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Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Coordinates: 40°47′09.46″N 74°14′24.42″W / 40.7859611°N 74.2401167°W / 40.7859611; -74.2401167
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Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Thomas Edison's Laboratory
Thomas Edison National Historical Park is located in New Jersey
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Standort37 Honeysuckle Ave, West Orange, NJ 07052
Coordinates40°47′09.46″N 74°14′24.42″W / 40.7859611°N 74.2401167°W / 40.7859611; -74.2401167
Area21.25 acres (8.60 ha)[2]
Built1887
ArchitectH. Hudson Holly
Architectural styleLate Victorian, Queen Anne
Visitation55,284 (2011)
WebsiteThomas Edison National Historical Park
NRHP reference No.66000052[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966
Designated NHSSeptember 5, 1962
Designated NHPMarch 30, 2009

Thomas Edison National Historical Park preserves Thomas Edison's laboratory and residence, Glenmont, in Llewellyn Park in West Orange in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. These were designed, in 1887, by Henry Hudson Holly.[3] For more than 40 years, the laboratory had a major impact on the lives of people worldwide. Out of the West Orange laboratories came the motion picture camera, improved phonographs, sound recordings, silent and sound movies and the nickel-iron alkaline electric storage battery.

The history of how the site became a National Historical Park is complicated. Edison's home was designated as the Edison Home National Historic Site on December 6, 1955. The laboratory was designated as Edison Laboratory National Monument on July 14, 1956. On September 5, 1962, the 21-acre (85,000 m2) site containing the home and the laboratory were designated the Edison National Historic Site and overseen by the National Park Service.[2] On March 30, 2009, it was renamed Thomas Edison National Historical Park, adding "Thomas" to the title in hopes to relieve confusion between the Edison sites in West Orange and Edison, New Jersey.[4] Following extensive renovations of the laboratory complex, there was a grand reopening on October 10, 2009.

A view of the interior of the industrial complex.
Glenmont, Edison's estate.

In 1996, the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants recorded four songs on phonograph cylinder at the museum. One of these recordings, of the song "I Can Hear You", appeared on their album Factory Showroom released later the same year. The other three songs ("Maybe I Know", "The Edison Museum", and a re-recording of the Factory Showroom track "James K. Polk") were released on the band's website in 2002.

Fee-free day demonstrations

Recording demonstration
Playback demonstration

Near the beginning of June each year the park hosts a fee-free day with demonstrations such as the recording and playback demonstration of an Edison cylinder.

On June 1, 2019, the performers Earl Karlsen on mandolin, Arnie Reisman on banjo, and Drew Uhlmann on fiddle, performed "Jerusalem Ridge", a bluegrass classic attributed to Bill Monroe for a cylihder demonstration; the operator is Jerry Fabris, Museum Curator.

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Edison Park Management". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
  3. ^ "Edison and his Era". National Park Service. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  4. ^ "ACT COMMEMORATING THE LITE, OR LIFETIME INNOVATIONS OF THOMAS EDISON". Congressional Record. February 28, 2006. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
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