| Much has been written about the profitable poultry industry on the Delmarva Peninsula, however, there has been little documented or written on the history and development of the architecture that housed the birds that brought about such profit for so many. What began initially as a supplementary farm activity, providing enough eggs and meat to feed an individual farm family, has developed into a billion dollar commercial industry serving not only Delaware and its surrounding region but many parts of the world through export sales.; Specialization and concentration of chicken production took place during the 1930s. During World War II, when demand for chicken was high due to a shortage of beef and pork, the chicken industry developed and the structure of the industry became completely revolutionized. What once was a self-integrated operation where the farmer hatched the eggs, grew the feed, and sometimes slaughtered and sold the bird for meat, was now virtually a completely integrated operation where specialized firms in breeding, hatching, feed milling, processing, and marketing began to appear. Such specialization continued during and accelerated after the war. Industry changes led to adjustments in design, materials, and construction methods for chicken houses but the most widespread change occurred in the reconstruction phase post-Hurricane Hazel in October 1954. Technological improvements in equipment that emerged after the war were integrated in the post-Hazel chicken houses.; Sussex County, Delaware, continues to lead the nation in broiler production. This is a combined result of the region's numerous favorable natural resources and proximity to various urban markets, combined with innovations in breeding and growing methods. This success has brought about many changes in the look and design of Sussex County chicken houses. This thesis explains how the architecture of Sussex County chicken houses transformed as the broiler industry grew. |
