American Viscose: The Birth of Rayon in North America
Near Wilmington, Pennsylvania
The Marcus Hook plant of the American Viscose Company holds a quiet industrial landmark: it was the first facility in North America to successfully manufacture rayon, the world's first artificial fiber. The plant opened in the early nineteen hundreds and drew workers who lived in Viscose Village, a planned community built between nineteen twelve and nineteen fifteen right alongside the factory. The village was designed in the English Domestic Revival style by the Philadelphia firm Ballinger and Perrot, making it one of the more thoughtfully designed industrial worker communities of its era.
During both World Wars, the plant is said to have contributed to the defense effort. An artificial fiber that now fills closets around the world got its American start in this corner of Delaware County.
