His
associate, Charles Batchelor, was told this scheme while the laboratory was
being built. With the profits his electric lighting system hand, Edison was
now position embark upon even more ambitious venture-a research and
development facility that would not only create new products but would also refine
and perfect their production factories built next the laboratory.
2 Thomas Edison (hereafter cited TAE), Hood Wright, November 1887, Notebook N-87-11-15.HISTORICAL DATA
OVERVIEW CONSTRUCTION AND HISTORICAL USE THE
STRUCTURES
In the early 1880s Thomas Edison began planning the construction laboratory
that would the largest and best equipped industrial research facility the
world. The site was located rural landscape that was considered a
resort area many inhabitants New York City and Newark. wrote, "My ambition
is build great industrial works the Orange Valley, starting small
way and gradually working up.’’2 The inventor was able turn this dream into a
reality during his lifetime. When Edison died 1931, West Orange was major
manufacturing center, industrial community full his factories. January 1887,
he acquired large parcel land Orange just down the road from his house in
Llewellyn Park. wrote his diary: ’’Edison’s idea now for the future get up
processes for manufacture and start factories.Immediately the new laboratory is
finished these will commenced earnest. Glenmont was fine
Victorian residence situated exclusive residential estate. This three-story building was constructed around inner courtyard.. 1887, pp.
The place chosen for this complex was the Orange valley New Jersey where the
newly married Edison had purchased house 1886. A
11
. The success his Menlo Park laboratory had proved him that was
possible regularize the process invention and produce stream commercial
innovations.
3 Charles Batchelor diary, catalog 1337, May 1887. Edison’s plan
was turn this pastoral setting into dynamic industrial center, place crowded
with factories and laboratories and thousands workers.3 Edison’s own sketches the
proposed laboratory, executed some time 1886, show imposing structure in
the beaux arts style that was fashionable for government buildings that time
(figure 2). May 1887, he
retained the services Henry Hudson Holly, the prestigious residential architect
who designed Glenmont, design the laboratory.. 277-79."1
1 Charles Batchelor diary, catalog 1336, Sept.
Edison’s plans for his West Orange laboratory reveal that had more mind
than utilitarian work place commercial buildings
