On April 24th Dayton History will hold it’s highly anticipated annual open house at Hawthorn Hill. The hilltop Oakwood mansion has been wonderfully preserved and this past week WYSO toured the Wright Brothers' former home with Alex Heckman, outreach coordinator for Dayton History and Steve Wright, the great-grandnephew of Orville and Wilbur Wright. In this excerpt from WYSO Weekend, Alex Heckman speaks first on the home’s history.
Information from Dayton History: (WYSO is not responsible for this content)
Many regional residents have long wondered what rests inside Hawthorn Hill--the mysterious Oakwood mansion high upon a hilltop. After Orville died on January 30, 1948, the historic home was wonderfully preserved by NCR for 58 years, but only open intermittently. But today, Hawthorn Hill is open to the public, and Dayton History is meticulously returning the property to its original appearance. To that end, for returning Hawthorn Hill visitors, the organization will be pulling never-before-seen Wright family artifacts out of its downtown Archive Center: Orville's books and shoes, Bishop Milton Wright's chair, and much more. Wilbur and Orville's great-grandnephew Stephen Wrightwill share stories of the family's history and provide commentary on rare 1930s Wright films. And for those curious about the giants of industry living near Hawthorn Hill in the '20s, '30s, and '40s, a walking tour of OrvilleWright's historic neighborhood is also available. Dayton History presents Wright at Home in conjunction with the Oakwood Historical Society. Join the two organizations for this special visit to Hawthorn Hill--the world's first pilot's last home. Tickets + Info: 937-293-2841
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