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For the fourth installment of the series, we’re going to look at another of eight sites in Tullahoma listed on the National Register of Historic Places – the T-201 World War II aircraft hangar, located at the U.S. Army’s William Northern Field, now the Tullahoma Regional Airport. This is the only former military property in Tullahoma listed on the National Register; it was added in 2021.

Per the 2021 National Register nominating document: “The T-201 Aircraft Hangar is locally significant under Criterion A in the Area of Military for its role in World War II-era military air training at the Tullahoma Army Air Base (renamed William Northern Field in 1942, now known as the Tullahoma Regional Airport) in Coffee County, Tennessee. The hangar’s period of significance is 1941-1945, corresponding to its years of use for military training during World War II. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began constructing the Tullahoma Army Air Base in 1941 to act as an auxiliary training base to supplement the massive training program at Camp Forrest Army training base, nearby in Tullahoma, and the Smyrna Army Airfield forty-five miles to the north in Rutherford County. At its peak, the Tullahoma Army Air Base covered 1,300 acres and included more than 100 buildings, almost all of which were dismantled after the end of World War II.

“The Tullahoma Army Air Base’s three runways were built to withstand the weight of heavy bomber planes, including the B-24 Liberator. The T-201 aircraft hangar directly supported the base’s military training activities by providing a space for the instruction of aircraft operation and maintenance. This in turn contributed to the United States’ massive effort to quickly train pilots and flight crews for service in World War II, resulting in the eventual victory of the United States and its allies. The T-201 Aircraft Hangar is the only surviving World War II-era aircraft hangar at the field and retains its integrity to convey its role in the field’s significant military history.”

 “T-201” was the army’s designation for that particular building and carries no significance otherwise. All of the buildings on the base property were designated with a letter and three-number label.

Over the years, the hangar had fallen into disrepair. Its wooden roof had rotted, many of the glass panes had been broken out, and water and vegetation had intruded into the 22,500 sg. ft. space. However, its open span steel framework was functionally intact. Mindful of the hangar’s history and significance, in early 2021, Michael Williamson and his wife Maegan purchased the hangar and immediately set to work refurbishing it. It now houses Williamson Aviation, as well as some other aviation-related businesses.

The accompanying photo of the hangar was taken in 2021, shortly before the refurbishment started, and is courtesy of Williamson Aviation, Inc. Dr. Elizabeth Taylor’s excellent Camp Forrest books have more information and stories about Camp Forrest and William Northern Field. They can be purchased locally at the Tullahoma Fine Arts Center and the Book Shelf.

Do you have some old Tullahoma photos and accompanying stories to share? You can contact me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.