Wright Brothers National Memorial

Kill Devil Hills in Dare County, North Carolina, is where Orville and Wilbur Wright carried out their glider experiments and, on December 17, 1903, made the first powered flight. The Wrights chose the area for its open sand and steady winds and made more than a thousand glider flights from Kill Devil Hill between 1900 and 1902. A 60-foot triangular gray granite shaft, designed by Rogers & Poor and completed in 1932, crowns the hill, with wing reliefs on its sides. Nearby, replicas of the 1903 hangar and living quarters were built in 1953 and later rebuilt, using untreated pine as the originals were. Markers show the takeoff and landing spots. A visitor center and 3,000-foot airstrip, both finished in 1963, are counted as consistent with the memorial's purpose. Postwar development has covered much of the open beach, though the first flight area is kept in short grass. The superintendent's house and maintenance area are listed as non-contributing.