "to retain its place in aviation." By late June, 1941 the complex was nearing completion and production continued to commence on a grand scale. A month later the old factory had been practically removed and by December 1941 the new factory had been fully operational.

St. Louis Goes to War!

Having just survived the Depression, with financial assistance from the United States government, Curtiss-Wright (C-W) expanded its operations in response to increased military demands, and by World War II had rose to become one of the most prominent air frame, engine, and propeller manufacturers as well as one of the largest aviation companies in the world. In 1941, Curtiss's Airplane Division expanded its production facilities by 400% to a little over 4,268,410 square feet and employed some 45,000 individuals. At this time the original St. Louis plant (1 of 3 total active plants) had been demolished and rebuilt to a working area of 1,210,450 square feet with a daily output of six planes per day.

Announcement that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7^th, 1941 signaled that the United States was about to enter war. With general fear that the attack would spread inland, St. Louis armed itself with troops guarding the ammunition plant at Goodfellow and Bircher Avenues (since demolished); fully-armed soldiers surrounded Lambert Field and the C-W aircraft plant. The next day on December 8^th, armed forces recruiting offices were established at the Federal Building downtown; hopeful enlistees waited in lines around the corner. America needed men but most importantly she needed pilots and aviation cadets. With great distances to Europe and lack of time to mobilize on the ground there, aircraft in large numbers was the solution; fill the skies with planes and attack from above. In December 1941, a total of 3,600 combat planes were available in the United States, companies such as C-W were called upon to meet the increased demand of ten times that amount. Among those craft constructed at the time within the factory were AT-9 trainers, C-46 cargo transports and Navy SNC-1 combat trainers as well as the remaining order of P-40s.

The original U.S. estimates called for 28,600 aircraft, 20,400 tanks, 6,300 anti-aircraft guns, and 6 million dead weight tons of merchant ships, then, during his State of the Union address in January 6^th, 1942, President Roosevelt announced the need for 60,000 planes (45,000 combat) for 1942 and 125,000 (100,000 combat) for 1943.

Meeting both the nation's production needs as well as the requirements of the military required major efforts in mobilizing men and women during wartime; the result was an expansion of the federal government's role to ensure an adequate supply of both military and civilian labor supply. Increases in factory production required an increase of skilled workers. Formerly sanctioned for white males, C-W was one of the first companies to train women as riveters, inspectors, and electric assembly workers to meet the increased need. C-W went as far as recruiting 1,000 college women for training as engineers in eight universities at the company's expense. Coupled with the federal government's directive forbidding discrimination in the workplace, companies were pressed to hire more women, African-Americans, elderly, and disabled workers than ever before. During the summer of 1942, C-W (and one of the first companies to do so) began training African-American men and women for skilled jobs in its factory-going as far as instituting "all-Negro production units." In September of 1942, President Roosevelt had announced that war production must increase tremendously and he urged workers and employers to follow suit. In an effort to enhance the efficiency of assembly line work, C-W assembly methods engineer Burnell E. Stewart was one of just seventeen war plant workers in the United States who was commended for such an idea-using wood fiber punching jigs instead of steel jigs which cut operating time by one half.

Seeing a backlog of nearly $9 billion in aircraft orders in 1942, the Aircraft War Production Council (AWPC) was founded with the intention that if the prominent private aviation companies worked together (sharing technology and techniques) that great things could be accomplished. A concerted effort within these individual companies to assist smaller companies with technology and product sharing allowed processes to be streamlined and orders to be met.

As a result of the war, production of other products such as small electrical appliances, automobiles, refrigerators, and stoves were curtailed and factories were converted to manufacture bombs, tanks, and military planes. Defense production peaked in St. Louis in 1943 with over 200,000 workers employed in such plants, C-W employing some 12,000 of them. In February of 1943 when the War Manpower Commission (WMC) had announced that a 48-hour week would become standard for centers of defense production, C-W had already instituted a 60-hour work week. The goals of the WMC. to increase and support production were clear: to keep all workers in critical war industries on their jobs; to find ways to transfer noncritical workers to war industries desperate for people; and to supply men to the military without cutting into production. Unfortunately, these ideals proved difficult to realize.

