Sherwin-Williams "Cover The Earth"

Looking to the vast area south and east of where you're standing is the former site of the Sherwin-Williams factory. After the Oakland Trotting Park closed in 1915, a huge track of land opened up for manufacturers to develop in business-friendly Emeryville. Railroad and Bay access combined with favorable tax incentives transformed Emeryville into the “Little Giant” of industry in the 1920s.

This 8.5-acre plot became the site of the Sherman-Williams west coast factory for lead-based paints and Dry Lime Sulfur pesticides. The company’s Cover The Earth logo has evolved to embody ironic overtones in the modern era. During the beginning of the environmental movement in the 1970s the company decided to retire its sign over the factory. The logo was briefly retired, then brought back in recent years.

The paint plant ceased operations in 2006, and the value of such a large plot of land couldn’t be ignored. The toxic land took almost seven years to rehabilitate, and the development of 500 apartments has yet to be completed.