OUR HERITAGE it smells like money By elizabeth daly received too well by some of the men. A friend whose childhood travels brought her through Fredericksburg recalls the stench. Employees ordered hot dogs from the Recreation Center on William Street and had them delivered by cab (early Grub Hub/Uber Eats?).
Cellophane production requires substantial quantities of wood pulp and water and gives off a putrid odor. Odor or not, the manufacturing of cellophane, by the Sylvania Industrial Corporation (SIC) was a main reason the Fredericksburg area did not suffer economically during the Great Depression (1929-1939). In 1929, SIC gained the patent rights to manufacture the clear wrapping material and engaged the Ballinger Company to design a modern industrial facility. Using Ballinger's patented "Super-Span" sawtooth roof construction method, the Hughes-F Foulkrod Company built the complex. The sawtooth roof, with angled skylights, maximized natural light and reduced harsh sunlight. The Super-Span used special trusses that minimized the number of support beams. Architecturally, the design embodied elements of Art Deco and Stripped Classicism. Spotsylvania, just south of Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock River was the perfect place for the Sylvania plant. Cellophane, the product, revolutionized merchandising. Owing to this amazing innovation, instead of going into a store and handing a clerk a shopping list, the customer could roam the aisles to inspect the goods-wrapped, protected, and visible.
The 40-acre complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 as the Sylvania Plant Historic District. This designation recognizes architecturally and historically significant contributions to the area.
The plant began operating in fall 1930. The staff ranged from professionals, including chemists and engineers, managers, clerical support, to mechanics, warehouse employees, vehicle operators, and maintenance employees. It was the South; whites occupied professional jobs, and Blacks were relegated to lower level jobs. At one time, the plant employed 2,500 people-a about 10 percent of the 1940 population of Fredericksburg City and Spotsylvania County. During World War II, the plant produced the Sylvania Anti-Gas Cape, wrappings for K-rations and small parts. In 1946, SIC merged with American Viscose Corporation and later became Avisco in 1954. When the plant, by then owned by FMC Corporation, closed in 1978, it had 1,100 employees. Many local residents whose families were here in the 1930s have a connection to the Sylvania plant. The late Eleanor Mitchell, in her oral history, spoke of her secretarial job. She lasted 3 days; she couldn't tolerate the smell. A local dentist got to work at 6:30 a.m. so he could see patients coming off the night shift. A newly minted graduate of Mary Washington College was hired to do psychological testing. She said it wasn't
It was a sad day, but not unexpected in 1978 when FMC announced the plant's closure. Cheaper petroleumbased products had largely replaced cellophane. Many of the long-time employees retired or found employment locally. Younger employees were open to relocating. The area had diversified economically, minimizing the impact of the end of the Sylvania plant. The plant is now home to a variety of businesses, including Bowman Distillery.
Elizabeth Daly, volunteer with the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. Images courtesy of a photo album documenting the construction and early years of the plant, recently donated by the family of Rene' Jules Schwarz [noted as "RS" in some of the album's photographs]; HFFI Archives.
The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center is a non-profit, all-volunteer archives whose mission is to preserve historically valuable material of the region and make it available to the public for research 900 Barton St #111, Fredericksburg, VA www.crhcarchives.org contact@crhcarchives.org 540-373-3704 Volunteers Wecome! Contact us about donating collections of documents and photographs
front porch fredericksburg
August 2022
19
