A collection of artifacts and historical materials from the long-shuttered Naval Air Station Glenview—including a helicopter and a World War II-era aircraft engine recovered from Lake Michigan—will have new owners and oversight under an agreement reached earlier this month.
The Glenview Hangar One Foundation and Glenview History Center on Oct. 3 announced that an agreement had been reached to transfer stewardship of the Naval Air Station Museum collection from the foundation to the history center.
The Naval Air Station Museum, which was located at 2040 Lehigh Ave. and open to the public on weekends, officially closed on Oct. 1.
In a news release, Hangar One Foundation President Thomas FitzGibbon called the new partnership with the nonprofit Glenview History Center “a legacy-defining moment for our organization.”
“The Glenview Hangar One Foundation was started more than 30 years ago to honor the stories, history and heroes of Naval Air Station Glenview,” FitzGibbon said in the release. “By passing the collection to the Glenview History Center, we are confident that this history will be shared with generations to come, in a way that is accessible, meaningful and enduring.”
At a Feb. 4 meeting of the Glenview Village Board, Village President Michael Jenny spoke of financial challenges facing the foundation that prompted discussions with the village, Glenview History Center and the Glenview Public Library to identify a “path forward” for the foundation and its collection.
Kirsten Bergin, vice president of operations for the Hangar One Foundation, declined to comment to Pioneer Press, citing the “very early days” of the transfer process.
According to the foundation, the collection includes more than 2,000 photographs, posters and prints, plus another 1,200 digital images related to the former air station and its activities; a former Coast Guard helicopter; a World War II TBM Avenger aircraft piston engine that was raised from the lake, military uniforms, and more.
Naval Air Station Glenview operated from 1937 to 1995. After it was decommissioned, the large swath of land was redeveloped as The Glen, more than 1,100 acres of residential, commercial and recreational uses.
Ownership of the museum’s collection will officially transfer to the history center on Dec. 1, said Susan Johns, president of the all-volunteer center’s Board of Directors. The center will work with the village of Glenview and the Glenview Public Library “to secure proper storage locations, relocate the artifacts and investigate options for a new location to display the collection,” she told Pioneer Press.
“During the process we are committed to sharing the history of (Naval Air Station Glenview) through presentations, exhibits and display in the community,” she said.
Kimberly Schlarman, a member of the Glenview History Center Board of Directors and the genealogy and local history supervisor at the Glenview Public Library, said she will oversee the cataloging and preservation of the collection, with some items featured in exhibits next year.
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“Most of the collection will be safely stored until museum space is secured,” she said, adding that this will be a “multi-year process.”
While details of storage are still being finalized, some artifacts will be housed at the Glenview Library, with larger items, like the helicopter, stored by the village, Schlarman said.
“It’s an honor to care for such an important collection and I’m really excited to dig into the artifacts and documents to start preserving and sharing these stories,” she said. “I think that there are a lot of great exhibit ideas and learning opportunities to explore with this collection. I’m looking forward to sharing them with the community and to find new ways to keep this history alive.”
According to the news release, the agreement between the foundation and history center calls for the inclusion of foundation representatives “in planning efforts and governance,” including a seat on the history center’s board.
The Hangar One Foundation was formed in 1996 to preserve the Hangar One Tower from the closed naval base. The museum of artifacts opened in 2004 and was originally located in the base of the former control tower.
In 2020, the Glenview Park District Board rejected an agreement to build a new Naval Air Station museum—paid for through fundraising—in Gallery Park.
Because the naval station closed 30 years ago, Schlarman expressed concern that younger generations will not know its history, including the role it played during World War II, where Navy pilots trained for deployment to the South Pacific.
“This collection helps preserve those memories and allows us to tell the stories of the men and women who served at Naval Air Station Glenview.”