Merritt Airport

The specific reason for the closure is not officially documented. However, the circumstances are typical for small, privately-owned general aviation airfields. The closure was most likely due to economic reasons, the sale of the land for its more profitable agricultural use, or a personal decision by the owner (e.g., retirement or death). There is no evidence to suggest it was closed due to a major accident, safety violations, or military conversion.

The airport is permanently closed and has been completely converted back to agricultural land. Current satellite imagery of the coordinates shows the site is now an active farm field, primarily used for cultivating crops like corn or soybeans. All airport infrastructure, including any hangars, buildings, and runway markers, has been removed. The faint, linear outline of the former east-west runway can still be discerned in the soil under certain lighting and crop conditions, but no physical remnants of the airport exist.

Merritt Airport was a private general aviation airfield that served the local community in Fayette County, Ohio. It was owned and operated by William Merritt. The airport featured a single unpaved, turf runway designated 9/27, with dimensions of approximately 2,640 feet in length and 100 feet in width. Its operations were limited to light, single-engine aircraft used for recreational flying and personal transportation. While not of major national significance, it was a local asset for pilots in the region. Aerial photos from the 1990s show a well-maintained grass strip with a few small hangars or buildings located on the northeast side of the property.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Merritt Airport. The land is privately owned and fully integrated into agricultural operations. Re-establishing an airport would require purchasing the land back from the current owner and investing significant capital to rebuild all infrastructure from scratch. Given the lack of any commercial or strategic need, the prospect of it ever reopening as an airport is virtually zero.