Reginald A. Fessenden House facts for kids
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Reginald A. Fessenden House
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Reginald A. Fessenden House in 1975
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| Location | 45 Waban Hill Road, Chestnut Hill, Newton, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1919 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000950 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 7, 1976 |
| Designated NHL | January 7, 1976 |
The Reginald A. Fessenden House is a historic house located in Chestnut Hill, a village within Newton, Massachusetts. This house was home to a famous inventor named Reginald Fessenden from 1919 until he passed away in 1932. He's often called the "father of radio broadcasting" because he was the first person to send human voices and music over the radio!
Because of Fessenden's amazing work, this house was made a National Historic Landmark in 1976. This means it's a very important place in American history.
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About the Fessenden House
The Fessenden House is a three-story brick building. It has a stucco (a type of plaster) outside and a roof made of tiles. The house has a classic look with a covered entrance and a big chimney in the middle.
The inside and outside of the house look mostly the same as when Fessenden lived there. The only real change is that some windows on the east side now have awnings.
Who Was Reginald Fessenden?
Reginald Fessenden was born in Quebec, Canada, in 1866. He was a very smart kid who was great at math. He went to Bishop's University but left before finishing his degree.
In 1886, he started working for the famous inventor Thomas Edison at the Edison Machine Works. Later, Fessenden taught at universities like Purdue University and the University of Pittsburgh. During this time, he began to study and research wireless telegraphy, which was a new and exciting field.
Fessenden's Amazing Inventions
Reginald Fessenden spent most of his life working in the industry. He was always inventing new things, even though he often didn't have much money.
In 1904, he invented something called the rotary spark-gap transmitter. This was a big step forward for radio technology. Then, in 1906, he built a large radio transmitter in Massachusetts. From this powerful station, he successfully sent the first human voice and music over the radio waves!
He also figured out how to combine different radio frequencies to create clear, audible sound. This was a huge breakthrough that made modern radio possible. After he died, another inventor named Elihu Thomson said Fessenden was "the greatest wireless inventor of the age, greater than Marconi."
A Home for an Inventor
Fessenden bought this house in Newton in 1919. It was his main home in the United States until he died in 1932. Even though he spent many of his later years in Bermuda, this house is the place most connected to his life in America.
Today, the Reginald A. Fessenden House is still a private home. It is not open for the public to visit.
Why This House is Important
On January 7, 1976, the house was officially named a National Historic Landmark. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. This honor recognizes that the house is one of the few places that had a long-term connection to Reginald Fessenden's life and work.
Images for kids
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The house in 2012
