Vitro
From Aspen Hill, Maryland, USA
Vitro Labs was a defense contractor, located in the heart of Aspen Hill.
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History
In 1957, Vitro built a large building in the middle of the former Gill property. This was thereafter referred to Building One. In roughly 1996, Building One was razed and rebuilt as Home Depot.
Approximately 1968, they acquired offices in the so-called "Grant's Tomb", which is now a part of Acorn Self-Storage
In roughly 1969 or so, Building Four was built near Aspen Hill Road. It still remains, as offices of BAE Systems.
Sometime in the late 1970s, another building was constructed between Building One and Building Four, called Building Twelve (I think).
Vitro's ownership changed hands several times over the years, though it remained engaged mostly in contracts with the Federal government and the military establishment. In the early 1980s it was Montgomery County's largest civilian employer, with somewhere around 5000 employees in the area.
Eventually, the main headquarters shifted out of Aspen Hill.
Building Twelve was razed sometime in the early 1990s, and Building One was converted to the needs of Home Depot sometime thereafter. Building Four wound up in the hands of BAE Systems.
Land Use
Vitro Labs used to be set apart from the surrounding residential area by a fairly large second-growth forested zone. In roughly the late 1960s, most of that area was cut down and replaced mostly by parking lots. A stream which ran through the woods was diverted into an underground five-foot diameter pipe. Part of that original stream valley which used to be quite near to Building One still remains next to the northwest corner of the Home Depot, near the entrance to the gardening center.
At the time that Building One was razed and rebuilt for Home Depot, the vast majority of the main parking lot was removed and most of that expanse has been replaced by a stormwater retention and cooldown pond. The remaining second-growth forest is starting to return between the edges of the property and the areas used by Home Depot or BAE Systems.
Further Reading
Sugawara, Sandra, "Penn Central Looking to Sell Silver Spring-Based Vitro," Washington Post, December 11, 1992, p. D1. Tucker, Elizabeth, "Vitro Corp. Settles Suit by California Subcontractor," Washington Post, January 21, 1989, p. D12.
