Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Virginia: Northern Richmond area
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 8/18/08.
Charles Field / Richmond City Airport / Eagle Rock Airport / Hermitage Airport (revised 10/21/06)
Northfield Airport (revised 8/18/08)
____________________________________________________
Charles Field / Richmond City Airport / Eagle Rock Airport /
Hermitage Airport, Richmond, VA
37.59 North / 77.47 West (Northwest of Downtown Richmond, VA)
A 1931 aerial view of Charles Field.
According to the book "Virginia Airports" by Vera Rollo & Norman Crabill (published by the VAHS),
this field was originally known as “Charles Field”.
In May 1927 the officers of Dominion Flying Service joined with J. Shelly Charles of Charles Flying Service
in renting & jointly using a tract of land east of the R.F. & P. Railway tracks
and beside an extension of Laburnum Avenue for aviation purposes.
The field needed to be smoothed, and hangars were needed.
A circa 1920s photo depicted Paul Charles (brother of Shelly Charles)
at Charles Field in front of a homebuilt monoplane which he had constructed.
A circa 1927 photo depicting an Army blimp from Langley Field visiting Charles Field.
J. Shelly Charles applied for an airport license for the site on August 15, 1929.
Pilot Eugene Dennis proposed to help make capital available to begin a scheduled passenger service
between Richmond & Washington & Atlanta.
Despite their efforts, the company was dissolved in 1931.
Charles Flying Field was operated by the Cavalier Air Service Inc. from December 5, 1931.
The Air Service's President was J.C. Harmon, a noted Marine Corps pilot.
Cavalier offered aircraft sales, storage, maintenance, and service.
The field also offered passenger rides & flight instruction,
and a banner-towing autogiro also operated from the site.
A 1931 aerial view of Charles Field depicted it simply as an open grass area.
A 1932 aerial photo of Charles Field depicted it as consisting of a rectangular grass area.
A 1934 photo of Charles Field depicted 9 biplanes in front of two small wooden hangars.
The field was also known as “Eagle Rock Airport”.
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of this field which has been located
was on on the 1935 Norfolk Airway Chart.
It labeled the field as “Richmond” Airport.
The field was evidently renamed “Hermitage Airport” at some point in the next year,
as that is how it was listed in the January 1, 1936 Commerce Department “Description of Airports & Landing Fields in the U.S.”.
It described Hermitage Airport as a commercial field,
located “one mile northwest from center of the city, Union Station & fairgrounds, east of R.F. & P. Railroad.”
The landing area was said to consist of an irregularly-shaped sod field,
with two runways, measuring 2,000' northeast/southwest & 1,500' east/west.
Buildings were said to be located along the east side of the field,
which was said to offer services during the day only.
John Currie was involved in operating Hermitage Airport,
according to the book "Virginia Airports" by Vera Rollo & Norman Crabill (published by the VAHS).
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airport Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described Hermitage Airport as a commercial field.
The landing area was said to consist of an irregularly-shaped sod field,
with two runways, measuring 2,000' northwest/southeast & 1,650' northeast/southwest.
Buildings were said to be located along the east side of the field,
which was said to offer services during the day only.
A 1939 photo depicted a Kellet autogiro towing a banner reading “Fly for a Dollar Hermitage Airport.”
A 1939 aerial photo of Hermitage Field depicted two grass runways in a “T” shape
(the longer runway oriented east/west along the north side of Laburnum Avenue,
and the shorter runway running to the northeast), along with three hangars.
The August 1940 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) & July 1941 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Hermitage as a commercial/municipal airport.
The April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
described Hermitage as having a 2,000' unpaved runway.
George Harper recalled, “I had a 50 minute flight lesson at Hermitage
on 10-22-44 while attending the Navy Diesel School in Richmond.”
The lesson was in a J-3 Cub, taught by G. Chury.
“The field was a large grassy rectangle.
It had several hangars at one end, east I think.”
A circa 1944 photo of Hermitage Airport depicted several J-3 Cubs around & inside a hangar,
which was marked “Richmond School of Aviation Inc,.”
The last depiction which has been located of Hermitage Airport as an active airfield
was on the April 1946 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
A 1946 photo of the Richmond School of Aviation Inc. hangar at Hermitage.
