Massachusetts’ coolest aviation landmark is tucked away in this harbor town

Lieutenant Cunningham’s Pioneering Flight from Marblehead Harbor

Marine Corps aviation was born on a warm August day in 1912.

Lieutenant Alfred Cunningham, with just two hours and forty minutes of training, took off from Marblehead Harbor in a Burgess Model H seaplane.

After that first solo flight, Cunningham went on to make 400 more flights in the next year, testing what these new machines could do.

Soon he became Naval Aviator No.5 and the first director of Marine Corps aviation.

Today, William L. Hammond Park in Marblehead stands as the spot where it all began, with a plaque that tells the tale of this brave first step into the skies.

A Balloon Ride Sparked Cunningham’s Aviation Dreams

Alfred Austell Cunningham fell in love with flying after watching a balloon launch in Atlanta in 1903. He served in the 3rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War and did duty in Cuba.

For about ten years, he sold real estate in Atlanta while holding onto his flying dreams. In 1911, he joined the Marine Corps and got stationed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

There he spent his free time learning all he could about planes and flying.

He Rented a Plane Called “Noisy Nan” for $25 a Month

At the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1911, Cunningham took action himself. He rented a civilian plane nicknamed “Noisy Nan” for $25 monthly.

The commandant let him use an open field for test flights, though the plane never got off the ground. Cunningham then joined the Aero Club of Philadelphia and talked up Marine Corps aviation to everyone.

Club members with Washington connections pushed officials, including Major General Commandant William P. Biddle, helping Cunningham’s cause.

The Marines Told Him to Learn Flying in May 1912

On May 16, 1912, Cunningham got the orders he wanted.

The Marine Corps pulled him from his duties at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and sent him to learn flying at the aviation camp at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

He showed up for “duty in connection with aviation” on May 22, 1912, now known as the birthday of Marine Corps aviation.

But when he arrived ready to fly, he found no planes available.

Marblehead Became His Training Ground That Summer

With no planes in Annapolis, Cunningham went to the Burgess Company and Curtis factory in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Back then, only aircraft builders could teach flying because of patent rules. The Burgess Company was the first licensed aircraft maker in the United States.

W.Starling Burgess, a yacht designer, started the company, which had built Wright aircraft since 1911. Their factory sat along Marblehead Harbor, perfect for seaplane use.

Two Hours of Training Led to a Historic Takeoff

After just two hours and forty minutes of lessons, Cunningham flew solo on August 20, 1912. He took off from Marblehead Harbor in a Burgess Model H seaplane, also called the Burgess/Curtis Hydroplane.

This flight made him the first Marine Corps aviator and later earned him the title of Naval Aviator No. 5. His historic takeoff happened from the Redstone Lane cove in Marblehead Harbor.

Four Hundred Flights Tested What Marine Planes Could Do

Between October 1912 and July 1913, Cunningham made about 400 flights in the Curtiss B-1 aircraft. These weren’t just fun rides.

He used each flight for training and to test tactics and what aircraft could do for the Marine Corps. Through these flights, he worked out how the Marines would use planes in combat and support operations.

His work helped prove the value of aircraft to military leaders who still had doubts.

Love Nearly Grounded Him Permanently in 1913

In August 1913, Cunningham asked to stop flying for a personal reason. His fiancée refused to marry him unless he quit flying, which many saw as too dangerous then.

The Marine Corps gave him a job as assistant quartermaster at Marine Barracks in the Washington Navy Yard.

Even with his feet on the ground, Cunningham kept pushing for Marine Corps aviation and stayed involved in planning and development.

The Navy Called Him Back to Create an Aviation Section

By November 1913, the Navy Department put Cunningham back to work.

They sent him to Advanced Base School to create an aviation section for the Advanced Base Force. He focused on how planes could scout for Marine operations.

By 1914, he made the force fully working. On September 17, 1915, he got his official title as Naval Aviator No. 5 at Pensacola.

World War I Put His Aviation Leadership to the Test

As America prepared to enter World War I, Cunningham got orders on February 26, 1917, to organize the Aviation Company at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

He became the acting director of Marine Corps aviation during this key time.

When the war broke out, he led Marine aviation units in France, running the first Marine air operations in combat. He received the Navy Cross for his work.

The Burgess Factory Employed 800 People During the War

The Burgess Company, where Cunningham first learned to fly, grew into Marblehead’s largest employer with 800 workers during World War I.

They built aircraft for the U.S. Army, Navy, and foreign militaries, including their Burgess-Dunne seaplanes. The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company bought them in 1914.

A fire destroyed the factory on November 8, 1918, just days before the war ended, closing Marblehead’s chapter as an aviation center.

Hammond Park Honors Where Marine Aviation Was Born

William L. Hammond Park in Marblehead got formal recognition as the birthplace of Marine Corps Aviation in 1977.

Today, visitors to the park can see the American flag flying alongside the Marine Corps flag, honoring these aviation pioneers.

Cunningham’s vision that aviation’s main purpose was “assisting troops on the ground” became the core doctrine of Marine aviation.

Visiting Marblehead, Massachusetts

You can explore Marblehead’s Marine Corps aviation history at several free spots around town.

Check out the J.O. J. Frost Gallery and Civil War Museum at 170 Washington Street for Marine Corps aviation photos.

Hammond Park at the end of Commercial Street has a plaque marking Cunningham’s historic 1912 flight from the harbor.

Fort Sewall offers ranger tours Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4pm, and you can walk the harbor shoreline where the Burgess Company factory once built seaplanes.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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