THE WARREN SENTINEL

Article Date: February 13, 2003

Warren’s Black Heritage

Part two— The impact of Avtex upon the black community

By:  Kevin King

On Feb. 14, 1910, the American Viscose Company— owned by Samuel Courtaulds & Company of England— was incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania and the limited commercial production of rayon began at its new plant in Marcus Hook Pa.

In 1915, the firm was reorganized by Courtaulds Ltd. As the Viscose Company, and plants were soon opened in Roanoke, Va., Lewistown, Pa., and in Nitro and Parkersburg, both in West Virginia.

In 1939, the company announced that a new non-flammable, non-absorbent vinyl polymer fiber called Vinyon would be produced at its new plant in Front Royal, then under construction.

The opening of this facility created an abundance of jobs for the residents of Front Royal, which in turn had a remarkable influence on the local economy.

When it opened, the plant employed many black men from Warren County as well as the surrounding counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock and Fauquier.

At the time, Front Royal was a segregated town, and black employees were subjected to segregationist practices that included separate water fountains as well as separate bathroom and eating facilities.  But jobs like those at Avtex that paid a decent salary were hard to find in those days for blacks, so the employees at this facility learned to deal with these conditions in order to provide for their families.

When local schools began to desegregate, tensions flared at Avtex as well.  But as time progressed, the tensions began to subside as it became evident that the desegregation process was going to happen.

Paul J. Brooks, a local resident, started working for American Viscose in 1945 after serving in the Armed Forces in Europe.  He settled in Front Royal and began custodial duties at the American Viscose plant, where he spent 40 years— although he noted that his stint in the Army “seemed to last longer.”

The company enabled him to provide a very modest life style for his family, and Brooks developed long term relationships with many of the employees at this facility.

He distinctly remembers the separate eating and bathroom facilities during his early days at the plant, “but being a Christian I knew that what was wrong could not last,” he said.

Upon the retirement of Thomas Baltimore, the company Chauffeur— who served in that position for 39 years— Brooks accepted the position and served as the official chauffeur until his retirement in 1985.  In this position, he met the top executives of the company, and they all had the utmost respect for him.

Today, Brooks in enjoying his retirement and is active in the Avtex Retirees Club and Warren County Senior Center.  He is also a devoted member and Deacon of Mount Vernon Baptist Church.

Robert A. Barbour, a pillar in Front Royal’s black community and the husband of black educator Hilda J. Barbour, worked for American Viscose for 39 years.  In fact, his association with the company goes back to before the company came to Front Royal— in December 1937 he began working with the private contractor that constructed the plant.

After the plant was completed, officials were so impressed with Barbour’s work that he was offered a position and began employment with the company on Aug. 17, 1939.

Over the years , Barbour had many positions within the company— from grounds worker, truck driver and carpenter to planer and surveyor.  He was very popular with his fellow employees, and that enabled him to develop business and personal relationships with high officials within the organization.

Barbour was a union official in the 1960s and also served on the Committee for Equal Opportunity.  When asked about the racial climate at this plant, he noted that he rarely experienced any problems.  He said he is a “firm believer in judging a person by their character, not the color of their skin,” and that this belief has helped in many situations throughout his life.

In addition to his long-term employment at American Viscose, Barbour became a very community-oriented person, serving on the Warren Memorial Hospital Board of Directors for two terms, an holding at-large positions on the Warren County School Board and on the Board of Zoning Appeals for Front Royal.

Barbour retired from American Viscose on July 15, 1977, to spend more time with his wife and family.  He is the husband of the late Hilda J. Barbour who left an indelible mark on this community.

After the integration of local schools and the desegregation of Front Royal, the Avtex plant began to hire black females for its labor force.  These women, as well as white females, took various positions within the plant, from laborers to secretarial and laboratory positions.

The company began to experience problems in 1969 whin a local resident approached FMC, a later owner of the plant, about bad well water at his home across the Shenandoah River from the plant.  The company was also sued by the owner of undeveloped lots nearby because pollution publicity had made his property worthless.  The state Air Pollution Control Board also investigated Avtex for violations.

On October 31, 1988 Avtex Chairman John Gregg announced the closing of Avtex immediately.  The closing was prompted by a study of groundwater contamination by the EPA.  Avtex was blamed for contaminating the water supplies of two subdivisions adjacent to the Avtex Plant.  This announcement was as devastating blow for its 1,300 employees, but the plant was reopened one week later.

But news of the closing had far reaching effects because Avtex manufactured materials for the Department of Defense and NASA that were critical to defense and to the space program— including some materials used in the early development of the space shuttle program.

In late November of 1988 the plant received large sums of money from the Department of Defense and NASA as pre-payment for rayon yarn in the hopes of keeping the plant in operation.

Avtex also appealed to the local community concerning its problems, but it had become besieged with citations for violations associated with contaminated water discharges.

On Nov. 10, 1989, at 4:17 p.m., the plant announced that it was officially closed.