Curtiss-Wright Expansion

Sometime between 1942 and 1944 expansion of the St. Louis plant occurred. Although conceived earlier by Kahn and C-W, an annex to the administrative and engineering department was ultimately completed (Portion F). The addition supplied C-W an additional 16,000 square feet of offices and conference rooms on two levels and connected to the main administrative offices.

The expansion allowed some opportunity to provide space for experimental design as well as provide new department spaces. It was well-timed as the Army would call for a 50% increase in production of Curtiss's C-46 Commando-crucial to the transportation of supplies over the "Hump" from northeastern India to China transport plane in 1945; additional staff was required to work out the details. The company announced that the St. Louis and Buffalo plants would take on the task of supplying these massive aircraft then considered "the world's largest and fastest twin-engine transports". The numbers ensured that the contract would extend well into 1946. Up until 1945, the St. Louis plant was making major assemblies of the Commando and then shipping them to Louisville for final assembly, now C-W's St. Louis plant implemented complete assembly. Meanwhile, Louisville would change scope to begin modification of C-W's B-22 bombers. C-W AT-9 and SNC-1 combat trainers made at the St. Louis factory were critical to prepare pilots for war.

In tandem with the Commando production during January of 1945, C-W built and tested its XP-55 'Ascender' in the St. Louis plant. An experimental design begun in St. Louis during the spring of 1939 and touted as "one of the world's most unusual fighter plane designs," the XP-55 had its power plant and wing surfaces mounted to the rear of the plane, directly opposite of conventional aircraft. The XP-55 was a revolutionary type developed for the Army-Air Forces that was not intended to go into mass production but rather would contribute to the future design of aircraft. The advantages of such a design were numerous and included: speed equal to or greater than conventional-design airplanes of the same horsepower; improved longitudinal control and maneuverability; improved forward visibility and search view; it was quieter because the engine was behind the pilot; guns located at the front could fire straight ahead without needing to be synchronized to fire through the propeller; increased rudder effectiveness from spins; less danger to the pilot from a fire in the engine; and better handling characteristics on the ground and in the air (due to elevators being in the front versus the wings).

By March of 1945, it was estimated that Curtiss-Wright had delivered more than 25,000 aircraft, as well as air frames, engines or propellers for another 100,000 more during the war. The St. Louis and Louisville plants took the lead of the company's four factories.

While many Commandos had been built in and flown from St. Louis, many had been fabricated in portions at St. Louis and were shipped to Louisville for final assembly to expedite completion. Parts were manufactured and assembled in sections and then larger sections were hoisted for further assembly within the High Bay of the St. Louis plant; the first Commando built in St. Louis was launched in April.

By July of 1945 it was announced that Curtiss-Wright's shipments of aircraft, engines and propellers during 1944 had totaled $1,716,935,176; 32.5% higher than 1943, that amount exceeded the dollar volume output of any other aircraft company and had marked a new all-time high for the industry. The Aircraft Industries Association of America had reported that the total output of Curtiss-Wright in 1944 represented slightly more than 10% of the dollar output of the country's entire aircraft industry.

The Wanning of Curtiss-Wright

Curtiss-Wright had maintained a long-standing relationship with the U.S. military and was instrumental in developing combat aircraft for two World Wars. It began designing and testing dive-bombers as early as 1928 at Lambert Field, its Helldiver (SB2C) was credited as the fastest and most deadly aircraft of its time. Curtiss-Wright ingenuity in design, specifically as it related to the wings being able to be folded, allowed a pair of Helldiver planes to be carried on an aircraft carrier elevator at one time. Curtiss-Wright, along with the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation, provided over 700 training planes (PT-19s and PT-23s) to the United States military: these companies' contributions quickly placed St. Louis in a prominent role within the "Midwest Aircraft Production Triangle" along with Pratt & Whitney in Kansas City and Boeing in Wichita. St. Louis Aircraft Corporation, founded in 1917 and defunct in 1945, primarily built high capacity gliders and gondolas for army balloons during the World War II. The shared responsibility to supply training planes helped to meet the demand.

Curtiss-Wright is also credited with one of the earliest attempts at mass production; the first true production line set up in the St. Louis plant for the construction of the "Robin" a three-piece sportsman plane, resulted in a total of 749 being built and sold in a little over one year. During World War I, Curtiss established a record that stood for 20 years by building nearly 5,000 JN-4D "Jenny" trainers for the Army.

