West Orange in Essex County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Pattern Shop

Building 3

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 6, 2009

1. Pattern Shop Marker

Inscription. Within this building carpenters shaped wood models, or patterns. From these wooden pieces, Edison and his employees made the parts for working models, specialized machinery, and other devices. The skilled workers in the Pattern Shop and other shops linked the ideas of the laboratory to the mass-production of the factories.

The front of Building 3 once stored chemical supplies. In the Blacksmith Shop (Building 7, to your left) workers forged parts for inventions and laboratory machinery. With his resources at West Orange, Edison claimed he could “build anything from a lady’s watch to a Locomotive . . . . Inventions that formerly took months & cost a large sum can now be done [in] 2 or 3 days with very little expense.”

Erected by Edison National Historic Site, National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce.

Location. 40° 47.023′ N, 74° 14.01′ W. Marker is in West Orange, New Jersey, in Essex County. Marker can be reached from Main Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located inside Thomas Edison National Historical Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: West Orange NJ 07052, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker

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. Chemistry Laboratory (a few steps from this marker); Metallurgical Laboratory (a few steps from this marker); Blacksmith Shop – Building 7 (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Edison Statue (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Edison’s West Orange Laboratory (within shouting distance of this marker); The Courtyard (within shouting distance of this marker); The Truck of the First Commercial Electric Railroad Locomotive. (within shouting distance of this marker); The Truck of the Second Commercial Electric Railroad Locomotive. (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in West Orange.

More about this marker. A photograph at the bottom of the marker shows “The Pattern Shop staff in 1917.”

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Take a tour of the markers found at the Laboratory Complex of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.

Also see . . . Thomas Edison National Historical Park, New Jersey. Nation Park Service website. (Submitted on November 8, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)

Marker at the Edison National Historic Site image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 6, 2009

2. Marker at the Edison National Historic Site

The Pattern Shop is the building on the right. The Blacksmith Shop, where workers forged parts for inventions and laboratory machinery, is seen in the center rear of this photo.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 6, 2009

3. Building 3

The Pattern Shop marker is seen here on the left of building 3.

Inside the Pattern Shop image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 6, 2009

4. Inside the Pattern Shop

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 6, 2009

5. Inside the Pattern Shop

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 8, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 733 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 8, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.