The front wall the
building that faced Main Street (Building was "Hackensack front
brick. and 7. His business plan for the West Orange
laboratory hinged steady income from contract research from the electrical
utility industry.10
Building This building served chemical laboratory. Vouchers for building materials suggest a
possible construction date 1890 for this interior room, whose purpose is
unknown.Experimental Buildings: Buildings and 4
Edison specified that four satellite buildings should erected right angles to
the main building, Building They were constructed "best hard burnt
New Jersey brick" and 100 feet long and feet wide.d. his instructions the architects, Edison specified "The Owner will
furnish all copper nails. his reminiscences Fessenden remembered the chemistry laboratory
13
.
Building Building was known the galvanometer room galvanometer
building. Within the larger room, further subdivision was created the
construction interior brick room. Electricity had been important and profitable field for Edison's
experiments and his plans for the West Orange laboratory had always included an
experimental area for electrical work.
8 Draft Agreement between TAE and Henry Villard, Miscellaneous Legal Series, 1887; Agreement made
with Edison General Electric Co. The building was divided into
one large room filled with experimental tables and smaller room the north
end.8
The original drawings made architect Joseph Taft show storage space the
front the building and line six pier tables which mount the
galvanometers and other electrical measuring equipment. Its concrete floor was
inclined that liquids would run into two drains.
9 "Specifications," 1887, WOL-General, D-87-55, 13."9 All pipes, fittings and steam apparatus were made of
brass.
10 David Trumbull Marshall, Recollections ofEdison (Boston: Christopher, n.) 67., October 1890, continuation agreements made with the Edison
Electric Light Co., March 1881, and November 25, 1887."7
7 “Specifications," 1887, WOL--General, D-87-55, pp.
The building was specially constructed out non-ferrous materials which would
not interfere with the sensitive magnetic measuring devices installed the
laboratory
