World’s First Nylon Plant

The development of nylon, the synthetically engineered “miracle” fiber, transformed the textile industry and had an enormous social impact on daily life worldwide. After the nylon patent was issued in September 1938, the world’s first nylon plant was authorized for construction in Seaford due to its location near the DuPont headquarters in Wilmington, raw materials and major markets. Initial construction began in March 1939, and just nine months after groundbreaking, the six-story facility began operations on December 12, 1939. During its first year, the plant operated around the clock–producing enough nylon for 64 million pairs of nylon stockings. The city of Seaford became known as “The Nylon Capital of the World.” The public embraced nylon’s physical properties such as tremendous strength, a high degree of toughness, and very high resistance to abrasion. During World War II, military parachutes, mosquito netting, tents, and other goods were made from Seaford’s nylon fiber. DuPont changed the name of this and other portions of its business to INVISTA, then sold the plant in 2004. INVISTA’s Seaford site has evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of the marketplace–producing nylon for uniforms for the U.S. military and flame-resistant clothing for work-wear applications, as well as nylon for press felts used in paper manufacturing and other industrial end uses. As the DuPont Nylon Plant, this facility was designated as a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society on October 26, 1995.