BDN March 31, 1944 Kidder Point's Wooden Factory Buildings of the 1940s Sulfuric acid and superphosphate fertilizer

Sulfuric Acid Plant 

The sulfuric acid plant consists of two pro
duction units of the Leonard-Monsanto Design. The older plant was constructed in 1944 with a design capacity of 60 T/D. The newer plant was constructed in 1956 with a design capacity of 100 T/D. 

Most of the processing equipment is housed in a 5,000 sq. ft. building of steel, brick, and transite construction. The building is in fair shape. 

The condition of the process equipiment ranges from bad to good. Some fumes (leaks) are noticeable and catwalks should be replaced. Unused equipment lies scattered around and the structural steel needs paint. 

The absorbing Tower in the older plant has a bottom leak. Repairing this tower is mandatory on the next shutdown, and this is a sizable job.

The new plant was constructed to facilitate the manufacture of superphosphate, an agricultural fertilizer component at the Summers Fertilizer Company. Searsport. But the capacity of the processing machinery exceeds the needs of the fertilizer plant and substantial amounts of the chemical will be available for use in other branches of Industry. 

Both plants which are now in full production were constructed by TW Cunningham Incorporated Bangor in record time. 

They were designed by ​Eat​on W Tarbell & Associates of the Cunningham ​Engineering staff and ​a​re the only industrial buildings in the world designed and made of glued laminated wood arch construction. They represent a departure from this type of building and are considered to be of the highest type of workmanship providing large unobstructed areas for handling bulk material. 

They represent a ​triumph in engineering skill and genius​, and are a tribute to the men who participated in their building. 

"​The use of plywood in all of its various forms has a bright future. We ourselves in the construction of this new plant​ ​utilized plywood arches with a diameter of 100 feet,  made of 42 plies of one inch by ​seven inch boards bound together with a new type of permanent glue,​ in the  the manufacture of which chemicals played a vital part.