Hawthorn Hill–Wright family mansion
PHONE: 937.293.2841
WEBSITE: www.daytonhistory.org
/destinations/hawthorn-hill.htm
Hawthorn
Hill is the Wright family mansion in Oakwood, Ohio.
Wilbur and Orville Wright designed Hawthorn Hill (sometimes
missspelled as Hawthorne Hill) as a home suitable to
receive important visitors. The Wright brothers chose for
its setting a 17-acre site in Oakwood, a leafy suburb on
Dayton's southern border. Wilbur died in 1912, before the
house was built.
Orville Wright oversaw construction of Hawthorn Hill and added his own designs for labor-saving devices. Among them were a special system of chains and rods that allowed him to control the furnace from upstairs rooms; an early water softener; a toaster that could slice and brown bread, and an easy chair with a reading stand and matching adjustable footstool.
Distinguished visitors to the Wright family mansion included Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Carl Sandburg, Admiral Richard Byrd, King Constantine of Greece, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh.
Orville Wright died on January 30, 1948. Edward Deeds of the National Cash Register Corporation (NCR) bought the estate and used it as a company guesthouse. NCR maintained the property over the years and donated it to the Wright Family Foundation in 2006.
The Wright family worked with the National Park Service and Dayton History, a nonprofit organization, to open the house to the public without disturbing its quiet neighborhood setting. Dayton History began scheduled tours in 2007.
In 2009, President Obama signed legislation authored by Congressman Michael Turner of Centerville to add Hawthorn Hill to the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. The Wright family maintains ownership of the home, and Dayton History manages tours.
Hours/Tours
Hawthorn Hill is not open to the public on a walk-in basis. Dayton History conducts tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Shuttle vans depart Carillon Historical Park promptly at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Advance, prepaid reservations are required and space is limited to no more than 10 visitors.
Admission
HAWTHORN HILL: $12.00 per person.
COMBINATION HAWTHORN HILL-CARRILLON PARK: $15.00 per person ($10.00 for Dayton History members)
NEARBY RESTAURANTS | NEARBY HOTELS | NEAREST AIRPORT
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
This page is not an official website for Hawthorn Hill. If you are looking for the official website, go here.
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