Character Defining Features: Floyd Bennett Field Hangar Row

Gateway National Recreation Area, Jamaica Bay Unit

Floyd Bennett Field Hangar Row is a significant part of the first municipal airport in New York City. Located along Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, Floyd Bennett Field is currently part of the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service (NPS). The purpose of this document is to identify the Character Defining Features of the hangars and provide the rationale for maintaining these features (and the historic material) and preserving their original integrity. Integrity refers to the unimpaired, intact condition of the original features and the buildings as a whole. The historical importance of the structures which comprise Hangar Row, as well as their relationship with the other structures in the Floyd Bennett Field Historic District, must be fully considered before any work is undertaken in this area. This document strives to provide the context for any work considered. The structures of Hangar Row have, to a large extent, maintained their integrity since construction: • Exterior faces have changed little, but suffer from age and deterioration; • Spaces surrounding the hangars and the main interior spaces in the hangars have remained largely intact; • Secondary interior spaces have experienced various degrees of deterioration. The following information systematically identifies the character defining features of the Hangar Row structures and includes treatment considerations to underscore the necessity of maintaining the integrity of these features in order to preserve the unique historic character of the hangars.