Note: Many people were making cars in the late teens and 1920's. The Searchmont Co. was making cars in Trainer for example. The Duponts only made cars for a few years.
In other news Delaware Co. Council appointed me to the Heritage Commission. I'm very happy a great honor!
CHESTER TIMES
March 5, 1920
POWDER MAKERS TO BUILD AUTOMOBILES IN PROSPECT PARK
Purchase Large Tract of Land and Prepare Great
Improvements – Electric Concern Comes Into Possession of Sixty Acres, Too, and
Will Provide Delaware County with Another Monster Industry
The
General Electric Company of Philadelphia is to build a large plant in Delaware
County, costing $20,000,000. The site
selected is either the Custer tract in Glenolden or a site just inside of
Delaware County, close to the Philadelphia line.
The
DuPont Automobile Company of Wilmington has purchased a tract of land from
George W. Moore in Prospect and will erect a plant at a cost said to be close
to $5,000,000 when equipped.
This
will make a total of $225,000,000 worth of improvements to be made in the
immediate future for Delaware County.
The DuPont concern will pay the money on the Moore station.
The
General Electric’s purchase involves a tract of sixty acres of land. The company is one of America’s largest
corporations and a monster plant will be erected.
It was
also declared today that the General Electric has secured title to a stretch of
ground on the other side of Darby Creek, just back of Norwood. This consists of many acres of lowland or
swamps. Here, it is declared, an
electric light plant will be erected.
It was
stated this afternoon by a man declared to be in possession of the facts that
on the sixty-acre tract will be erected a monster plant at a cost of several
million dollars.
The
General Electric is a widely-known concern, with plants scattered throughout
the country. Offices of the company are
located In Philadelphia.
In many
ways the General Electric is a rival to the Westinghouse Electrical and
Manufacturing Company of Pittsburgh, operating a plant at Lester in Delaware
County.
The
General Electrical concern places on the market a great variety of electrical
appliances, and employs a staff of workers running into the thousands. It has a payroll numbered among the largest
in the country.
The
locations both for the factory and the electric light plant are ideal, so far
as transportation facilities are concerned.
It will, of course, be necessary to drain the lowlands, an operation
requiring an extensive outlay of money.
Just
what general use will be made of the plant could not be learned this
afternoon. Several hundred different
commercial articles are manufactured by the General Electric and the line to
which the local plant will be3 devoted could not be learned.
At least the new deal will mean a tremendous increase in the output of Delaware County from a manufacturing standpoint, while hundreds, probably thousands of workers, will require homes in this vicinity.
According to information coming from the DuPont’s this afternoon the entire automobile plant is not to be removed from Wilmington.
The last
statement given out was to the affect that the entire automobile business was
to come to Prospect Park Borough. The
plant at Moore is to be used as an assembling plant, and the company will
continue to operate the works in Wilmington where engines and other portions of
the machines will be made.
The
DuPont’s have arranged to make 500 cars this year. The new industry at Moore will give
employment to a large number of people.
Every facility for prompt shipment of the cars will be attached to the
plant.
At
present there is plenty of trackage for large shipments but additional
facilities will be provided by the Pennsylvania railroad to meet every demand
of the new industry. The bringing of
this plant to Prospect will be a boom for that pretty borough and the citizens
are enthusiastic over it.
When
work was circulated this morning of the two deals, property values in the
vicinity of the various locations doubled in value, it is declared. This, of course, is brought about through the
natural demand for homes occasioned by the invasion of Delaware County by the
DuPont and the Electric concerns.
Thanks for showing me the DuPont car factory! I will travel to Prospect Park and check it out. I have seen Dupont Streets in both Chester and Prospect Park. - Shelley
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Prospect Park and always knew that facility as H. K. Porter. My brother and a neighbor were employed there in the 70’s. A few years ago I noticed the DuPont signage on the building. I had thought perhaps it had been a chemical plant for DuPont. Thanks for posting the original use of the building. Interesting. 🧐
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