Markus Hook, PA: American Viscose Co., rayon plant

(Satellite, the topo map below allowed me to locate the buildings..)

Pennsylvania Trails of History posted four photos with the comment:

Curious about Pennsylvania's connection to rayon? #OnThisDay 

On Dec.19, 1910, American Viscose Corp. opened a plant in Marcus Hook, Pa., & started production of the 1st American synthetic fiber, known as "artificial silk" or rayon. These State #Archives-preserved photos show different processes in the manufacturing of viscose and rayon. ➡ www.pastatearchives.com

Drake Well Museum and Park: Many people think that rayon is a synthetic fabric made totally of petroleum, but it is really a semi-synthetic fiber made from purified cellulose fibers and a few petrochemicals.

[I think nylon was the next synthetic fiber to be developed and that it was made with petroleum.]

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It looks like the track we see next to the building in the photo was a connector between the Reading and Pennsy Railroads.

1941/41 Marcus Hook Quad @ 31,680

It appears the building was extensively remodeled, but it was still standing in 2019. And there is still a connector track.

Street View, Oct 2019

The land was cleared by 2023.

Street View, May 2023

And now America has yet another warehouse.

Street View, Sepo 2024

Since the buildings made it into the 21st Century, I fired up Google Earth. Many of the buildings and the smokestack still stood in 2020.

Google Earth, Oct 2020

Some of the buildings were gone in 2021.

Google Earth, Nov 2021

And in 2022 we see the image that Google Maps currently displays where all of the buildings are gone.

Google Earth, Jun 2022

And by 2024, they moved Penn Avenue and built the warehouse.

Google Earth, Apr 2024