U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, made a trip to Dayton on Tuesday to tour local historic sites with U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment.

The congressmen visited the Air Force museum, Carillon Park, Orville and Wilbur Wright's bike shop, and the Wrights' former residence at Hawthorn Hill in Oakwood.

Taylor said he visited because his committee deals with funding for the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and he had never visited the park or Dayton before.

"We wanted to show the chairman first-hand the history and heritage in these locations," Turner said. "You don't understand the places until you get to actually see them."

Amanda Wright Lane, the Wrights' great-grandniece, gave them a tour of the Hawthorn Hill residence, which was donated to the Wright Family Foundation by NCR this August. Hawthorn Hill is not part of the national park, but will be considered if the foundation decides to include it, Taylor said.

"I'm from North Carolina, where we are very excited about what the Wrights did," Taylor said. "These places are all a great part of the history of the birth of aviation."