Davis Field
Also known as: Bayport Aerodrome
Why it's listed
Davis Field, also called the Bayport Aerodrome, is a grass-strip airfield in Bayport, Suffolk County, New York. Curtis Davis, Sr., a Civil Air Patrol pilot during World War II, established it in 1945 on land his father had bought in 1910 and used as a cornfield. The historic core includes two parallel grass runways, two steel-frame hangars, and a small butcher shop built around 1898 in Sayville and moved to the field about 1945, where it now serves as a pilot's lounge and flight school office. One hangar was moved within the property around 1985 to meet federal aviation rules. The field recalls the period after World War II when returning veterans revived recreational flying and small airfields were common across Long Island. The Town of Islip bought the field in 1978 after neighbors protested a housing proposal. It remains active, hosting flight schools and the Bayport Aerodrome Society, which restores vintage aircraft.
Significance in brief: The field is significant under Criterion A as a surviving example of the small recreational airfields that once dotted Long Island, tied to the postwar revival of private flying by returning veterans. Under Criterion C it represents pre-1950 airport design, with its original grass airstrip layout and two surviving hangars. A relocated late-nineteenth-century butcher shop serves as a pilot's lounge and flight school office.
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 07001456, listed January 22, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2nd St. & 3rd Ave., Bayport |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | January 22, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001456 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1945-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Curtis Davis, Sr. |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still an active airfield with two aviation schools and the Bayport Aerodrome Society, which restores vintage aircraft; the butcher shop interior was recently restored by the Town of Islip. |
| Acreage | 59.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.76047, -73.08294 (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 07001456.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2265670
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.