In 1941, the first licensed African American owned and operated airport in Maryland, and possibly the nation, opened here. Originally known as Riverside Field, the Columbia Air Center was established by a group of African American aviators known as the Cloud Club, Inc., which had formed in May 1940 in Washington, DC. The club first met and flew at Beacon Field in Alexandria, Virginia, but after members were accused of violating airfield rules and regulations and racial tension grew, they sought a place to build and operate their own airport. They found a suitable site in Croom, Maryland, on the west bank of the Patuxent River, where landowner Rebecca Fisher agreed to lease a 450-acre property for $50.00 per month. In 1941, with guidance from club member John W. Greene and financial assistance from C.M. Gill, the club built an office, two hangers, and a landing strip at Riverside Field, hired flight instructors, purchased and leased aircraft, and named Greene airport manager. Club members developed the field into a safe and well run operation, gave flying lessons, and hosted air shows. The first air show in 1941 drew more than 800 spectators and featured parachute jumping, acrobatic and precision flying, and airplane rides; the Washington Afro-American called it the first of its kind because all the pilots and performers were African American. In December 1941, soon after the United States entered World War II, wartime restrictions suspended civilian flying at the field. The U.S. Navy then used Riverside Field for training until mid-1944, when it reopened to general aviation and was renamed the Columbia Air Center. Operations prospered after the war, but flying activity declined by the 1950's, and the airfield closed in 1956.