Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Southeastern Ohio
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 1/12/08.
(Original) Jefferson County Airport (revised 1/12/08) - (Original) Ohio University Airport (revised 10/26/03)
Twin City Airport / Holzer Airport (added 10/31/04)
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Twin City Airport / Holzer Airport, Gallipolis, OH
38.83 North / 82.16 West (Southeast of Columbus, OH)
An aerial view looking northeast at the Twin City Airport,
from The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
The photo was presumably taken during some kind of airshow,
as there were a large number of planes parked on the left side of the picture, along with hundreds of cars.
The date of construction of the Twin City airport has not been determined.
The earliest reference to the field which has been located
was in The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Twin City as a municipal airport, having two sod runways: 4,000' northeast/southwest & 2,000' north/south.
The earliest depiction of the Twin City Airport which has been located
was in The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
It described the field as having three sod runways.
The June 1939 Huntington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Twin City as a commercial or municipal airport.
The Airport Directory Company's 1941 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Twin City as having two sod runways: 3,000' northeast/southwest & 1,200' northwest/southeast.
The Haire Publishing Company's 1945 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described "Twin Cities Airport" as a "Class 2" facility, owned by Dr. C. E. Holzer.
The field was said to have two sod runways (3,000' east-northeast/west-southwest & 1,200' north/south),
along with two hangars.
According to Mark Phillips, airport owner Dr. C. E. Holzer was a prominent area physician.
The airport was evidently renamed after its owner at some point between 1945-54,
as it was labeled as "Holzer" Airport on the July 1954 Huntington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It was depicted as having a 2,200' unpaved runway.
The January 1957 Huntington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Holzer Airport as having a 2,200 unpaved runway.
At some point between 1957-75, the Holzer Airport was replaced by the Gallia-Meigs Regional Airport,
just across Route 7 to the north,
which boasted a paved runway.
The precise date of closure of Holzer Airport has not been determined.
The 1975 USGS topo map still depicted Holzer Airport's single grass runway, labeled simply as "Airstrip".
The 1988 USGS aerial photo shows that the site of the airport has been remarkably preserved,
including even the white airport circle which is still visible in the center of the field.
It is unknown if any of the buildings surrounding the field date from its airport days.
According to Mark Phillips, “the airstrip figured prominently in the local legend of 'Mothman',
the creature for which there was a movie released in 2002, starring Richard Gere & Laura Linney.
According to old press clippings, a few men were awaiting a friend's landing.
A large winged profile appeared, but not a plane; a creature, some sort of strange bird. Just part of Mothman lore.”
Mark Phillips reported in 2005 that “The southwest portion of the airstrip was sold for a Wal-Mart Supercenter,
which was finished about 4 or 5 years ago.”
The site of the former Twin City / Holzer Airport is located south of the intersection of Route 7 & Old Airport Road,
appropriately enough.
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(Original) Ohio University Airport, Athens, OH
39.34 North / 82.07 West (Southeast of Columbus, OH)
An aerial view looking northwest at the Athens Municipal Airport,
from The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
The first airfield in Athens was located on East State Street.
Its date of construction is unknown.
The earliest reference to the field which has been located
is the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
It described Athens Municipal Airport as having a 2,300' x 600' sod landing area.
The aerial photo in the directory depicted a single hangar at the northwest corner of the field,
which was described as having "Athens" painted on the roof.
The earliest chart depiction of Athens Airport which has been located
was on the June 1939 Huntington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The airport was owned by the Rowland Family until 1943,
when Ohio University purchased it.
The airfield was initially used for the Civilian Air Patrol
and eventually for the University's aviation training program.
The airport was still depicted as "Athens" on the May 1944 Huntington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
but by the time of the November 1944 Huntington Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy),
it was labeled "Ohio University".
As depicted on the 1953 Flight Chart (courtesy of Scott O'Donnell),
Ohio University Airport had a 4,000' unpaved runway.
In the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory,
the Ohio University Airport was described as having a single 3,200' concrete Runway 9/27.
The operator was listed as Ohio University.
The layout of the Ohio University Airport, as depicted on the 1966 OH Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Showing that you can't always trust the USGS topo maps,
the 1967 USGS topo map actually depicted the Ohio University Airport in the wrong location -
on the opposite (south) side of the Hocking River!
The Ohio University Airport was still depicted on the 1967 Huntington Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
In the late 1960's, with planning taking place for a new highway to be built nearby,
the University was forced to find another location for its airfield.
