Edward F. Knapp State Airport – Berlin VT

Description

Located between Montpelier and Barre, what is now Edward F. Knapp State Airport in the Town of Berlin, Vermont was developed as a New Deal project in conjunction with the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.).

Wikipedia: “Originally called the Barre-Montpelier Airport, the airport opened on April 5, 1929. At the time of its construction, the airport was a primitive field with a grass surface. Depending on the wind, planes could take off in any direction. For its earlier years, this worked well, but as larger planes started to use the airport, longer paved runways became a necessity. In October 1935, the field was sold to the municipalities of Barre and Montpelier. Using government money from the Works Progress Administration, the new field was constructed in 1936. The two paved runways, designed by Thurman Dix, Barre City Engineer, and George Reed, Montpelier City Engineer, were 2200 ft. long and 100 ft. wide. The total cost of the project was $95,000.”

“On April 10, 1941, construction began on a project funded by the Works Progress Administration and the Civil Aeronautics Administration to bring the airport to a standard for national defense purposes. The airport now had two 4000’ x 150’ paved runways, with the designations 17/35 and 5/23. The total cost of the improvements was over $550,000. In a separate project in 1941, runway lights were added, as well as obstruction lights in the nearby fields.”

The W.P.A. also renovated what then became the airport’s administration building.

Description and details for WPA Project No. 165-1-12-53:

• Improvements to municipal airport. Cost: $197,838. Sponsor: War Department.
• Make improvements at airport. Cost: $786,873. Sponsor: Barre‐Montpelier Airport Committee.