With the announcement of V-E day in June of 1945, "Curtiss City" took the news in mixed emotions and continued to push aircraft out of the hangar doors headed to the Pacific. However two months later the feeling was not the same. With the announcement of V-J day on August 14^th, 1945, St. Louis war plants ceased operations abruptly. Layoffs began almost immediately with over 20,000 workers receiving termination notices within a week's time. Curtiss-Wright began layoffs earlier on May 26^th, 1945, despite its continued contracts for its Commando and Helldiver airplanes; at least 11,000 employees were notified in June that they would soon be jobless and that the plant would ultimately be closed. Post-war St. Louis however refused to shut down and began to implement a public works program which was developed a few years earlier by the city fathers. Plans for this over $63 million scheme included trunk line sanitary sewers, levee improvements, land use changes, new streets and "highways," a rapid transit system (not implemented), a new downtown airport (not built), and finally new housing was announced by Mayor Kaufmann earlier in January of 1945.

Many Curtiss-Wright employees found new hope in rebuilding St. Louis after the war while a workforce was maintained in the St. Louis plant to complete orders through 1946. Leading up to 1948, Curtiss-Wright separated its airplane division and sold the property to McDonnell Aircraft Company. McDonnell converted the factory to produce military fighter jets into the 1960s and by 1968 had merged to form McDonnell-Douglas. Along with a final merger into Boeing Company in 1997 the use of the original Curtiss-Wright factory was drastically reduced and then ultimately abandoned by 2001. The site was sold to the City of St. Louis and has sat vacant since 2002.

Site Description

The Curtiss-Wright Airplane Factory, located at 130 Banshee Road in Hazelwood, unincorporated St. Louis County, Missouri, is an industrial complex designed and built in 1940-41, with an annex in 1944, comprised of managerial, engineering, and manufacturing functions built to serve American and Allied Forces military aviation during World War II. Included within the complex is a two-story and basement administrative department constructed of reinforced concrete and steel with buff brick veneer walls; an adjoining brick department designed as an engineering annex of similar design is attached via a two-story brick pedestrian connector. Behind these portions is a massive manufacturing department comprised of a High Bay and a Low Bay portion with overhead heights of 40 and 20 feet respectively; the structures are framed with a structural steel skeleton and have Gunite-finished metal panels and horizontal windows at the exterior. Each department has a spare Modern appearance; as a war time factory, they were designed with maximum efficiency in mind. The factory was constructed upon the site of Curtiss-Wright's original factory which was strategically located just north of Lambert Field (now St. Louis International Airport). The site had direct access to the runways (allowing for expedited delivery of complete airplanes) at the south in addition to a railroad spur (built to enable railroad access for delivery and shipping of materials) which passed alongside and then inside the north elevation; these attributes are extant.

Offices, conference areas, storage, and mechanical areas were contained within the front half of the administrative department while design teams including engineering and drafting departments were located in between the offices and main factory; roof skylights on the second floor allowed maximum light (extant but hidden by drop ceiling). The factory portion was divided into three separate functions including general manufacturing of parts, a sub-assembly area, and a final assembly area, each situated within an appropriately-scaled interior space. The railroad spur could delivery or receive materials from either portion along their northern walls. Staff and worker shift changes were directed to multiple access points located at the exterior (most below ground) in order not to congest the factory floor; this design enabled smooth and constant production without interruption. Assess to the factory was via extant stair cases which were located at several points within the factory; the subterranean level included a cafeteria, restrooms, lockers, offices, maintenance areas, and multi-purpose rooms (many extant). During wartime, airplane parts were designed, engineered, tested, fabricated, assembled into sections, and then completed; finished airplanes were taxied out of the High Bay hangars and then flown into the skies for delivery to military bases across the country. Eventually, the system was perfected and Curtiss-Wright was able to mass produce entire airplanes as well as manufacture airplane parts for other companies engaged in the war effort.

The complex was featured in the prominent industry journal Architectural Forum as a highly successful "mass production airplane plant" as well as a representative example of the work (and one of the last designs) of Albert Kahn. Today, the complex appears much as it did when it was originally completed and in production.

