The E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company commonly known as the DuPont Company. It was established in 1802 and began by manufacturing gunpowder; later it produced chemical compounds. The Service Department included the Technical Library; the Salvage and Reclamation Division; Printing Division; the Hall of Records; Studio Section; Mail, Telephone, and Telegraph Division; and the Real Estate Division.

The Real Estate Division was responsible for investigating locations and the acquisition of major facilities throughout the United States. The division managed office and warehouse space, arranged housing for employees, and managed rental property. The division was also in charge of rennovations for residential and commercial buildings and the sale of property.

Henry H. Gunther (1919-1960), was a real estate specialist with the DuPont Company. Gunther was a native Delawarean. He attended Beacom College and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1937, he began working at the DuPont Company as a messanger in the telegraph office until he was transferred to the Real Estate Division in 1940. After a series of promotions, he became a realtor and was responsible for acquiring plant sites and properties for the company.