On Thursday, the Dayton Foundation and the Wright Family Foundation announced that ownership of Hawthorn Hill is transferring to Dayton History.
Hawthorn Hill was designed by the Wright Brothers, but Wilbur Wright died before construction began. After Orville Wright's death in 1948, the site was purchased by the NCR Corporation who later donated it to the Wright Family Foundation.
Dayton History was already helping to maintain the property's grounds and conduct tours inside the Wright Brothers' historic Oakwood home. Executive director Brady Kress says now Dayton History will begin restoring the home's interior including bringing back the original furniture that's been displayed at other sites.
"We're going to start to bring those original furnishings back into the home where people can start to see the house as Orville left it in 1948 when he last locked the doors," says Kress.
Thursday's transfer includes a one million gift to establish the Friends of Hawthorn Hill Fund at The Dayton Foundation to help with maintenance and preservation costs.
Hawthorn Hill was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991 and is also part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