The complex is comprised of four inter-connected portions (A, B, C, F) comprising one building, a historic parking lot (E), and a portion of the original airplane taxi/maneuvering space (D); together these components comprise the property. Portion A is the original administrative department. The Low Bay factory (B) was constructed immediately behind A; at the same time, the High Bay factory (C) was being constructed. Factory B was essential to complete quicker than C because it replaced the original factory which sat north of the site; as portions of B were constructed, the old factory was demolished. Ceiling heights within B were comparable to those of the old factory; now with the addition of C, larger airplanes were possible and production could be increased. The airplane taxi/maneuvering lot (D) to the southwest was established flanking C as this was the portion where final assembly of airplanes took place; once completed, airplanes were taxied out to D and onto the main runways at Lambert and then flown to the military bases. At the same time, lot E at the east was constructed to provide employee parking. Mass pedestrian access into the building was via two ramps (extant) extending below grade adjacent the parking area; doors at the exposed basement level of B greeted workers. Higher staff and engineer supervisors accessed the building from its main doors or at various points at ground level. Shortly after construction of A-E and during the war years, portion F (conceived earlier) was constructed by demand; it was completed before 1945 and was adjoined to portion A at its eastern wall via a two-story interconnected pedestrian link.

The complete complex is situated to the north of the landing strips and runways and the main terminal of the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Facing Banshee Road, which runs east and west, the Low Bay (B) and High Bay (C) potions occupy the site of the original Curtiss factory and are situated among other airport buildings to the west and east owned by private parties and not related to the complex. Access to these portions is restricted and no information has been available on their historic uses or ownership. Based on their design the buildings to the west of the complex appear to have served as hangars for airplane storage. The smaller buildings to the east have some power equipment visible and could have served as generator structures or small industrial sites; research on Curtiss-Wright did not mention these nearby structures.

To the north of Banshee Road is an elevated railroad and several aircraft-related buildings. Once former farm land, the area was disturbed beginning in the late 1920s and has continually seen construction and demolition of factory and office buildings associated with the airplane industry. The topography is flat with the majority of the ground paved in concrete or asphalt.

Exterior - Portion A

The primary facade of A faces south towards the main airport runways. The building is rectangular in shape and symmetrical in design with a projecting central entrance bay (slightly modified from the original). Constructed with a steel frame and reinforced concrete with buff brick veneer wall, horizontal bands of replacement windows puncture the first and second floors and are framed with grey limestone. That same limestone comprises the central entry projection as well as the parapet. Building edges are slightly curved and the roof is flat with four projecting skylights located nearest the rear or north of the roof and corresponding to the drafting and engineering spaces which required more light.

Comprised of a projecting trapezoidal mass, the primary entry assemblage of the administrative portion contains seven bays that are separated and framed by vertical limestone piers that imitate the original entry design. Within the center-most bay is an entry with full light, metal framed, double doors; four aluminum-framed, fixed lights are above. The six remaining bays in the trapezoid contain six similar aluminum-framed, fixed lights set on limestone bases. Behind the projecting mass and against the main building mass can be seen the original flat limestone entrance surround, still with mounting evidence of the original Curtiss-Wright signage. Flanking the entrance at both sides are full length, horizontal bands of windows at the first and second floors. Although modern replacements, these windows fully fill the openings and respect the fenestration patterns of the initial design. Windows may be cut in the basement below ground level however the ground has been regraded and no window wells have been discovered; the interior wall is furred out and not visible.

The main mass of A, including the first three bays of both the east and west elevations, project from the larger mass. The east elevation contains three first-floor bays comprised of two windows and an access door which is contained within a small metal entrance addition. Above, windows are similar to the primary elevation. A two-story brick connector adjoins portions A and F at two floors; the link is set back from the third bay of the east elevation. According to this drawing, portion F was at least conceived by 1941; it would be constructed a few years later but during the period of significance. On the other side of the connector, along the remainder of the east elevation, is full-length, horizontal bands of windows at the first and second floors. The ground level (basement) is also lit with windows and contains a pair of wide, wood garage doors and a small one-story addition that acted as a guard station. A concrete ramp leads downward to this area. The wide doors may have also served employee access but it is most likely that the access provided secure entry for military commanders, presidents (JFK visited several times), and for higher management. Limestone frames the windows and parapet. Four sawtooth skylights project from the roofline; these skylights originally lit the drafting and engineering departments (extant but hidden by drop ceiling).

