Hamilton Field, East of Nave Drive, Novato, Marin County, CA

Significance: Hamilton Field was constructed as a bombardment base for the 1st Wing of the Air Force, one of only three wings in the nation. Conceived at a time when aviation was rapidly developing, the base was assigned the mission of defending the entire western United States, a role it maintained until 1940. Hamilton also played a significant role in national defense and training during World War II, when it served as one of three major bases of the west coast wing of the Air Transport Command's Pacific Division and parent group of the Operational Training Unit Program, a role critical to the war effort in the Pacific. Hamilton represented a significant departure from accepted Army base architectural style and layout. The carefully planned landscaping that incorporated natural oak groves, knolls, and hills; the cohesive design of all buildings in a Spanish Eclectic style; and the conception of an Army base as a planned community were creative and daring innovations. In contrast to the careful planning evident in the original layout, the temporary buildings constructed during World War II seem to have been built wherever there was room, and project a feeling of the haste and frenzy that accompanied activities during the war.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N304
Survey number: HABS CA-2398
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 98001347