Edward G. Acheson House

Edward G. Acheson House

Edward G. Acheson House in 2011
Location Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°12′18.94″N 79°55′59.38″W / 40.2052611°N 79.9331611°W / 40.2052611; -79.9331611Coordinates: 40°12′18.94″N 79°55′59.38″W / 40.2052611°N 79.9331611°W / 40.2052611; -79.9331611
Area less than one acre
Built 1890
NRHP Reference # 76001679[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP May 11, 1976
Designated NHL May 11, 1976[2]
Designated PHMC August 01, 1953[3]

The Edward G. Acheson House at 908 Main St. in Monongahela, Washington County, Pennsylvania in the United States, was the home of the inventor of carborundum and the likely site of its invention.

The house

A vernacular building with little or no architectural significance, it is a two and a half story brick house built simply and solidly, probably in the 1870s. Between 1890 and 1895 the house was the home of inventor Edward G. Acheson (1856–1931). In 1891, he conducted experiments that led to his invention of carborundum, his name for silicon carbide, probably in a summer kitchen attached to the back of the house.

A mixture of clay and powdered coke, fused by means of an electric current, Carborundum was then—and for fifty years remained—the hardest known artificial substance in the world. It has been used in countless industrial processes, primarily as an abrasive, over the years. Acheson's achievements are all the more remarkable in that he was self-educated and worked independently."[2]

In 1953, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission installed a historical marker outside the house, noting the historic importance of Acheson's achievements.[3] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.[2][4] It is designated as a historic residential landmark/farmstead by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation.[5]

References

  1. National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 "Edward G. Acheson House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
  3. 1 2 "Edward Acheson - PHMC Historical Markers". Historical Marker Database. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  4. James Sheire (February 3, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Edward G. Acheson House" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 1 photo, exterior, from 1976. (105 KB)
  5. "Acheson, Edward G. House". Landmark Registry – Residential Landmark/Farmstead. Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation. 2008. Retrieved 2010-11-08.

External links


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