This airfield played a fundamental role in the development of the United States military aviation in the period before and during World War I.

In January 1911, Curtiss signed a contract with the owner of North Island to use the land for three years for a flying school, which was established in February 1911.

The Army's Signal Corps Aviation School relocated the Curtiss airplane group from its original location at College Park, Maryland, to North Island from November to December 1912, instead of to Augusta, Georgia, as it had the previous winter.

The Wright group, organized as the 1st Provisional Aero Squadron, came to North Island after mobilizing in Texas in March.

Also in July, the United States Congress authorized the President to proceed with the taking of North Island for Army and Navy aviation schools.

President Woodrow Wilson signed an Executive Order in August 1917 for condemnation of the land, which was still privately owned.

The Army selected a well-known Detroit industrial architect, Albert Kahn, to develop a site and building designs.

Its mission was to prove the durability, and reliability of the Martin GMB-1 aeroplane, by achieving the unprecedented feat of circumnavigating the continental United States by air.

John P. Richter, Virgil Hine, and Frank W. Seifert) conducted the first complete aerial refueling between two airplanes.

Eventually, agreement was reached within the War Department to grant the Navy complete control of North Island.

After visiting the air station and the Army airfield on an inspection tour in October 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an Executive Order transferring Rockwell Field and all of its buildings to the Navy.

Kahn's Mission Revival hangars (Buildings 501, 502, and 503 from 1918) are in similar materials with red clay tile, gabled roofs.