Due to an exciting partnership between Dayton History and The Wright Family Foundation, Hawthorn Hill, the Oakwood mansion that Orville Wright called home for nearly 35 years, is available for tours. This joint venture marks the first time that the structure will be accessible on a regular basis for members of the general public.

The building itself has had a long and colorful history of hosting distinguished visitors. Charles A. Lindbergh, internationally acclaimed for his 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, was invited to visit in June of that year on his return flight home to St. Louis. During his visit with Orville, throngs of people gathered on the lawns of the house, hoping for an impromptu view of this newest American hero. The unruly crowd dispersed only after Lindbergh and Orville appeared together on the front portico balcony for a few short minutes. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and former Ohio Governor James Middleton Cox stopped at Hawthorn Hill to pick up Orville for a joint visit to Wright Field. More recent visitors include President Ronald Reagan and professional golfer Arnold Palmer.

Even after Orville's death in 1948, the mansion continued to welcome individuals from across the country and around the world. When efforts to find an individual to purchase the home failed, the executors of Orville's estate listed the property on the real estate market. The National Cash Register Company, at the direction of executives Colonel Edward Deeds and Stanley Allyn, decided to purchase the property on the very day that the 'For Sale' sign was placed in the yard. NCR not only meticulously cared for the home but also preserved many of its original furnishings during the nearly 60 years of service as a NCR corporate guest house. The company returned the property to the Wright family in 2006.