Lighter-Than-Air Historic District Management Plan and Condition Assessment at Joint-Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Burlington and Ocean Counties, New Jersey

Author(s): Daniel J. O'Rourke; Stephen Sennott; Andrew Orr; Lynn Gierek

Year: 2022

Summary

The U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center contracted Argonne National Laboratory to complete a Management Plan (Volume I) and Condition Assessment (Volume II) for the Lighter-Than-Air Historic District at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL), Lakehurst Borough and Jackson and Manchester Townships, Ocean County, New Jersey. The investigation was completed in accordance with Section 110 of National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (NJHPO) guidelines for architectural history survey. Volume 1 contains the management plan, and Volume II contains condition assessments for the facilities that comprise the historic district.

The Lighter-Than-Air Historic District is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in the U.S. Navy's air transportation history involving the early development and use of both rigid and non-rigid airships, with a period of significance from 1921 to 1962. The district is comprised of 70 contributing and 14 non-contributing resources. This study verified the district’s boundaries and found that the district remains largely intact. The original buildings, site planning, and landscape retain a high level of integrity with an absence of intrusive modern construction. Overall, the district buildings are well maintained and remain functional; however, the report identified concerns about modern building materials and inconsistent maintenance practices. The condition assessment of the buildings in the district supports the recommendations in the management plan.

Cite this Record

Lighter-Than-Air Historic District Management Plan and Condition Assessment at Joint-Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Burlington and Ocean Counties, New Jersey. Daniel J. O'Rourke, Stephen Sennott, Andrew Orr, Lynn Gierek. 2022 ( tDAR id: 470502) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8470502

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
20th Century Military • Historic • Lighter-than-Air

Site Name
Building 120 • Hangar No. 1 National Historic Landmark • Lighter than Air Historic District

Investigation Types
Architectural Documentation • Architectural Survey • Heritage Management • Historic Background Research

General
Airship Landing Mat • Anti-submarine reconnaissance • Bachelor Officers' Quarters • Blimp • Cathedral of the Air • Condition Assessment • Helium Purificiation Plan • Hindenburg Crash Site • Lighter-Than-Air • Management Plan • Married Officers' Quarters • Rigid Airship • World War II Timber Hangar

Geographic Keywords
Burlington (County) • Jackson Township • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst • Lakehurst Borough • Manchester Township • New Jersey (State / Territory) • Ocean County (County)

Temporal Keywords
05422 Historic • Cold War Era • Interwar Period • World War II

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1921 to 1962

Spatial Coverage

min long: -74.371; min lat: 40.016 ; max long: -74.306; max lat: 40.048 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base CRM Manager

Sponsor(s): Air Force Civil Engineer Center

Prepared By(s): Argonne National Laboratory

Submitted To(s): Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base

Record Identifiers

Argonne National Laboratory(s): ANL/EVS-21/10

File Information

  Name Size Creation Date Date Uploaded Access
JBMDL_LTA-Vol-II-Condition-Assessment_FINAL_July-2022.pdf 12.35mb Sep 19, 2022 1:25:40 PM Confidential
JBMDL_LTA-Vol-I-Management-Plan_FINAL_July-2022.pdf 103.22mb Sep 19, 2022 1:25:38 PM Confidential