Miller Army Air Field Historic District
Also known as: Miller Field
Why it's listed
Miller Field on Staten Island began as an Army air base in 1919-1921 and once held 38 structures on about 180 acres. After the National Park Service took it over in 1973, much of the airfield became playing fields, and the runway system could no longer be traced. The nominated area shrank to 3.05 acres around two survivors. One is Seaplane Hangar No. 38, a 1920 steel-frame, stucco-walled double hangar with a gambrel roof and a monitor at the peak; WPA wings were added in 1935-1939. It appears to be an unusual design, most similar to a hangar at Crissy Field in San Francisco. The other is the Elm Tree Light, an octagonal concrete beacon tower built by the Coast Guard in 1939 to replace a wooden one. The field hosted aircraft tests in the 1920s, pilot training for a Pan-American flight, and Floyd Bennett's 1928 rescue flight preparations. It also formed part of New York's aerial coast defenses.
Significance in brief: The seaplane hangar is tied to early military aviation and the aerial coast defenses of New York, and appears to be an unusual hangar design, closely resembling one at Crissy Field in San Francisco. The field also hosted early aircraft testing and visits by well-known pilots. The Elm Tree Light adds to the historic setting and reflects a long record of navigational use at the site.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000362, listed April 11, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | New Dorp Lane, New York |
|---|---|
| County | Staten Island |
| Listed | April 11, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000362 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1919-1921 |
| Architect / builder | U.S. Army; hangar built by Smith, Hansen and MacIsaac and Rangely Construction Company, both of New York |
| Architectural style | Double seaplane hangar (Monitor Type) |
| Areas of significance | Military, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings were deteriorated when the National Park Service acquired the field in 1973; the hangar is in general deterioration with sound structural steel, and the Elm Tree Light is not in use. The landplane hangar was demolished in 1976. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 40.56428, -74.09522 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000362.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6859123
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.