Portion A is adjoined to Portion B at the north. The west-facing elevation of A projects from the main mass three bays (like the east); an entrance at the center of a pair of windows is framed by projecting brick and sheltered with a small flat roof. The metal, one-half light doors are newer as are the windows which contain three fixed sash opposite the entry at the first floor and a five-light bay at the second; these windows are framed in limestone. The remainder of the elevation contains horizontal bands of windows with limestone sills and metal lintels similar to the south and east. A pedestrian access door is located at the far corner (behind the metal frame smoke break station in between A and C).

Exterior - Portions B and C

The factory portion (B and C) is a massive rectangular structure which is constructed with steel columns, beams, and trusses and then faced in-between bands of windows with painted Gunite-clad metal panels; some buff brick is nearest the ground on each elevation. The factory has two primary sections comprised of a Low Bay (B) and a High Bay (C). The High Bay is framed with structural steel mounted through a concrete slab. Steel truss framework connects the walls to vertical steel columns (exposed on the interior) and are clad with the painted Gunite-clad metal panels at the exterior. Nearest portion A and facing south, is a lower building wall with buff brick at the ground level; a continuous band of horizontal one-over-one, metal replacement windows sits on the brick. Two similar window bands above are separated by painted metal panels. A flat parapet roof is above. Five butterfly/monitor skylights penetrate the flat roof and contain replacement windows. Along that same elevation and connected to the lower portion is a slightly higher wall-built to contain the massive original metal airplane hangar doors that were raised upward and into a cavity at the roofline. All of the exterior cladding and hangar doors are original; doors are still operational but in need of repair and repainting. Fenestration appears to be original in the hangar doors.

The west-facing elevation contains at the farthest south, an ancillary one-story brick addition; its construction date and historic use is unknown. Based on data the structure was a freight office; it contains a front office with six pairs of replacement windows (one is converted to a door), a loading office window, door, and then five functional and two closed-in loading dock doors and finally a pedestrian door set within a loading door. A second set of massive hangar doors is situated within the center of the elevation. The walls contain buff brick at portions near the ground, horizontal bands of continuous windows, and painted Gunite-clad metal panels. Five large and one small skylight structures project from the roofline. The final section of the elevation at the farthest north contains brick at the first floor which supports a horizontal band of continuous windows. The span is interrupted by a loading door and a pedestrian entrance. Three small brick structures are adjoined to the wall with a fourth is set out on the site. Two additional horizontal bands of continuous windows extend up the wall.

As one turns the northwest corner of the High Bay (C) along Banshee Road, the north-facing elevation shows the combination of the high and low bays. The historic railroad spur also follows this elevation and then enters the High Bay via two points facing north and west.

The full north-facing elevation continues eastward for over 1,100 feet and contains seven butterfly/monitor roof projections. Again, comprised of buff brick at the ground level supporting a continuous band of horizontal windows, the wall of the building above is painted Gunite-clad metal panels. A second band of horizontal windows, broken in between five skylight projections, penetrates the otherwise sparse wall and allows additional light within the structure. Then, a wide section with flat parapet flanking the street contains the two additional skylights (hidden from street view). Additional pedestrian doors and loading bays penetrate the wall above ground level and are reached by concrete or metal stairs. At the flat parapet section; the 1^st-floor has buff brick that supports a continuous band of horizontal windows.

Along the north elevation, the railroad spur splits to include two spurs: one runs within the High Bay (C) mentioned earlier and then terminates within; the second runs parallel and down along the Low Bay (B). An additional loading door within the High Bay (C) is at the north elevation within the bump out. The Low Bay (B) contains four pedestrian doors and three large loading doors. The spur line terminates at a west-facing loading dock set within a second bump out projection with flat parapet but splits prior and continues to run parallel to the north wall of the Low Bay. Sections of horizontal continuous windows (replacements that fill the original openings) are set above a buff brick base interrupted only by the access points and three vent systems (which interrupt the brick only). Painted Gunite-clad metal panels complete the facades. The skylights also contain similar window bands facing north; the east and west exposures contain full-height and width windows.

