November 2010

The Laboratory and home of Thomas Edison, stopped in time, continue to teach a new generation.

At the corner of Main Street and Lakeside Avenue in West Orange, New Jersey stands a group of red brick buildings. To the passing motorist the buildings betray little evidence of their glory days and of the people who worked inside. A short distance away is Glenmont, Thomas Edison's estate. Together, the laboratory and residence preserve the work and character of America's foremost inventor, Thomas Edison and the family, friends and business associates who played a key role in his success.

Visitors can spend a morning or afternoon exploring the estate of Thomas and Mina Edison called Glenmont. Thomas Edison purchased this grand estate for his new bride Mina Miller Edison in 1886.  It is here that the Edisons raised their children, entertained friends, family and Edison business associates.  Guests can wander the grounds and see why Thomas and Mina loved their home.
 

Historical features of the reserve appear to today's visitors much as they did a century ago, when New England sea captains were drawn to Penn Cove.

The reserve was set aside by Congress in 1978 to preserve and protect a rural community—a cultural landscape—that is a laboratory of Pacific Northwest history. Today, historic land uses continue, with the rich prairie soils still being farmed, the forests being harvested, and century-old buildings being used as homes or places of business.

Some of the important stories the reserve interprets to the public are those of Isaac Ebey, a person significant in early territorial government and the first European-American settler to claim land on Central Whidbey island before Washington became a state; the story of settlement under the Donation Land Claim Act between 1850 and 1855; the explorations of Captain George Vancouver in 1792; and the development and growth of the historic town of Coupeville.

Priestley is best known for his achievements in chemistry, but he was also a prolific theologian, an innovative educator, and a liberal political philosopher. As a religious dissenter of the Church of England, in 1794, he came to the United States seeking haven from political and religious persecution. Today, visitors can tour the home and gain perspective on Priestley's life in rural Pennsylvania, one which he grew to love in his last years.

The town in which this museum is located was known during the Civil War as Berlin, and has been positioned on both the C&O Canal and B&O Railroad. The second floor of the museum tells the story of this city, with life-size recreations of Victorian rooms as the central exhibit. On the third floor is a massive to-scale model of the B&O Railroad as it existed from Brunswick to Washington, DC, in the 1960s. On the first floor is one of the National Park Service Visitor Centers for the Chesapeake & Ohio National Historic Park.

The mission of Rippavilla Plantation, Incorporated is to preserve, restore and interpret the buildings and grounds of the Cheairs family utilizing the highest standards of scholarship, craftsmanship and preservation in order to create a site that will serve as an educational institution of the utmost integrity and credibility.

Today, the house has been restored to its 1860s appearance with many original period family antique pieces on display throughout the house. Be sure to visit the museum room where visitors will find several family heirlooms as well as some genuine Civil War artifacts.

The Memorial commemorates the site where World War II began for the United States and is the final resting place for many of the battleship's 1,177 crew members who lost their lives.

The 184-foot-long Memorial structure spanning the mid-portion of the sunken battleship consists of three main sections: the entry and assembly rooms; a central area designed for ceremonies and general observation; and the shrine room, where the names of those killed on the Arizona are engraved on the marble wall. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who helped achieve Allied victory in Europe during World War II, approved the creation of the Memorial in 1958. Its construction was completed in 1961 with public funds appropriated by Congress and private donations. The Memorial was dedicated in 1962. The site contains several elements: a visitors center that shows a documentary film, a museum that displays photograps and other artifacts from the battle, a bookstore, and an outdoor exhibit on the water's edge.

Devils Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Once hidden, erosion has revealed Devils Tower. This 1347 acre park is covered with pine forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife are seen. At the visitor center, interpretive exhibits explain the geologic, natural, and cultural history of the area.

Also known as Bears Lodge, it is a sacred site for many American Indians.

Dayton Aviation consists of four units that tell the stories of Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, and Paul Laurence Dunbar. At the various units you have the opportunity to experience the historically refurnished Wright brothers' printing office, walk through an original Wright brothers' bicycle shop, see the Wright brothers' third airplane, follow Wilbur and Orville's footsteps at the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, and experience Paul Laurence Dunbar's last home. All of these sites are National Historic Landmarks or are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Opened to the public in 1963, the museum was established by people who twenty years earlier began to fear that America's streetcars would soon be lost to the annals of history. They began acquiring decomissioned trolleys and compiling information and artifacts relating. Today, visitors can tour the Trolley Display Building and see trolleys from different eras as well as take a 4-mile scenic, authentic trolley ride.

The oldest standing railroad station in the United States houses this museum in historic Ellicott City, Md.

Housed in a 180-year-old railroad station that served as the terminus of the B&O Railroad, this museum explores the history of transportation and travel in early America. It does so through seasonal exhibits, educational programs, and living history. Restored once in the 1970's, another restoration in 1999 brought the station back to its 1857 appearance.