Gypsum through the Ages

Gypsum, a common mineral, has been extensively used in building construction since approximately 9000 BC. When mixed with water and sand it makes a fine-textured paste (plaster) that dries hard and smooth. The oldest traces of plaster renders were found in Anatolia and Syria, and in Israel, gypsum floor coverings from 7000 B.C were found. In 3700 B.C., the Egyptians used gypsum blocks and plaster applied over woven straw lath in the building of the pyramid of Choeps. As a testimony to the strength and durability of gypsum, some of this construction, including walls decorated with murals composed of tinted plaster, is still intact and viewable.

In the Middle Ages, gypsum was used to stucco many buildings and used as cement in in structures such as canals, fortresses, harbors, and shipbuilding facilities.

In 1765, the French chemist Lavoisier analyzed the chemical make-up of gypsum. His research, along with the discovery and mining of gypsum in the Montmartre district of Paris, led to wide use of “Plaster of Paris” as a building material.

In the late 1700s, gypsum became popular as a soil additive. During a trip to France, Benjamin Franklin observed French farmers using it in their fields. He was so impressed that he began to promote it and use it on his farm when he returned to America. Agricultural gypsum supplies were initially imported from Nova Scotia, and American farmers, considering it a miraculous fertilizer, were so anxious to acquire it that a lively smuggling trade began, resulting in the so-called “Plaster War” of 1812. In 1792, when large gypsum beds were discovered in New York, and for roughly the next 100 years, the primary use of gypsum in the U.S. was as a soil additive. Today, 188,000 tons of land plaster are used in the United States each year.

In 1888, gypsum was first used to manufacture wallboard, using Plaster of Paris sandwiched between several layers of wool felt paper. When the plaster set and dried out, the sandwich became a strong, rigid, fireproof building material. Augustine Sackett’s and Fred Kane’s product, called Sackett Board, soon became a replacement for wooden slat lath in many areas. In 1894, Sackett, generally considered the grandfather of the gypsum board manufacturing industry, patented the manufacturing process, over the next eight years opened several production facilities. By 1901, he was producing nearly five million square feet of board annually.

In 1902, 30 independent gypsum rock and plaster manufacturing companies merged to form the United States Gypsum Company. The following year, USG developed its first building product, Pyrobar, a gypsum-based, fireproof tile. In 1909, USG purchased the Sackett Plaster Board Company. Near the end of 1916, a new manufacturing innovation produced boards with a single layer of plaster and paper that could be joined flush along a wall with a relatively smooth surface. Originally called Adamant Panel Board, a sales representative suggested that the company brand the product as “SHEETROCK®”, a non-warping, non-burning wall covering.

Through the 20^th century, USG continued to expand into and lead new markets. In the ‘80s, DUROCK Cement Board offered new water construction solutions. The acquisition of DONN Incorporated and its ceiling suspension systems positioned USG Interiors as the only company to offer complete pre-designed and fully integrated ceiling systems. In the late 1990s, USG developed a new gypsum/cellulose product family called FIBEROCK Brand Panels. In 2005, SECUROCK® Gypsum-Fiber roof board was launched, and in 2010, SECUROCK® Glass-Mat roof board was introduced. Today USG is the largest distributor of wallboard in the United States and the largest manufacturer of gypsum products in North America.