West Chester in Chester County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
G. Raymond Rettew
Photographed by William Pfingsten, May 31, 2008
1. G. Raymond Rettew Marker
A West Chester chemist, he pioneered the mass production of penicillin, the world's first antibiotic. In 1943, with Wyeth Laboratories, his lab (a converted auto repair shop here) made & sent more penicillin to the Armed Forces than any other lab in the world, saving countless lives on the battlefields of World War II.
Erected 2002 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1943.
Location. 39° 57.715′ N, 75° 36.285′ W. Marker is in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in Chester County. It is at the intersection of E. Chestnut Street and N. Walnut Street, on the left when traveling west on E. Chestnut Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: West Chester PA 19380, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania and in Greater Philadelphia. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 137 North High Street (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Simon Barnard Row (about 400 feet away); Warner Theater (about 500 feet away); Woman's Rights Convention of 1852 (about 500 feet away); Site of First School House in West Chester
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Explore PA History - G. Raymond Rettew. (Submitted on December 9, 2011, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania.)
2. Chester County Historical Society - P is for Penicillin. (Submitted on December 9, 2011, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania.)
Additional commentary.
1. Penicillin - The Miracle Drug
What is the use of a miracle drug that never emerges from the lab? When World War II created the need for mass-produced penicillin, G. Raymond Rettew of West Chester was the man of the hour.
Rettew made his name in the 1930s producing mushroom spawn. He used this expertise in the quest for a dependable way to produce penicillin. Dr. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 but nobody had yet managed to harness this miracle fungus. Many pharmaceutical companies were working on ways to mass produce it. But it was Rettew and his business partner
via Explore PA History, 1945
2. G. Raymond Rettew (right)
With Dr. Desmond Biel, holding sterile culture with seed spores of Penicillin Notatum, circa 1945.
— Submitted December 9, 2011, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Photographed by William Pfingsten, May 31, 2008
3. Repair garage is now a parking garage.
Photographed by Keith S Smith, February 9, 2012
4. G. Raymond Rettew Marker - New Parking Structure
This Marker was only recently reinstalled here. The Parking garage that had stood on this block for 30 years was torn down. During the razing of the old, and the construction of the new garage this marker was placed in safe storage.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 5, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,407 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 5, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 2. submitted on January 18, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on June 5, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 4. submitted on February 12, 2012, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
