Directory of National Historic Chemical Landmarks

Landmarks are organized by year of designation.

Year Landmark
2013 Flavor Chemistry Research at the USDA Mellon Institute of Industrial Research at Carnegie Mellon University Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry at Purdue University
2012 DayGlo Fluorescent Pigments Legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring
2011 NMR and MRI: Applications in Chemistry and Medicine
2010 Discovery of Fullerenes Development of Diagnostic Test Strips
2009 Deciphering the Genetic Code Development of the Pennsylvania Oil Industry
2008 Acrylic Emulsion Technology Production and Distribution of Radioisotopes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Production of Penicillin through Deep-tank Fermentation
2007 Chemistry at Jamestown Scotch Transparent Tape Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Food Dehydration Technology
2006 Tide Synthetic Detergent Development of Baking Powder Neil Bartlett and the Reactive Noble Gases
2005 Columbia Dry Cell Battery Selman Waksman and Antibiotics George Washington Carver: Chemist, Teacher, Symbol
2004 Carl and Gerty Cori and Carbohydrate Metabolism Cotton Products Research Development of the Beckman pH Meter
2003 High Performance Carbon Fibers Foundations of Polymer Science: Herman Mark and the Polymer Research Institute Discovery of Camptothecin and Taxol
2002 Frozen Foods Research: Time-Temperature Tolerance Studies Alice Hamilton and the Development of Occupational Medicine Noyes Laboratory at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Albert Szent-Györgyi and the Discovery of Vitamin C Norbert Rillieux and a Revolution in Sugar Processing
2001 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) John W. Draper and the Founding of the American Chemical Society, 1876 Charles Herty and the Savannah Pulp and Paper Laboratory Hall Process: Production and Commercialization of Aluminum
2000 Foundations of Polymer Science: Wallace Carothers and the Development of Nylon Nucleic Acid and Protein Research at Rockefeller University Joseph Priestley: Discoverer of Oxygen (Bowood House) Moses Gomberg and Organic Free Radicals Discovery of Helium in Natural Gas Smith Memorial Collection at the University of Pennsylvania
1999 Discovery and Development of Penicillin Polypropylene and High-density Polyethylene Separation of Rare Earth Elements “Marker Degradation” and Creation of the Mexican Steroid Hormone Industry 1938–1945 Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier: The Chemical Revolution Percy Julian: Synthesis of Physostigmine Foundations of Polymer Science: Hermann Staudinger and Macromolecules
1998 C.V. Raman: The Raman Effect Tagamet: Discovery of Histamine H2-Receptor Antagonists Fluid Bed Reactor Havemeyer Hall at Columbia University U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program, 1939-1945 Discovery of the Commercial Processes for Making Calcium Carbide and Acetylene
1997 Gilman Hall at the University of California, Berkeley Hall Process: Production and Commercialization of Aluminum Commercialization of Radiation Chemistry Electrolytic Production of Bromine
1996 Sohio Acrylonitrile Process Modern Water-based Paint: Kem-Tone Wall Finish Houdry Process for Catalytic Cracking Williams-Miles History of Chemistry Collection at Harding University
1995 Universal Oil Products (UOP) Riverside Laboratory Acetyl Chemicals from Coal Gasification Foundations of Polymer Science: Wallace Carothers and the Development of Nylon Edward W. Morley and the Atomic Weight of Oxygen
1994 Joseph Priestley: Discoverer of Oxygen (Priestley House) Chandler Laboratory at Lehigh University
1993 Bakelite: The World’s First Synthetic Plastic

Listed by Landmark category. Not all Landmarks are listed below.

Frontiers of Knowledge

Medical Miracles

Industrial Advances

Consumer Products

Cradles of Chemistry

U.S. Landmarks are listed alphabetically by state.

State Landmark
Alabama George Washington Carver: Chemist, Teacher, Symbol
Alaska There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Arizona There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Arkansas Williams-Miles History of Chemistry Collection at Harding University
California Development of the Beckman pH Meter Commercialization of Radiation Chemistry Flavor Chemistry Research at the USDA Frozen Foods Research: Time-Temperature Tolerance Studies Gilman Hall at the University of California, Berkeley NMR and MRI: Applications in Chemistry and Medicine
Colorado There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Connecticut U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program
Delaware Foundations of Polymer Science: Wallace Carothers and the Development of Nylon
District of Columbia Bakelite: The World’s First Synthetic Plastic
Florida There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Georgia Charles Herty and the Savannah Pulp and Paper Laboratory
Hawaii There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Idaho There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Illinois Alice Hamilton and the Development of Occupational Medicine Discovery and Development of Penicillin Noyes Laboratory at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Universal Oil Products (UOP) Riverside Laboratory
Indiana Development of Baking Powder Development of Diagnostic Test Strips Percy Julian: Synthesis of Physostigmine Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry at Purdue University
Iowa There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Kansas Discovery of Helium in Natural Gas
Kentucky There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Louisiana Cotton Products Research Fluid Bed Reactor Norbert Rillieux and a Revolution in Sugar Processing
Maine There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Maryland Deciphering the Genetic Code National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Massachusetts There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Michigan Electrolytic Production of Bromine Moses Gomberg and Organic Free Radicals
Minnesota Scotch Transparent Tape
Mississippi There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Missouri Carl and Gerty Cori and Carbohydrate Metabolism Columbia Dry Cell Battery
Montana There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Nebraska There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Nevada There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
New Hampshire Separation of Rare Earth Elements
New Jersey Selman Waksman and Antibiotics
New Mexico There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
New York Foundations of Polymer Science: Herman Mark and the Polymer Research Institute Havemeyer Hall at Columbia University John W. Draper and the Founding of the American Chemical Society Production of Penicillin through Deep-tank Fermentation NMR and MRI: Applications in Chemistry and Medicine Nucleic Acid and Protein Research at Rockefeller University
North Carolina Discovery of Camptothecin and Taxol Discovery of the Commercial Processes for Making Calcium Carbide and Acetylene
North Dakota There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Ohio Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Columbia Dry Cell Battery DayGlo Fluorescent Pigments Edward W. Morley and the Atomic Weight of Oxygen Hall Process: Production and Commercialization of Aluminum High Performance Carbon Fibers Modern Water-based Paint: Kem-Tone Wall Finish Sohio Acrylonitrile Process U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program Tide Synthetic Detergent
Oklahoma Polypropylene and High-density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Oregon There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Pennsylvania Acrylic Emulsion Technology Chandler Laboratory at Lehigh University Hall Process: Production and Commercialization of Aluminum Development of the Pennsylvania Oil Industry Food Dehydration Technology Houdry Process for Catalytic Cracking Joseph Priestley: Discoverer of Oxygen Legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Marker Degradation: Creation of the Mexican Steroid Hormone Industry 1938–1945 Mellon Institute of Industrial Research at Carnegie Mellon University Smith Memorial Collection at the University of Pennsylvania Tagamet: Discovery of Histamine H2-Receptor Antagonists
Rhode Island Development of Baking Powder
South Carolina There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
South Dakota There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Tennessee Acetyl Chemicals from Coal Gasification Production and Distribution of Radioisotopes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Texas Discovery of Fullerenes Sohio Acrylonitrile Process
Utah There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Vermont There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Virginia Chemistry at Jamestown
Washington There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
West Virginia There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Wisconsin There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.
Wyoming There are currently no Landmarks in this state. Take action and nominate.

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