Elevation 249 feet, Fairfax County, Virginia GPS 38 46'20.40"N : 77 4'54.07"W
Copyright 2010 Friends of Beacon Field Airport at City View and beaconfieldairport.com, no part of
this website including sound or text content may be copied, reproduced
or used for any other purpose without express written permission of the
beaconfieldairport.com website owner. Beacon Field Airportｮ is a registered trademark of the website owner.
Current Events !!
Hybla Valley Airport Historic Marker has LANDED ! (1/25/12) Story below <--NEW!!! Beacon Field photos on display at Beacon Starbucks ! (1/6/2012) See Maps/Info of all Fairfax County Historic Markers (8/23/11)
(Click to +) The navigation beacon was installed at Beacon Field Airport in 1929. Cover POPULAR AVIATION February 1929: The artwork of Clayton Knight (WWI aviator and POW) exemplifies the evolution of the airport beacon enabling nightime passenger and airmail service. Note: pilot has outdoor seating !! [courtesy FOBFA Collection}
Beacon Field Airportｮ -- Quick Facts
Beacon Field Airportｮ was located on Historic Route 1 in the Groveton section of Fairfax County, Virginia, 3.6 miles north of Mount Vernon. The airfield operated from the 1920's and Beacon Field Airport received a license in 1932. Recreational flying, US Mail, military training, post World War II and Korean War GI Bill pilot training, Fixed Based Operator (FBO), and commercial aviation activities were conducted at Beacon Field until the airport closed in 1959. Beacon Field is now the site of modern day Lenclair Park, Target (old Memco), Beacon retail shops (Giant, Lowes, et al), and Beacon Hill Apartments.
On August 19, 2009, the Beacon Field Airport Fairfax County Historic Marker was dedicated in commemoration of aviation pioneer Orville Wright's birthday also known as NATIONAL AVIATION DAY. This holiday was established in 1939 by Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidential Proclamation.
The Fairfax County Historic Marker is the highest recognition awarded by the Fairfax County History Commission (visit FC website for more markers/info). Previously in July 2007, Beacon Field Airport at City View site was approved and added to the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites in Lee District ! ! As a result the service road on the land tract was renamed Beacon Field Airport Highway in October 2007. This nomination was prepared and presented to the Fairfax County History Commission by W.F.P. Reid Sr.'s oldest grandson, Harry P. Lehman.
This nonprofit website strives to educate and offer a venue for the preservation of history of one of the nation's earliest private airports, Beacon Field and its surrounding communities, which embodied the genius of America. Friends of Beacon Field Airport conduct activities pro bono. We are eager to hear your experiences at Beacon and welcome additional photographs and documentation in support of this effort. VISIT the links at above left, Contact us !and stay in touch with the latest event below and read about the past events!
January 25, 2012, Historic Groveton, Va --- Good news !! The Hybla Valley Airport Historic Marker fabrication has been completed and will be installed soon at the end of the old runway which is now the Five Guys Burgers & Fries in Hybla Valley. SEWAH Studios, Inc. located in Marietta, Ohio, manufactured the "Hybla Valley Airport" historic marker.
Bob Ashburn
SEWAH Studios was founded in 1927 by Mr. E. M. Hawes and began operation in what was formerly an organ factory on the west side of historic Marietta, Ohio. In naming the company, Mr. Hawes spelled his last name backwards. The company was purchased by the Smith family in 1954 and a new plant was constructed at the present site in 1959, where today they cast approximately 1200 markers each year.
Historical markers made by Sewah can be found in each of the fifty states and in several foreign countries. Virginia and Fairfax County purchase their official state markers from Sewah Studios. Fairfax County Historic markers are two-sided aluminum castings with letters in raised relief; the word count for Fairfax markers is limited to 100 words.
Historic and custom markers are SEWAH Studios only product and as such they produce the finest marker products in the country. Custom marker fabrication is labor-intensive requiring many skilled craftsmen to create a piece of art from aluminum billets - all of the work is done in-house from the layout, pouring liquid aluminum into a custom mold, thru to the final hand painting. This process takes about 5 days from the layout to the finished marker. Visit our Hybla Valley Airport website to see actual photos of the marker being made!!
October 2011
City View Farm Road Gets a Lift !
Click Pic to Enlarge: 1937 USGS Aerial Photo of Beacon Field.