After exploring nine sites, Albany was selected as the site of the new Gordon Bush Regional Airport.
The original airport in Athens presumably closed when the new airport opened (in the 1970s?).
The old airport was definitely closed prior to 1972,
as only the new airport was listed in the 1972 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy),
and the original Athens Airport was no longer depicted at all on the 1975 USGS topo map.
By 1994, the site of the former airport had become the Athens Mall Shopping Center.
As can be seen in the above 1994 USGS aerial photo,
the center portion of the former runway has become the site of a Kroger & Ames stores,
and their parking lots cover a large portion of the former airport.
However, significant portions of the former runway & taxiway still extend outward on both the western & eastern end.
Several former hangars still stand on the former ramp area, north of the western end of the runway.
The runway pavement was apparently extended to 4,000' at some point,
as that is the length of the runway remains in the above 1994 aerial photo.
Brian Pralgo recalled, "From 1996-97 I lived across the street from the old airfield.
I remember seeing people use their radio-controlled cars & planes there.
Also, student drivers practicing their parking skills."
Jason Hitesman reported that "The old airfield is still used for driver training
and by locals as a place to run RC cars & planes.
Some of the old hangars are now used as county support buildings
and there is a farmers market that is held in some of them.
I had used the eastern portion of the old runway for RC cars & launching model rockets
quite often while a student at OU from 93-98
but had never noticed that there were still remains of the runway to the west as well as the old airport buildings.
The southwest corner of the old runway I had actually visited but never realized it was a runway.
The extreme western edge is now basketball courts and just east of that is a set of handball courts.
The Hocking River runs just south of the airfield
and the entire area floods fairly often which along with the encroaching town
probably were why the school abandoned the field and built a new one some miles south of town along Route 33."
Brian Pralgo reported in 2004, "I believe that the remaining remnants of the old runway are now gone. Walmart came to town.
At the very least, the part that is east of the Kroger shopping center is gone."
The original Ohio University Airport is located south of East State Street,
east of Route 33.
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(Original) Jefferson County Airport (44D), Smithfield, OH
40.29 North / 80.78 West (Southwest of Pittsburgh, PA)
The original Jefferson County Airport,
as depicted on the 1976 Pittsburgh Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
This county airport was evidently built at some point between 1972-76,
as it was not listed among active airfields in the 1972 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the Jefferson County Airport which has been located
was on the 1976 Pittsburgh Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe),
which depicted it as having a single 3,500' paved runways.
The airport was reportedly located on a former coal mine.
David Straka recalled, “I learned to fly there back in the late 1970s.
There was a flying club located there. One of the members was Bill Ralston.
He & his entire family and a friend were killed in Colorado when one of the club's plane crashed out there.
The white building in the center [of the field] was kind of a flight office or Fixed Base Operator's office.
They never did have hangars out there.
It is in the middle of nowhere.
There was a big to-do when the airport was built in the first place.”
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
which described the Jefferson County Airport as having a single 3,500' asphalt Runway 15/33.
The 1985 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted the Jefferson County Airport
as having a parallel taxiway on the east side of the runway,
leading to a small ramp with a single small "terminal" building.
It did not depict any hangars.
In the 1994 USGS aerial photo,
the airfield consisted of the single 3,500' asphalt Runway 15/33,
and the former airport office building (the white building) north of the runway midpoint.
There were no aircraft visible on the field.
The legend “Jefferson County Airport” was barely visible on 1995 USGS topo map.
Apparently this airfield was replaced in 1996,
when a newly constructed Jefferson County Airpark was constructed in Steubenville,
and at which point the original airfield presumably was closed.
Reportedly the original Jefferson County Airpark was replaced due to its very remote location -
being about 20 miles from county’s largest city, Steubenville.
Furthermore, the airport reportedly had no resident aircraft,
and county couldn’t afford to have full-time security.
According to Bob Jankowski, from 1998-2003 the former runway of the original Jefferson County Airport
was reused for drag racing, as the Friendship Park Raceway.
A 2004 USGS aerial photo looking northwest along the runway of the former Jefferson County Airport,
showing the portion in the foreground which was reused as a drag strip.
A closeup from the 2004 USGS aerial photo of the former airport office building
which remained standing at the site of the former Jefferson County Airport.
It was also formerly known as "Steel Valley Dragway".
The “1/8 mile asphalt drag strip” was listed as being for sale in 2005.
The original Jefferson County Airport is located northwest of the intersection
of Friendship Park Road & Township Highway 191.
Thanks to Funneman1 for pointing out this airfield.
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