The original State Airport Terminal at Hillsgrove, now Theodore
Francis Green State Airport, was the first state-owned airport
in the United States. The airport was constructed in 1932 and
opened for business in 1933. The state-owned terminal provided
an example of early modern architecture associated with the
developments in transportation, commerce and public works in
early 20th-century Rhode Island. Providence area businessmen
believed that a publicly owned and operated airfield was
necessary to attract National airlines to Providence and to
ensure that the capital city would be part of the aviation age.
Warwick officials were also convinced that a state-owned airport
would promote local commercial and industrial development. The
state responded by establishing the first state-owned airport.
The site for the new airport was chosen in 1929 and dedicated on
September 26, 1931. The number of spectators, 150,000, who
attended the first two inaugural air shows at the facility
indicates the importance of the air