Shenandoah Plaza National Historic District facts for kids

The U.S. Naval Air Station, Sunnyvale Historic District, also known as Shenandoah Plaza, is a special area at Moffett Field, California. It covers about 62 acres and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site in the United States.

The historic district includes three very large buildings called Hangars One, Two, and Three. It also includes the area around them, known as Shenandoah Plaza. The U.S. Navy suggested this area be added to the National Register of Historic Places, and it was accepted on February 24, 1994. Later, on July 1, 1994, the district was given to NASA when the military base was closing down.

The historic district is quite large and includes:

• 124 acres of land
• 22 important buildings and structures
• 9 historic houses
• 3 monuments
• The total floor space of the historic buildings is about 1,498,000 square feet.

The Story of Moffett Field

In 1931, the city of Sunnyvale bought a large piece of farmland, about 1,000 acres. Citizens of Santa Clara County helped raise nearly $480,000 to pay for it. Then, they "sold" the land to the U.S. government for just $1. This was so the Navy could build a home base for its giant airship, the USS Macon.

The location was perfect for an airport. The area often has clear skies, even when other parts of the San Francisco Bay are foggy. This is because the Coast Range to the west blocks the cold, foggy air from the ocean.

Naming the Airfield

The base was first called Airbase Sunnyvale CAL. Officials worried that calling it "Mountain View" might make people think airships would crash into mountains. The U.S. Navy officially took over the base on February 12, 1931. It was then named NAS Sunnyvale on April 12, 1933.

Sadly, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, who helped create the airfield, died when the airship USS Akron crashed on April 4, 1933. To honor him, the airfield at Naval Air Station Sunnyvale was renamed Moffett Field on September 1, 1933.

Changes Over the Years

After the USS Macon crashed into the ocean on February 12, 1935, the Navy gave control of Moffett Field to the War Department. From then until 1942, the base was managed by the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Aerial View of NAS Moffett Field and NASA Ames Research Center.

On April 16, 1942, the Navy got control of the facility back and it was again called NAS Sunnyvale. Just four days later, it was renamed NAS Moffett Field. After World War II, Moffett Field became important for developing and using planes that hunted submarines and patrolled the seas. These included the Lockheed P2V Neptune and Lockheed P-3 Orion. Until the USSR broke apart, planes from Moffett Field flew daily missions. They patrolled the Pacific coastline and supported the Navy. Moffett's squadrons also traveled to other bases for months at a time.

Hangar One: A Giant Building

Hangar One is one of the biggest buildings in the world that stands on its own. It covers a huge area of about 8 acres. This massive building was constructed in 1931.

View of Hangar One, the huge dirigible hangar, with doors open at both ends.

Moffett Field's Hangar One was built during the Great Depression for the USS Macon. It is still one of the largest unsupported structures in the country. The hangar is made from a network of strong steel beams covered with galvanized steel. It sits on a reinforced concrete base with deep pilings.

Inside Hangar One

The airship hangar is 1,133 feet long and 308 feet wide. Its floor is so big it could fit six football fields inside! The building has a cool, aerodynamic design. Its walls curve upwards and inwards, forming a long dome 198 feet high. The giant "clam-shell" doors were designed to help the Macon move in and out smoothly on windy days. These "orange peel" doors weigh 500 tons each. They are moved by their own 150-horsepower motors, controlled from an electrical panel.

The inside of the airship hangar is so huge that fog sometimes forms near the ceiling. When you look across its floor, planes and tractors look like tiny toys. Along its length, there are maintenance shops, labs, and offices that keep the hangar busy. If you look up, you can see a network of walkways. Two elevators go almost to the top, helping workers get around quickly.

Small train tracks run through the entire length of the hangar. When airships were used, these tracks went across the outdoor apron and into the fields at each end. This tramway helped move an airship from its mooring mast into the hangar or to its flight position. When the USS Macon (ZRS-5) was based at Moffett, Hangar One held not only the giant airship but also several smaller, non-rigid airships at the same time.

Hangars Two and Three

Hangars Two and Three (Mountain View, California) at Moffett Field were built at the start of World War II. They were part of a plan to protect the coast and harbors. These hangars are still among the world's largest unsupported wooden structures.

In 1940, the U.S. Navy suggested building more lighter-than-air stations to patrol the coast. The original plan was for steel hangars, but because steel was needed for the war, they built 17 large wooden hangars instead. These were spread across 10 different bases.

Seven of these original wooden hangars still exist today. Two are at Moffett Field, two in Tustin, California, one in Tillamook, Oregon, and two in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Other Historic Buildings

Many other buildings at Moffett Field once supported its active military operations. Some of these buildings have been affected by asbestos and need to be restored. This work is ongoing within NASA Research Park, which is part of NASA Ames Research Center.

The historic district includes:

• 22 contributing buildings and structures
• 9 contributing houses
• 3 monuments