Turning the northeast corner, the building's east elevation continues to the south under a flat parapet roof. A total of seven truck loading bays are situated closest the northeast; a short loading dock is sheltered by an overhanging roof (original or early). Again, buff brick supports a continuous band of horizontal, metal replacement windows; the windows are broken in a section by an additional loading bay. A second band of similar windows are unbroken above just below the skylight projection; said skylights have windows in the west-facing exposure. The elevation includes a pedestrian door at ground level adjacent the loading dock, a pair of additional loading dock doors, and then at least five supplemental pedestrian doors. Mechanical equipment is situated on top of a poured concrete slab which projects above ground. Situated nearest the elevation center is a portion of a ramp that originally led into the underground level-this was the original, primary employee entrance. The structure continues around to the south elevation where it intersects with the administrative portion.

The parking lot to the east of the building is badly worn but still contains traces of parking lines and surface treatment which is similar to the original design.

The south-facing elevation of portion B has small rectangular windows cut just above the ground to allow light into the basement. Above, is a continuous band of horizontal, metal replacement windows; just above that is a second band which again is broken by the skylight sections. A pedestrian door is reached via a steel stair system near the center of the elevation while a wider accordion-style wood door (original) is at the far side where the portion abuts the garage portion of the administrative department.

The final component of the building complex is the engineering annex which was completed before 1945. It was constructed with identical color brick flanking the Low Bay to the southeast and is connected to the east wall of portion A via a two-story brick pedestrian corridor. The south-facing primary elevation has horizontal bands of continuous windows at two stories but is divided into two sections at the first floor flanking the building middle in order to accommodate a metal pedestrian access door with transom above and reached by concrete steps; it is otherwise unadorned. The west and east elevations are similar and contain horizontal bands of continuous windows at two stories. The north-facing elevation flanks the south wall of portion B and contains access nearer the center of the elevation including a double door leading to a partial basement level and a pedestrian door that accesses the internal stairwell. A high window allows light into the stairwell. Flanking the entry point is a horizontal band of continuous windows a two stories (left side); at the far right side is a similar set. Near the entry points are two additional sets of wide windows. Windows have concrete sills and bands of meta that wrap the steel lintels. The roof overhangs slightly and is capped with a meta parapet. A penthouse with access to the roof is at the rear elevation, building center.

Interior: Portions A, B, C

Portion A (Administrative) has a total interior square footage of 66,000 which is contained within a basement, ground floor, and second floor. Portions B and C (Manufacturing) have a total interior square footage of 1,071,400 which is contained within a full and a partial basement as well as a ground floor. As originally designed, the underground portion of Portion A had three stair access points (extant) with a central stair adjoined to the back hall behind the main lobby. Generally comprised of storage areas, the building maintenance and facilities manager occupied a corner office flanking the circulation corridor (which runs west to east). A second circulation corridor (running north to south) adjoins the other and allows access to the underground portion of the Low Bay factory in portion B. This portion at B is comprised of an underground garage, cafeteria and employee dining room, private dining rooms, a kitchen, employee locker and restroom areas, and mechanical rooms. This subterranean level was designed with a generally open plan with divisions for these aforementioned spaces so that the plan could be changed as needs arose. Portions of the original walls including corridors and communal spaces are still in place; however, the majority of significant historic activities occurred in the factory above which is remarkably intact. A comparison of the original design to the last occupied condition shows that many of the larger, open spaces were carved into smaller office spaces in Portion B. The changes over time have little impact on the integrity of the basement space because the overall feeling of the access points, circulation corridors, and lunch room is preserved. Many of the original walls have replacement drywall which is deteriorated as well as coated with lead-based paint that is peeling. Flooring has replacement composite or asbestos tile in poor condition due to water infiltration since vacancy.

Additional restrooms and storage areas were situated within the larger open space underneath the Low Bay structure (B). Adjacent the Low Bay sits the generally unexcavated High Bay underground (portion C)-its underground areas are reached by separate sets of stairs which are accessed from the ground floor and simply contain employee restrooms and lockers with no access to other spaces. Wall locations are original and few later walls were built to further divide the spaces as needs arose. Interiors underground have drop ceilings, carpet and tile flooring, and drywall walls throughout. Portions are filed with surface water and mold and materials are in average to poor condition.

