The Piper Aviation Museum
In late 1930, William T. Piper purchased the assets of Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation for $761 and reorganized as the Taylor Aircraft Company. In 1935 Piper bought out C.G. Taylor who had remained in the role of company president. The factory was then located in Bradford PA. Taylor left the company and went on to form the Taylorcraft Aircraft Company.
In 1937 a fire destroyed the Bradford factory and Piper relocated to an abandoned silk mill in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. By November, 1937, all traces of Taylors' involvement with the company were erased when it was renamed the Piper Aircraft Corporation.
The Piper Aircraft Corporation which maintained its headquarters in Lock Haven from 1937 until its closing in 1984, is well known for its "Cub" and for a series of aircraft bearing Indian names such as Aztec, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Comanche, Navajo, and Pawnee. Piper Aircraft Corporation grew to become the world's leading producer of general aviation aircraft. Piper aricraft manufactured by date include:
In 1997, the Piper Aviation Museum acquired the former Piper Engineering building, which is located adjacent to the William T. Piper Memorial Airport. The museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of Piper Aircraft and displaying many of those archives for public viewing. The museum also offers an online and in-store Gift Shop with a variety of items related to Piper Aviation.
Many Piper Aircraft can be seen in action during "Sentimental Journey" - an annual "fly-in" event at the William T. Piper Memorial Airport, held each year since 1985. The 2010 Fly-In celebrated the 25th anniversery of this popular event. We hope you can attend the 2011 show.
Please consider becoming a musuem member and or making a donation. You will not only underline your interest in Piper Aviation, but will help to support and maintain the museum.
We are glad you stopped by and hope you visit again as new items will be added and information will be revised.
The History of Piper Aviation Museum
The current structure of the Piper Aviation Museum can be traced to its incorporation as a non-profit educational organization by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1995. Soon thereafter it purchased the former Engineering building of the Piper Corporation, a 56,000 square foot structure, which now serves as home to the museum.
The Museum is served by a small paid staff and dedicated volunteers. Both groups are well grounded in the history of Piper Aircraft and have an excellent general understanding of American aviation. Most members of the Museum's Board of Directors are local residents who indeed perform as a working board.
The Piper Foundation has been a primary donor to the Museum, along with the Clinton County Community Foundation and aircraft owners and associations. While the Museum seeks institutional and private donor support, its chief sources of revenue at present are rental income, admissions, memberships, and gift shop sales.
The Piper Museum can rightly be called a work in progress. Its holdings of aircraft and aircraft equipment, its ever-expanding archives collection of corporate and family records, flight journals and magazines, photographs, and memorabilia, are all available for public display and becoming truly impressive.
The Museum family invites you to experience the rich history of the Piper Aircraft Corporation.
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