[2] In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency signed a $25,000-per-month lease with the city to use 453 acres (1.83 km2) at the Hope Municipal Airport as a staging area for trailers.

The construction of the Southwestern Proving Ground was part of the U.S. Government's National Defense Program which provided factories for the manufacture of munitions, airplanes and tanks in preparation for an eventual war.

After the initial evacuation order the War Department decided they needed more room for an airport so they added more acres.

Testing began in January 1942 and Hempstead County residents were finally allowed within the gates of the proving ground in April.

105-mm shells that had fired prematurely in battle were determined by research at SWPG to have faulty rotating bands, thus saving the lives of American troops.

B-25s were sent from the airport in Hope to the Gulf of Mexico to observe the testing of bombs for tumbling and proper ballistics after being fired.

The building is constructed of brick in a restrained Art Deco style on a continuous concrete foundation with a barrel vaulted roof and four corner towers.

[4] Hope Municipal Airport covers an area of 1,575 acres (637 ha) at an elevation of 359 feet (109 m) above mean sea level.