The actually-cool story of the self-proclaimed “Nylon Capital of the World” in Delaware

DuPont’s Revolutionary Nylon Factory Transforms Rural Seaford

Seaford, Delaware went from sleepy farm town to “Nylon Capital of the World” in 1939. That’s when DuPont built its first nylon plant on 609 acres near the Nanticoke River.

The six-story factory rose in just nine months during the Great Depression, soon making enough nylon for 64 million stockings yearly.

When war came, workers switched to making parachutes and bomber tires instead. Women took over as men left to fight.

At its peak, the plant had 4,600 workers.

Today, the Seaford Museum houses an original nylon spinning machine from this revolutionary factory.

A Chemist’s Invention Changed American Fashion Forever

Wallace Carothers made nylon at DuPont’s lab in 1935 after studying polymers for years. This new man-made fiber got its patent in 1938, becoming the first truly fake fiber without any natural parts.

DuPont showed off nylon as a cheaper option for women’s stockings, which cost a lot and were hard to find.

The new material could stretch, dry fast, and last longer than natural fibers, making it great for clothes and many other everyday items.

Tiny Delaware Town Landed The World’s First Nylon Factory

DuPont picked Seaford, Delaware for its nylon plant in 1939.

The company liked the spot because it sat on the Nanticoke River, making it easy to move materials by boat. The place also had good train links, solving shipping problems.

Sussex County offered tax breaks that made financial sense. The company bought 609 acres of farmland, turning a small farming town into a factory hub.

Workers Built The Massive Plant In Just Nine Months

Work crews started in March 1939, rushing to build the factory while many Americans still struggled without jobs.

At the busiest time, 1,200 workers filled the site, working day and night. The teams finished the entire project by December, completing the huge factory in just nine months.

DuPont spent $8 million on building, a big chunk of money that made up one-sixth of the company’s total profit from the year before.

The Factory Started Making Nylon Just Before Christmas

The nylon plant started up on December 12, 1939, when machines began turning raw chemicals into the new fiber. DuPont hired 850 workers to keep the factory going all day and night in shifts.

During its first year, the plant made enough nylon for about 64 million pairs of stockings for American women.

The smooth launch showed DuPont’s big bet on the new technology would pay off.

Women Went Crazy For The New Stockings

Nylon stockings hit stores on May 15, 1940, and sold out right away.

Shoppers bought four million pairs in just four days, with long lines forming outside stores across America. Women liked that the stockings looked like fancy silk but cost less and lasted longer.

The stockings didn’t tear as easily as silk and dried quickly after washing. This huge success gave Seaford its nickname as “The Nylon Capital of the World.”

Pearl Harbor Turned Nylon Into A War Material

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 changed everything at the Seaford plant. DuPont stopped making stockings and switched to war supplies almost right away.

The factory started making nylon for parachutes that saved pilots’ lives, nets that kept soldiers safe from bugs, and strong cords for bomber tires.

Women across America gave up their nylon stockings for the war effort, sometimes trading them in at collection drives to help the troops.

Female Workers Kept The Plant Running During The War

Men left their jobs at the nylon plant in large numbers to join the military after America entered World War II. Women took over these spots on the factory floor, doing jobs they couldn’t get before the war.

These women ran complex machines and managed production lines. Their work kept the plant running at full speed, making materials that helped the Allies win the war.

Seaford Grew From Sleepy Farm Town To Booming City

The nylon plant totally changed Seaford from a quiet farming town into a busy factory center. Workers came from all over the area, some driving hours each day for the good-paying jobs.

New neighborhoods popped up as the town grew. Local shops did well as workers spent money in Seaford stores and restaurants.

The Factory Reached Its Peak In The Polyester Decade

By the 1970s, the Seaford plant had 4,600 workers, hitting its highest point of making things and having pull.

The factory had grown beyond just making nylon for stockings and now made fibers for carpets, tire cords, clothes, and factory uses.

Nylon became part of almost everything Americans used daily, from fishing line to toothbrushes. The fake fiber changed how people dressed, fixed up their homes, and even how they fished or played sports.

Foreign Competition Hit Seaford Hard

Cheaper factories in other countries started making nylon for less money in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Workers in places like China and India got much lower pay, making it hard for the Seaford plant to match prices. DuPont began cutting jobs as orders dropped, and the workforce got smaller year after year.

The company moved more work to places around the world where costs were lower, slowly shrinking the Seaford plant’s role in making nylon globally.

The Plant Earned Its Place In American Chemical History

The American Chemical Society named the Seaford facility a National Historic Chemical Landmark in 1995, honoring its place in science and manufacturing history.

The plant changed how Americans dressed and lived through its revolutionary product.

Nylon ranks as one of the most important chemical inventions of the 20th century, touching nearly every aspect of modern life.

Though no longer the industrial giant it once was, the plant’s legacy lives on in the countless products made possible by the fiber first produced in this small Delaware town.

Visiting Seaford, Delaware

You can learn about Seaford’s transformation into “The Nylon Capital of the World” at the Seaford Museum on 203 High Street.

The museum is open Fridays 1-4pm and first and second weekends 1-4pm, with $7 admission for adults and free entry for kids 12 and under.

They offer self-guided tours with virtual docents.

You can also visit the historical marker at the original DuPont plant site on Woodland Road and DuPont Road, designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark since 1995.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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