Cape Cod Airfield, in
Marstons Mills,
Massachusetts
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is a public airport owned by the
Town of Barnstable.
History
Cape Cod Airfield is located on the former site of
Camp Perkins, a
Massachusetts National Guard camp which was active on the site in 1921 and 1922.
The airport was founded by Zenas Crocker, a
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
biplane pilot.
It opened with a flying circus on July 4, 1929.
During
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
, the biggest attraction at the airport was the nearby Aviation Country Club, which ran an open bar and night club. The club was closed down by Zenas Crocker's brother - Laughlin Crocker who was the Sheriff of Barnstable County.
From 1929 to 1934, the Massachusetts National Guard's aviation group held its summer encampment at the airport. In 1930, the Skyways Flying School, run by Crocker's friend Crocker Snow, opened at the airport. In 1935, the property was acquired by Hilma and William H. Danforth, summer residents of
Oyster Harbors
Oyster Harbors is a gated community within the village of Osterville, Massachusetts. It is located on Grand Island.Oyster Harborsis surrounded by water with North Bay located to the north, West Bay located to the east, the Seapuit River to the so ...
. The Danforths used the property as a riding stable, polo field, and automobile race track as well as for their private aircraft and added a windmill to serve as an office building. The airport was opened for commercial service on May 8, 1946, when Mrs. Danforth leased the property to
John C. Van Arsdale.
Van Arsdale opened a flying school to take advantage of the
G.I. Bill
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...
's flight training for
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
veterans. During this time, the stables were torn down and the Aviation Country Club moved to
Hyannis, Massachusetts where it became an
Elks Club
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City.
History
The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...
. In 1949, Van Arsdale opened the
Provincetown-Boston Airlines
Provincetown-Boston Airlines was an airline that operated between 1949 and 1989. The airline operated a route network in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida, and at one time was the largest commuter airline in the United States be ...
and eventually turned over control of the Cape Cod Airport to the Danforth's personal pilot Harry Kornhiser. Kornhiser expanded the operation to include airplane maintenance and reconditioning used aircraft for resale in addition to flight instruction. Kornhiser died in 1991 and his son Rick took over as airport manager. Under the younger Kornhiser, the airport saw gliders, blimps, and an occasional hot air balloon added to its flight operations. Kornhiser also towed advertising banners over nearby beaches.
On April 17, 2000, Kornhiser died in an banner-towing accident near the
Norfolk Airport. Laurel Kornhiser took over operations following her husband's death. In March 2003, a representative of the Danforth family informed Kornhiser that her lease would not be renewed and the airport would close.
In 2003, the Town of Barnstable purchased the 217-acre Danforth Property, which included the airport, for $11.2 million. The airport reopened in July 2004.
See also
*
List of airports in Massachusetts
This is a list of airports in Massachusetts (a U.S. state), grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such as airports ...
References
External links
*
Article about a woman falling 2,000 feet into Mystic Lake and living
Airports in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
1929 establishments in Massachusetts
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