The Hughes Flying Boat in McMinnville, Yamhill County is among Oregon’s latest entries in the National Register of Historic Places.

Oregon’s State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation recommended the property’s nomination at their October 2023 meeting. The National Park Service—which maintains the National Register—accepted the nomination on October 15, 2024.

The Hughes Flying Boat (H-4 Hercules), often referred to as the “Spruce Goose”, is nationally significant for its association with Howard R. Hughes, Jr., one of the most influential figures in American aviation history, and for the seaplane’s service as a research and testing platform for innovative mechanically engineered systems that became standard in large aircraft after the Second World War. As a one-of-a-kind prototype, the Hughes Flying Boat flew only one time, on November 2, 1947. From 1947 until 1953, the aircraft served as a testbed for a variety of aviation innovations, including the application of Duramold wood composite in large aircraft construction, redundant fire suppression and flight control systems. The Hughes Flying Boat is also the largest seaplane, largest wooden aircraft, and largest propeller-driven plane ever built.

After its flight, the Hughes Flying Boat was housed in Long Beach, California, where it remained until 1992. The plane was then disassembled and moved to McMinnville. In 1980, the plane was listed in the National Register, but because it was moved to Oregon without prior NPS approval, it was automatically delisted. In 2001, the aircraft was reassembled and today it is the centerpiece of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.

The Hughes Flying Boat (H-4 Hercules) is the only individually listed aircraft in Oregon.

The National Register is maintained by the National Park Service under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Properties listed in the National Register are:

• Recognized as significant to the nation, state, or community;

• Considered in the planning of federal or federally-assisted projects;

• Eligible for federal and state tax benefits;

• Qualify for historic preservation grants when funds are available;

• Eligible for leniency in meeting certain building code requirements;

• Subject to local laws pertaining to the conservation and protection of historic resources.

State law in Oregon requires local governments to offer a minimal level of protection for properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places; the decisions about how to accomplish that goal reside with local governments, which also have the authority to create and regulate local historic districts and landmarks.

More information about the National Register and recent Oregon listings are online at oregonheritage.org (under the heading “Designate”).