Preservation and documentation work on a World War II-era seaplane hangar in Pennsylvania has earned recognition for combining engineering documentation, historical research and digital technologies after the structure could no longer be preserved.
Terracon and project partners received the 2026 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Special Focus Award: Ralph Modjeski Award for Transportation Design, Preservation or Archaeology for work associated with the Mustin Seaplane Hangar at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
Constructed in 1943, the Mustin Seaplane Hangar was the last surviving World War II-era seaplane hangar at the former naval shipyard. The structure was also notable for its thin-shell reinforced concrete design associated with structural engineer Anton Tedesko.
Because preserving the physical structure was no longer feasible, the project team developed a documentation and mitigation program intended to retain information about the building and its historical significance.
The work included large-format photography, aerial and interior laser scanning, historical research, survey documentation and development of a three-dimensional printed model. The team also produced a digital reconstruction video and assembled historical publications and exhibit panels.
Terracon worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, PhilaPort and other project partners on the preservation effort.
The resulting materials provide documentation covering the hangar's transportation, engineering, military, architectural and aviation history. Resources have been made available through the Tinicum Township Historical Society to maintain public access to the project's historical record.
The project also incorporated the Section 106 historic preservation process, which requires consideration of historic properties as part of certain federally involved projects. The work brought together transportation, preservation and technical expertise to document the structure before its loss.
The project demonstrates how construction, engineering and environmental professionals can use digital documentation to preserve information about significant structures when physical preservation is not possible.
For owners and project teams working with historic properties, tools such as laser scanning, digital reconstruction and detailed archival documentation can provide a record of existing conditions while supporting regulatory and preservation requirements. The Mustin Hangar project also illustrates how multidisciplinary collaboration can preserve technical and historical information beyond the life of a structure.
Source: Terracon.
