When was Philadelphia International Airport built?
Philadelphia International Airport opened in 1940; then as Philadelphia Municipal Airport in addition transported 40,000 passengers on just a handful of carriers. Through the ensuing decades, the Airport expanded and developed as air travel became more popular.
How long did it take to build Philly airport?
Moreover, 2.5 years! The terminal, designed by architects Carroll, Grisdale & Van Alen, took 2.5 years to construct. In addition, was 1,100 feet (335 meters) long and designed to handle 2 million passengers annually.
Some Interesting History
Here’s something to think about! The next time you fly to or from Philadelphia International Airport where the runway stands today once stood the site of a British cannon battery which bombarded Fort Mifflin with hundreds of cannonballs and mortar shells during the Revolutionary War siege of 1777.
These land batteries constructed on the Pennsylvania shore were also the site of fierce and bloody fighting when sailors of the Pennsylvania State Navy and militia from Fort Mifflin attacked them multiple times in mid-October. Captain John Montresor, ironically the same engineer tasked with designing and building Fort Mifflin in 1771.
Lastly, two ships sunk during the siege. The HMS Merlin and the HMS Augusta. Moreover, Augusta became the biggest British ship sunk during the Revolution.