October 5, 2011 Historic Groveton, Va --- Nearby Friends of Beacon Field and neighbors are celebrating the resurfacing of Southgate Drive which
has long been in deplorable condition. Prior to the paving, the truck
and auto noise exceeded the thundering booms and shockwaves of
departing jet aircraft at Reagan National Airport. VDOT and contractor Arthur Construction
worked between rain showers to quickly and efficiently bring much
needed permanent noise reduction to our community !! A JOB WELL DONE !
Southgate Drive was originally constructed along the old City View Farm Road
(see photo above) in the late 1960's as a proffer to the Beacon Hill
Apartments development. The old road traversed the drainage
ravines which ultimately flow into the Chesapeake Bay. The road had
no name and the developer honored the Reverend H.S. Southgate, of the Trinity Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia.
Considering
its age it is surprising the road had lasted this long with the cut-thru traffic to historic US Route 1 that has been further increased by
recent thru-truck restrictions imposed on other residential streets.
We thank VDOT again for their work!
September 2011
Beacon Starbucks and Friends of Beacon TEAM UP!
Harry Lehman passing out the new design BFA t-shirts to patrol participant Beacon Starbucks Manager Brandon Perkett
September 29, 2011 Historic Groveton, Va --- Friends of Beacon Field Airport and Beacon Starbucks Community Service teamed up to perform the early fall VDOT Adopt-A-Highway litter patrol. Brandon Perkett, Beacon Starbucks Manager,
broke all records for removal of skoal tobacco cans from the South
Kings Highway. Harry Lehman introduced and handed out the new Gen II
design Beacon Field t-shirts to patrol participants. Another job well
done !!
Historic Hybla Valley Airport website takes Off !
Circa 1939, Flying north, Photographer Harry J. Lehman
September 9, 2011 -- Historic GROVETON, VA To commemorate Orville Wright's first one-hour airplane flight at Fort Myer, Virginia, on this day in 1908, we are pleased to announce the debut of our new website dedicated to the preservation and history of the little known Hybla Valley Airport and Hybla Valley Speedway. The website is www.HyblaValleyAirport.com
and includes lots of
photographs, history and information on the upcoming installation of the Fairfax County Historic Marker.
Hybla Valley Airport operated from 1924 to 1956 and was home to commercial aviation, private pilot training, a US Navy airbase, hot rod Speedway, and international attention.
click to + : Hybla Valley Airport circa 1950 -- Restaurant, Lounge and Passenger area, Gas Refueling, General Offices. Route 1 billboard behind white house.
May 2011
ORANGE Jackets Swarm South Kings Highway!!
Right --> Left, Friends of Beacon Field : Sara Friedman, Matthew Ryan, Elena Ryan, Harry Lehman, Lisa Emrico, George Alloway, Joe Emrico and Anna Marie Hicks
26 May 2011, Historic Groveton, VA --- Friends of Beacon Field Airport started the Memorial Holiday Weekend early with an Adopt - A - Highway
litter patrol gathering up 95 pounds of trash along South Kings
Highway. We were joined by new participants who helped us break the 1,000 pound collection goal in the short 2 years we have been responsible for the route !!!
Despite
the rapidly rising temps and high volume of holiday traffic, the litter
patrol team endured and completed the clean up in within an hour!! Job well done!
BEACON FIELD Celebrates National Air Mail Week !! May 15-21, 2011
May 13, 2011 Historic Groveton, Va --- The Friends of Beacon Field Airport are recognizing the importance of US Airmail to Beacon Field. Without the famous CAM 19 route and installation of the rotating beacon on the high knoll in Groveton, the Beacon Field Airport by this name would never have existed.
Ninety-three years ago, the first formal scheduled US airmail flight took place on May 15, 1918. Major Fleet flew a Jenny JN-4H from Long Island, New York to Philadelphia and then on to land at the polo field at Haynes Point in Washington DC. President Woodrow Wilson greeted his arrival.
Seventy-three years ago, the United States Postmaster General James Farley declared May 15 - 21 , 1938, as NATIONAL AIR MAIL WEEK to honor the 20th Anniversary of that first formal airmail flight (May 15, 1918). Beacon Field Airport participated with the special stamping of commemorative airmail envelops (photo above). The Alexandria Postmaster Mr. J. Owen Lynch ably provided his official signature.
Friends are reviving the
celebration of the establishment of the US Airmail service by launching
the display of a new series of philatelic aviation memorabilia on this
website and at Beacon Starbucks.
