This is all that remains of a proud tradition of aviation on Long Island. It is one of the few buildings left of the Republic Aircraft Corporation. They were famous for their P-47 Thunderbolt, one of the great aircraft in WWII, and the F-84 Thunderstreak, a turbojet aircraft, then the famous F-105 Thunderchief used in Vietnam, and lastly the A-10 Thunderbolt. This building and several hangars are all that remain. Fortunately the hangars are still in use - one as the American Airpower Museum. I think this abandoned building is not long for the world. So much of aviation began on Long Island, both at Republic, and Grumman, and Curtiss, and now the world has changed and there is nothing left.
What a shame. This poor structure is the product of a wasteful society, one that doesn't appreciate its history or the building itself. If taxes weren't so high on Long Island, maybe someone could have converted this space into something useful, something that would contribute to society - a community hall; a library, a communal food pantry, even a car dealership. Instead, it's abandoned, a blight on the landscape and a testament that we as a society have neither the interest nor the imagination to save relics of the past. Shame on us. I hope your photograph gets your fans thinking about how they can preserve and reuse things big and small for a greener environment, to spark an appreciation of what came before us and what we can leave behind, other than piles of demolition debis.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughtful comments. From the looks of the inside of the structure, as seen through the windows, most of the roof is missing, and the rafters are wooden. I came to Long Island in 1966 and I am sure that Republic was still in business, but I can't remember for sure. They shut down shortly after that, and moved the production of the A-10's to Fairchild facilities down south. So this building may have been abandoned for 40 years. New York State owns it now.
ReplyDeleteThat's great corp. Serving the nation in defense.
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