One plane is visible just inside the hangar, with another plane behind it “stacked” on its nose.
An article in the 8/22/48 issue of the Richmond Times Dispatch was entitled “Pioneer Local Airport Closes”.
It said, “Hermitage Airport, one of the older flying fields in Virginia, has had the last of its hangars & buildings torn down.
After more than 20 years of service in Richmond's West End,
Hermitage has suffered the fate of nearly all airports in the path of municipal expansion.”
Hermitage Airport was no longer depicted at all
on the July 1954 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The site of Hermitage Airport was eventually covered by the intersection of Interstates 64 & 195.
By the time of the 1994 USGS aerial photo,
it does not appear as if any trace remained of the former Hermitage Airport.
As can be seen in a 2006 aerial photo,
it does not appear as if any trace remains of the former Hermitage Airport.
____________________________________________________
Northfield Airport, Richmond, VA
37.64 North / 77.43 West (North of Richmond, VA)
A 1952 photo of several light single-engine planes at Northfield Airport.
This small former general aviation airport was located
northeast of the intersection of Intestate 95 & Rt. 301,
in what eventually became the northern suburbs of Richmond
According to the book "Virginia Airports" by Vera Rollo & Norman Crabill (published by the VAHS),
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Judson Sherill applied for an operating license for an airfield at this location in 3/14/45,
and was denied.
He reapplied for the license in the spring of the same year,
and his second application was approved at some point in 1945.
It was not yet depicted on the 1945 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).
The "Northfield Air Country Club" was due to open in 1946,
with plans for runways of 2,000' & 1,800', and also tennis courts.
A 1950 photo of Northfield in the book "Virginia Airports"
showed the airport to have two grass runways & several small hangars.
Another photo from 1952 showed a Civil Air Patrol group at Northfield.
The earliest chart depiction of Northfield Airport which has been located
was on the July 1953 Chesapeake Bay USAF World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted the field as having a 2,800' unpaved runway.
The July 1954 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
continued to depict Northfield as having a 2,800' unpaved runway.
Northfield apparently gained a paved runway at some point between 1954-65,
as the 1965 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
described Northfield Airport as having two runways, with the primary being a 2,500' bituminous strip.
A 1966 aerial photo of Northfield in the book "Virginia Airports"
showed the airport to have a nice paved Runway 6/24, along with a sod north/south runway.
A total of at least 6 T-hangars were south of the runway,
and at least 16 light aircraft were visible on the field.
A 1967 aerial view looking northeast along Northfield's Runway 6,
showing several light aircraft at the far end of the runway.
In 1967 the airport was offered to Henrico County,
but after much discussion it was not accepted (according to the book "Virginia Airports").
Northfield was described in the 1968 VA Airport Directory (courtesy of Don Thompson),
as having one paved 2,400' runway & a shorter grass strip,
and the operator was listed as Sherrillaire Inc.
A May 1968 aerial view looking south at Northfield Airport (courtesy of Kenneth Keeton)
during an AOPA clinic held at the airport.
Northfield Airport was closed on 6/1/68,
and the land was put up for sale by Charles Gibbs & Judson Sherill (according to the book "Virginia Airports").
By the time of the 1970 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Clifford),
Northfield Airport was no longer depicted at all (not even as an abandoned airfield),
nor on the 1972 USGS topo map.
Kevin Barnett recalled going to the former Northfield Airport in 1973
(which had been closed by that time) to fly kites on the runway.
"And against my mother's better judgment,
we even flew a kite from the car as my dad drove down the runway."
Arfon Griffiths recalled, "I never visited the airport while it was in operation
but I have played in the remaining fields MANY times as a kid.
In the 1970's one half of the field was turned into suburb housing
and Parham Road was cut through the end of the grass field."
The 1996 USGS aerial photo showed that all traces of the former airport were gone,
with housing having been built on the western half of the property,
and a cleared field on the eastern half.
A 2006 aerial photo, annotated by Lowry Eads to show the location of the former runways of Northfield Airport.
Additional housing had been built over the eastern half of the property at some point between 1996-2006.
The site of Northfield Airport is located northwest of the intersection of Route 301 & East Parham Road.
____________________________________________________
________________________________
To place an advertisement on this website, email Paul Freeman.