DuPont

DuPont is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Originally a company town, the city is named after the DuPont chemical company which operated an explosives manufacturing plant in the area from 1909 to 1975.

In 1906, the DuPont chemical company purchased a 5-square-mile (13 km2) area from the farmers for construction of an explosives plant, as the company was in the midst of expanding into the west. The plant was built on the initial 1833 Ft. Nisqually site and was completed in 1909. During its nearly 70-year history, the plant produced dynamite for the U.S. military as well as for the construction of various civilian projects including the Grand Coulee Dam, the Alcan Highway, and the Panama Canal.

DuPont, Weyerhaeuser, and the state Department of Ecology began decontamination of the original explosives plant site in 1991, with a golf course being built on the former location of the plant. In recent years, DuPont has undergone a transformation with the realization of the modern planned community of “Northwest Landing”. The city is expected to have a built-out population of more than 12,000. In 1975, the midden for the Sequalitchew Archeological site was added to the National Register of Historic Places, it being the oldest known midden in Washington.

DuPont remains a growing community. The elementary school in DuPont, Chloe Clark Elementary (which hosted kindergarten through fifth grade), reached capacity in the 2007–2008 school year. As a result, starting from the following school year, Steilacoom Historical School District realigned all three elementary schools. Chloe Clark Elementary and Cherrydale Primary in Steilacoom now only have students from grades K-3. Saltar’s Point Elementary in Steilacoom now serves 4th and 5th grades. Pioneer Middle School relocated from Steilacoom to DuPont in August 2008. The new school received the LEED award for its “Green” Design elements.

DuPont is divided into several subdivisions, each with its own design style and/or building contractors. The Historic Village, a residential area which is on the registry of historic places, is the only part of DuPont that is not a modern planned community. Bell Hill is considered the most expensive area of the city. DuPont features trails and green belts throughout, and is about 95% built-out according to the master plan.

source: wikipedia.org