|
DuPont purchased more than a plant site when
it decided to build a rayon plant in this part of the
country. It also bought a village, resulting in a
company-town that was destined to become an important part of this
location's history. Old Hickory, the
town was named, in memory of the late President Andrew Jackson
whose home, the Hermitage was nearby. (The village had
originally been named Jacksonville.) For
DuPonters who have come to know Old HIckory as a modern village
with well-kept homes, attractively landscaped lawns and shady
paved streets, it would be hard to visualize the barren, gulley-ridden
treeless town of 1923 that greeted the early arriving DuPont
engineers who came to prepare for construction of the rayon
plant. Hastily erected for the
powder plant workers, many of the houses and indeed the town must
have presented a depressing appearance. As told in an
article, "Rebirth of Prosperity," in the April 1948
issue of Rayon Yarns: "The houses themselves were
pathetic monuments to the folly of neglect. Only about 15
percent of them were occupied and most of these were in terrible
condition and barely livable. Porches were falling in and
roofs sagging, making it even hazardous to enter many of
them. And then there were the two-story apartment buildings,
built when expediency and not beauty was the primary
objective." The streets, with the
exception of a concrete road running through the village, were
full of ruts and ditches and many were almost impassable.
The old wooden sidewalks were rotting away and the remaining
sections were harbors for rats and snakes. Return
to Top Much, obviously had to be
done and this trail-blazing force of engineers set about hiring
carpenters, painters and plumbers to initiate a face-lifting for
the village and to make the dwellings livable for future DuPonters.
Much of the plumbing had to be replaced. The old wallboard
was removed and replaced and all other necessary repairs were
made, climaxed by a paint job. Soon after the construction
of the plant was started, paving of the streets and laying of
concrete sidewalks began. Several thousand trees were
planted, further improving the village's appearance. When
the improvements were completed the village homes through the
1930s and 1940s were among those most desired by DuPont
employees. There were many advantages in having a company
home. Rent was inexpensive ($12 a month for some
homes): necessary services, such as painting and floor
sanding, were provided by DuPont's village service organization:
and, in times when many employees did not own a car, houses were
within walking distance of the plant.
 Opening Day Village
Swimming Pool - 1946
The
services provided by the company "just couldn't be
beaten," recalled one former resident. "The
company fire department would even replace a fuse in your fuse
box." After owning and
maintaining the Old Hickory village for more than tow decades, the
DuPont Company decided in 1946 to sell its residential
property. This was accomplished as part of a redevelopment
program which did much to start Old Hickory on its way to becoming
the special type of community that residents feel it is today. Work
on the remodeling of houses started in 1948 and was completed in
three years. Work was done by the village service department
which grew from a force of 68 employees to over 300, along with
several subcontractors. In total, the company
renovated almost 900 dwelling units and then sold them to
employees. In addition almost 500
houses were sold for removal from Old Hickory. The sight of
these homes being hauled away is still recalled by many present
day DuPonters. "There was a period when hardly a day
passed without some house passing by the plant," said D.M.
Barnette, a longtime employee who retired from Personnel.
"Many went to Madison, although some were taken as far as
Gallatin and White House." In a
short time the town's appearance had clearly improved.
Colonial and bungalow homes were added and beautiful brick and
frame homes began to occupy once-vacant lots on Jones Circle,
Rolling Green, Riverside Road and other new areas. Many
other improvements were accomplished at the same time, and in 1951
DuPont conveyed its public services to the Old Hickory Utility
District, a municipal corporation formed by residents of the
village. Among the services were a water system, sewage
disposal plant, sewers and a fire hall and equipment. Old
Hickory retained its close identification with the plant - - and
probably always will - - but in no other way did it remain a
company town. Return
to Top Taken from, "Our
Old Hickory Heritage", a DuPont publication.
|
