and similar segments of industry, was located in Salem, Virginia. The General Purpose Control Department, building smaller control components such as relays and contractors for general industrial applications, was located in Bloomington, Illinois. The Appliance Control Department, building control systems for the company's consumer products; i.e., refrigerators, oil burners, and small switching devices, was located in Morrison, Illinois. The Specialty Control Department came to Waynesboro, Virginia, bringing the remaining heterogeneous components of the original Control Division, no one of which could survive as a separate entity as could the first three. Expansion Construction In 1953, GE purchased the old, no longer used, Waynesboro airport, consisting of 75 acres of land located just west of the Norfolk &Western Railroad and north of what was to become Hopeman Parkway—43 of them improved with the plant, parking lots, and finished grounds. Construction of the new plant began, and by the summer of 1954 had reached a point where production of photoelectric devices was begun with the relocation of supervisory personnel from Schenectady, and the hiring of approximately 10 women from the local area. Planning The original planning group that moved to Waynesboro from Schenectady in 1954 included: Dr. L. T. Rader, General Manager Maggy Fitzgibbons, Secretary to Mr. Rader Ernie Hutton, Engineering Charles Hughes, Purchasing Cyril Lee, Planning Joe Ponzillo, Manufacturing Fred Curto, Buildings and Grounds Bill Walker, Laboratory This group became the operating committee to oversee the subsequent startup and transfer of personnel to Waynesboro. 1954 - Operations Begin In its first full year of operation, the new department hired 400 factory people, who, for the most part, had never had an industrial job before. For many it was their first job ever. Waynesboro and the surrounding area experienced a major building boom in 1955 as over 140 GE families began relocating to work in the new facility. The old apple orchard west of the city, principally the Cortland Street area, rapidly filled with new homes. Similarly, Club Court became another haven for new arrivals. Others filled many vacant lots, not only in Waynesboro, but Augusta County as well. The local families graciously welcomed the newcomers from the north, and helped to facilitate a smooth transition and assimilation into their new home. Over the next few years there were many new churches built to accommodate an expanding membership, a new hospital was built to replace a sorely out-moded facility on West Main