May 12, 1932 GW MASONIC Memorial Dedication
Aug. 17, 1935, Lancaster PA Airport Dedication
April 20, 1931 First Flight 24 Hours NY to LA
Aug 5, 1931 Beacon Stamp with Kingston Mark "Eagle Scouts at the Pole with Byrd"
Sept 15, 1931 Fifth Anniv First Flight Air Mail San Francisco
1930 C.A.M 34 NY LA Click to Enlarge
1931 20th Anniversary -->Click to Enlarge
1931 Click to Enlarge
AM19 1932 Click to Enlarge
Special mailing honoring US Airmail Service at Logan, UT
March 2011
IMPROMPTU Adopt-A-Highway Patrol Scores BIG !!
17 March 2011, Historic Groveton, VA --- Friends of Beacon Field Airport conducted an impromptu Adopt - A - Highway
litter patrol today taking advantage of the fine spring weather and
gathering up over 150 pounds of trash accumulated during the winter
months including automotive bumpers, an abundance of artificial
flowers, illegal signs and beverage containers. The invigorating
weather combined with the forsythia blooming, dogwoods budding and
crocus snapping made for another grand day in Historic Groveton!
February 2011
Historic Groveton School Site SOARS to new Heights !!!
R to L, Groveton Community Leaders Ms. Annabel Baer & Ms. Charlotte Brown. Supervisor Gerry Hyland congratulates Mr. Timothy Mulcahy, President REDBRICK
February 9, 2011 -- Historic GROVETON, VA Despite the frigid February freeze, a large crowd turned out for the much awaited Ground Breaking event for the Heights at Groveton project on the old and very historic Groveton School site (corner of Memorial and US 1). Notables included Supervisors Gerry Hyland and Jeff McKay, Groveton Community leaders Charlotte Brown and Annabel Baer. Also in attendance was Mr. Timothy Mulcahy, President of Redbrick Development Group, who has led the project from its inception. The Heights at Groveton will offer luxury apartment living available summer of 2012.
The Groveton School site is known in the Fairfax Deed books as "Reid's corner" and has been home to many activities including Hino's Tourist Home, Groveton Elementary School, St. Marks Episcopal Church, and Fairfax County Administrative Offices. This acreage was part of the much larger Reid land holdings that encompassed Beacon Field Airport.
The sizable crowd included several Groveton Elementary School graduates who retraced their steps on the sidewalk that led them to their classrooms.
Mr. Timothy Mulcahy, President of Redbrick
One, two, three..... the OFFICIAL Ground Breaking !!
L to R, Original Groveton residents Ms. Sharon Brumleve, Mr. Harry Lehman, and Ms. Charlotte Brown take a final stroll on the sidewalk that led to their elementary school 50 something years ago.
Groveton Church Honored with Fairfax County Historic Marker !
6744 South Kings Highway (State Route 633)
13 January 2011 - Historic Groveton, VA -- Friends of Beacon Field Airport stopped by to view the recently installed Fairfax County Historic Marker commemorating St. Mark's Episcopal Church. St. Mark's had long been attended by the Reid Family of Groveton/Beacon Field. Franklin Pierce Reid donated land and stained glass windows for the previous location of the church on Historic Route 1 one block south of Beacon Field and City View. For more info visit our History page!
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BEACON Speed Not Limited to the AIR ! The American Way Story
The American Way Top Fuel Dragster
November 1, 2010 -- Historic GROVETON, VA We are pleased to announce the debut of our new website dedicated to the preservation and history of the little known Beacon Field and Beacon Flying Service motor sports racing sponsorship program from 1956 to 1974. The website is www.AmericanWayTopFueler.com and includes a short welcome video by Harry Lehman, lots of photographs, history and evolution of the American Way Streamliner.
In the coming months, this Editor will also launch a new web page on the Beacon site that chronicles the abundance of local Groveton competitive racing activity including test runs on the Beacon runways, horse and motorcycle racing at the oval, roadsters at Hybla speedway, and the failed attempts to build a race track where modern day streets Benson, Glassell, and Berkshire are built today.
Copyright 2010 Friends of Beacon Field Airport at City View and beaconfieldairport.com, no part of
this website including sound or text content may be copied, reproduced
or used for any other purpose without express written permission of the
beaconfieldairport.com website owner. Beacon Field Airportｮ is a registered trademark of the website owner.
