Boeing Airplane Plant - Seattle, Washington
Posted by: Hikenutty
N 47° 31.081 W 122° 17.823
10T E 552923 N 5262971
Building No. 105, more commonly known as "The Red Barn" was the original manufacturing plant of the Boeing Airplane Company. It was moved to its current location in 1975 and is now an exhibit at the Boeing Museum of Flight.
Waymark Code: WM1GAN
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2007
Views: 141
The following is an exerpt from
Washington: A Guide to the Evergreen State, published in 1941:
The BOEING AIRPLANE PLANT (admission by pass only), is the designing, engineering, and production headquarters of this western pioneer aircraft establishment. Here were developed and built the thousands of B-17 Flying Fortresses and D-29 Superfortresses, and other fighting craft used by American and Allied Flying Forces during World War II. Clippers and Stratojets are other developments. In 1943 a wind tunnel and aerodynamics laboratory were erected for testing purposes. During the war this company's Seattle, Renton, and Wichita, Kansas, plants cooperated in a giant production program with five other plane namufacturing concerns in the country. (page 240)
The "Red Barn", built in 1909, was the original manufacturing plant for the Boeing Corporation, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally located at 7200 Airport Way, the Red Barn was donated to The Museum of Flight by then owners, Port of Seattle, in 1975 and moved to its present location at Boeing Field/King County International Airport that same year.
Much has changed since this passage of the book was written. Although Boeing is still a leader in the Aerospace industry, it is no longer headquartered in Seattle, but Chicago instead. However many of their planes are still designed and assembled here.
The Red Barn exhibit at the Museum of Flight, "The Boeing Story: 1916–1958", contains rare artifacts, such as the famous mail bag carried in 1919 by Boeing, Sr., and Eddie Hubbard during the first international U.S. Air Mail flight from Vancouver, B.C., to Seattle; a re-created factory workshop, showing the Red Barn as it was used during production of the Boeing Model C and Model 40; and exhibitry on the early history of Boeing and other major founders of the American aerospace industry.
Its current address is 9404 East Marginal Way S., Seattle. Access to the plant exhibit, and other incredible aerospace exhibits (including tours of an Airforce One and of a Concorde jet) are part of what you will see with admission to the Museum of Flight. Information on current exhibits, hours and admission fees can be found at www.museumofflight.org