Of all things Thomas Alva Edison is known for, concrete is not one of them.
It was one of Edison’s less successful ventures, but not one without significance.
Concrete houses in Gary, Indiana constructed using methods developed by Thomas Edison.
Photo credit:Eric Allix Rogers/Flickr
Edisons foray into the cement making business, however, was accidental.
Within a decade Edison was the fifth biggest cement producer in the world.
His researchers continually improved the cement making process and Edison kept patenting them.
Altogether, this illustrious inventor holds forty-nine patents relating cement manufacturing.
Edisons ultimate dream was the mass production of cheap concrete houses.
But thats not all.
The house thus made is practically indestructible.
He then announced that he would donate the patented information to qualified builders rather than profit from it.
But when it came to delivering, Edison was unable to provide the plans.
A concrete house made using Thomas Edison’s ideas.
It was then Edison realized the unrealizability of his dream.
One of the main technical problems of his single-pour homes was the complexity of the molds.
The process was ridiculously cumbersome and complicated, not to mention expensive for the builders.
The stadium was home to the New York Yankees until 2008, when they relocated to a new stadium.
Thomas Edison showing a model of a concrete house.
