The “birthplace of aviation” is for sale.
Chopawamsic Island in the Potomac River, which runs through Stafford County has been listed on the Real Estate market for $4.9 million.
The 13-acre island is listed by Woodbridge-based Samson properties, listed as a private property that is a short boat ride to Washington D.C. and has a 1,500 square home.
According to the listing, the home was built in 1930 and includes three sections: The main house, a guest house, and the caretaker’s house and are all listed as part of the sale. The listing also states that those houses are in need of extensive renovation or complete rebuilding.
The listing also boasts notable visitors such as John Smith and Theodore Roosevelt and also claims that John Lennon of the Beatles once considered purchasing the property.
The listing for the island also mentions the flight of Aerodrome #5 conducted by Professor Samuel Langley. On May 6, 1896 Langley launched the pilot-less craft from a boat off the coast of Chopawamsic Island which predates the famous Wright Brothers flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina by seven years.
A picture of the flight taken by Alexander Graham Bell is kept in the archives of the Smithsonian.
The experimental flight has inspired Stafford County to lay claim to the title of “the birthplace of aviation,” and has led to officials looking into possibilities to use this claim to attract tourists.
Recently the Stafford Regional Airport Authority approached the county’s Board of Supervisors with a plan to exhibit a replica of Aerodrome #5 on their grounds. The idea would be to attract aviation enthusiasts for sightseeing as well as using the model for educational purposes.
The Aerodrome #5 model would be built by Warrenton-based company the Wright Experience who had also built replicas for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
Samson Properties is currently considering all offers for the purchase of the property by corporate and non-profit organizations. As of now, the Stafford County officials are not considering purchasing the island.