The ground floor area of portion A was reached by the primary stair (then still the original flat limestone entrance); beyond the lobby and reception area was the circulation hall. Smaller offices (extant) were situated along the south-facing wall while the larger engineering department was left mostly open (extant). The second floor of Portion A is similar with the exception of the drafting areas being lit by the sawtooth skylights (extant but covered with drop ceiling). Again, interiors have drop ceilings throughout (the bulk were historically covered to hide the raw concrete), carpet and tile flooring, and drywall walls throughout. Conditions on the second floor are average with some damage to certain offices. Most of the interior furniture was removed after vacancy.

Interiors: B and C

Through portion A, or accessed separately from multiple points at the exterior, portions B and C are comprised of mostly wide-open floor space which was the original historic. At the High Bay section (C), overhead clearance is at 40 feet high; multiple spans of metal trusses support both the ceiling as well as interior racks for moving heavy objects. The interior structure is exposed. In the High Bay area the floor is thick concrete with portions having limited accessibility to the underground; although the basement is only partially excavated, it contains multiple mechanical and restroom spaces accessible from stairs on the main floor. Smaller floor hatches provide access to electric (since deactivated); assembly line tracks are extant under metal plates.

The Low Bay area (portion B) is connected to the High Bay where the passage drops to 20 feet overhead clearance. Smaller mezzanines and walled structures were built within the Low and High Bay areas to provide temporary facilities for changing uses in order to prolong the building's use by subsequent aviation companies. These changes do not negatively impact the integrity of the open factory spaces as they were built to house modern aviation offices and drawing rooms within the larger space during a period when new technologies were being used in the industry. The floor of the Low Bay area is concrete, however the majority is excavated and provides usable underground space. The original design intent was to provide a separate circulation space for the plant employees underground in order that shift changes and general traffic would not inhibit manufacturing during wartime demand. Placing all of the necessary human-need facilities in the basement (bathrooms, lunch rooms, locker rooms, etc.) allowed for maximum utility and efficiency on the main factory floor (portions B and C); many of these primary walls still exist in the lower level although they have modern finishes. The multiple portions of the factory are remarkably intact and the building's former use as a combined office (A, F) and factory (B and C) is clearly evident today. Condition is generally good with some obvious concerns being environmental hazards (lead and asbestos) as well as wear-and-tear including peeling and flaking paint, broken sash, damaged stairs, and worn interior finishes (drop ceiling, carpet and tile, drywall, etc.).

Interior: F

Portion F was constructed as an annex to the administrative and engineering departments (A) sometime between 1942 and 1944; it contains an additional 16,000 square feet on two levels. Interiors are similar to the original administrative portion (A) and contain individual offices, storage and mechanical areas and restrooms. A single loaded stair allows access into a partial basement, the second floor, and the roof. Ceilings are drop, floors are carpeted or tiled, and walls have drywall finishes. Condition is average throughout.

Structures D and E

The associated structure "D" corresponds to the original airplane taxi/maneuvering area known as the apron which is accessible from the High Bay (C). It contains original or early concrete paving and few obstructions. Structure "E" corresponds to the original Curtiss-Wright employee parking lot.

Ceremonial ground breaking for the new Curtiss-Wright factory and offices at Lambert Field, 19 November 1940. The original factory can be seen in the background; behind it is the future Banshee Road (1940)

Original factory of Curtiss-Robertson (later Curtiss-Wright) is situated at top of photo; ongoing construction of the new factory and administrative buildings can be seen below. Day unknown but photo was taken in early to mid-June, 1941. (1941)

Aerial view of new Curtiss-Wright factory buildings as their construction nears completion, 29 July 1941. (1941)

Aerial view of newly constructed Curtiss-Wright factory buildings, 4 December 1941. (1941)

Women doing electrical sub-assembly work at Curtiss-Wright (1943)

Woman grinding machined part 12 March 1943. (1943)

Full complex showing final historic construction in July, 1945. (1945)

C-46 Commando at the St. Louis C-W plant (1944)

C-46 Commando at the St. Louis C-W plant (1944)

XP-55 developed and built at the St. Louis C-W plant (1945)

Commando section in at the St. Louis C-W plant (1945)

1^st Curtiss Commando to be completed at the St. Louis plant; here flying over the St. Louis zoo at Forest Park (1945)

Curtiss-Wright Helldiver (SB2C) produced at Lambert Field factory 1928 through the 1940s (1945)

Curtiss-Wright Helldiver (SB2C) produced at Lambert Field factory 1928 through the 1940s (1945)