“Eureka” Thomas Edison might have exclaimed standing right here at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park. This park preserves the legacy of one of America’s most prolific inventors. It is not just a collection of buildings. It is a portal into the mind of a genius.
Established as a National Historic Site in 1962 it gained park status in 2009. The Thomas Edison National Historical Park protects both Edison’s West Orange laboratory complex and his home Glenmont.
The laboratory complex is where Edison and his team worked tirelessly. The complex includes more than a dozen buildings. These buildings supported research into diverse fields. These included electricity and photography. They also included motion pictures and chemistry. Metallurgy was also explored here.
Edison’s West Orange lab was ten times larger than his Menlo Park facility. Here teams of scientists and technicians developed motion pictures. They also improved phonographs. They invented the nickel-iron-alkaline storage battery. Edison earned 1093 U.S. patents in his lifetime. Most of these inventions came from this very lab.
Step inside the main laboratory building. This three-story structure housed a research library. It had machine shops for building models. Spaces for experiments and research projects also found space here. Edison’s office was also located here. Separate labs for chemistry, physics, and metallurgy were located across from the main building.
Venture into the Black Maria. This was the world’s first movie studio. Edison’s staff filmed everything here. They filmed ballet and boxing matches. The Black Maria could rotate to capture sunlight. A replica stands here today.
A short drive away is Glenmont. Glenmont was Edison’s 29-room Queen Anne style home. Architect Henry Hudson Holly designed it. Edison bought it in 1886. His second wife Mina managed the estate. Glenmont boasted modern amenities for its time. These included central heating and indoor plumbing. Mina oversaw the servants and hosted many guests. These guests included Orville Wright and Helen Keller.
Thomas Edison died in 1931. Mina passed in 1947. Both are buried side by side behind Glenmont. The Thomas Edison National Historical Park stands as a testament. It honors American innovation. It invites you to explore the world of invention.