Dodge Chicago Plant

The Dodge Chicago Aircraft Engine Plant was a World War II defense plant that built the majority of the B-29 bomber aircraft engines used in World War II.
The plant design was initiated by automotive plant designer Albert Kahn and his company. The plant is seen as an influential design landmark of American industrial manufacturing facilities. The main building of the Dodge Chicago plant covered eighty-two acres and occupied over 30 city blocks and at the time it was the largest building in the world. Although Mr. Kahn died prior to the completion of the project, he was influential in the innovative design that efficiently utilized precious war time materials used in its construction. Albert Khan had extensive underground tunnels dug to facilitate foot and supply traffic. These tunnels span the width and breadth of the plant in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wooden block floors were placed for ergonomic reasons, which was typical for industrial plants of the day. These floors were cemented over in Ford City, and only recently had to the removed from TRI as hosting a potential health hazard. The Belt Line Railroad shunted lines into the plant, and to this day evidence of the rails remain. Construction of the plant was started in 1942, and it was in full operation by early 1944.

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