From the Flight Deck

Marshfield Airport has come a long way since Joseph and Helen Ford built it out in the late 1940s. They created a sod runway 2,500 feet long and opened for business in 1948.

Jump ahead 77 years and look at the difference. Look at the impact made by one George D. Harlow.

George Harlow served on the Marshfield Airport Commission for 45 years, from 1964 until his death in 2009 at age 86. The town purchased the airport in 1965, paved the runway in 1968 and again in 1983, and in 2001 renovated a barn on the property into what is now the airport terminal and administration building.

George worked on the plans for the current safety improvement project – initiating in 2002 and culminating this year – until his passing. That project improved safety and environmental aspects while creating a longer, wider runway in 2014 and reconstructing the primary ramp areas in 2025, aimed at bringing the airport up to current FAA standards.

A restored Harlow Field sign greets visitors out front.

It’s no wonder the town of Marshfield honored George by naming Marshfield Municipal Airport the George D. Harlow Airfield. The dedication took place in 2002 following the Board of Selectmen’s unanimous vote to rename the airport in his honor.

“Mr. Harlow is very deserving of this significant honor after more than 35 years of continuous service on the Airport Commission,” selectmen wrote in November of 2001. “He was instrumental in the establishment of the airport and has played a pivotal role in ensuring the continued existence of a municipal airport in the Town of Marshfield.”

And now the signs commemorating the designation 23 years ago have been restored to new. South Shore Signs took on the restoration, with the result now on stunning display at the airport’s terminal and administration building.

One sign welcomes visitors from the parking lot. The principal sign welcomes guests approaching from the ramp, where aircraft drop off passengers flying in.

A restored George D. Harlow Airfield sign greets visitors from the ramp.

George Harlow’s grip on aviation wasn’t limited to his tenure as an Airport Commissioner. From his obituary:

“In 1941, after graduating high school, George entered the Army Air Corp. where he learned to fly and became a test pilot in Alaska while in the service. After the Army he entered Harvard University, and during breaks at school he would teach flying lessons at Chatham Airport. After receiving his engineering degree with the Harvard Class of 1950, he worked in Greenland helping develop the Thule Air Force Base air field while employed for Metcalfe & Eddy Engineering Co. In 1966 George joined the staff at the New England Medical Center and retired as an administrative engineer. George’s love for flying made him a center point at the Marshfield Municipal Airport, which was later named after him for all his hard work. He served as chairman of the airport commission for many years.”

George D. Harlow in his Aviat Huskey

Shoreline Aviation – the airport’s fixed base operator since the early 1980s – felt George’s influence for many years.

“George was quite the character,” said Shoreline President Keith Douglass. “He purchased his first brand new plane in his 70s. Nobody worked more diligently on behalf of the airport than he did. He was a great guy, and very deserving of this honor.”

You can visit the airport and enjoy viewing aircraft come and go alongside the restored signs celebrating George D. Harlow Airfield.