As America entered World War I and saw a need for aviators, many US cities stepped up and provided facilities to encourage training in the new art of flying. Austin was no exception, with local boosters jockying to get Army Air Corps training opportunities for the Central Texas area.
In 1917 the Chamber of Commerce secured options on 1,700 acres south of Austin, including some of what is now St. Edwards University. A portion of the land had previously been part of the Blocker Ranch. When officials from the Army arrived in Austin to inspect possible sites the initial suggestion of land at Camp Mabry was rejected. A 318 acre parcel of the original 1,700 acres south of Austin was deemed suitable. Penn Field was born.
The main building at Penn Field. It was also the largest building at the airfield when it was in operation.
Penn Field was named after Austin aviator Eugene Doak Penn, who died while training in Italy on May 20, 1918. And it was not until 1918 before planes started landing at Penn Field, and in doing so they encountered several
obstacles. The landing strip was not paved. Though the land was flat it was not entirely smooth. Blown tires and even holes in fuselages were reported due to the abundance of flint rock on the runway. A large number of volunteers, including Boy Scouts, carted off 317 truck
loads of rocks in an effort to make the runway more safe. An abundance of corn stalks was also cited as problem from time to time.
Another shot of the main building. Note that the modern glass walls are recessed with the brick facade.
Buildings were constructed for not only aviation purposes, but also to house a radio school, which had moved to this location from the University of Texas campus. Five brick buildings were constructed and were in full use by the end of 1918. The Chamber of Commerce has insisted on brick buildings since they intended for them to be used as factories after the war.
The buildings at Penn Field were used for a variety of purposes after 1920, including automobile parts manufacturing, furniture making, and fireplace construction. Over the years however, the state of the buildings began to deteriorate. In the fall of 2000 the buildings were renovated into modern office space. Thankfully, the developers chose not to tear down the old brick buildings, but instead they built within them. The buildings are completely modern inside with an aged exterior that hints at its history.
Sources: Wings Over Austin, by Walter E. Long