Wardenclyffe Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wardenclyffe Tower
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1904 image of Wardenclyffe Tower
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Shoreham, Long Island, New York |
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| Built | 1901 |
| Architect | Nikola Tesla |
| NRHP reference No. | 100002744 |
| Added to NRHP | July 27, 2018 |
The Wardenclyffe Tower, also known as the Tesla Tower, was an experimental station built by Nikola Tesla. It was located in Shoreham, New York, on Long Island. Tesla started building it in 1901.
Tesla's main goal was to send messages, phone calls, and even pictures wirelessly across the Atlantic Ocean. He wanted to reach England and ships at sea. He believed he could use the Earth itself to carry these signals.
Later, Tesla decided to make the station much bigger. He also wanted to add his idea of sending power wirelessly. This would help him compete with Guglielmo Marconi's radio telegraph system. However, the main person funding the project, J. P. Morgan, refused to pay for these changes. Tesla could not find other investors, so the project stopped in 1906. The tower was never fully used.
To pay off Tesla's debts, the tower was taken apart for scrap metal in 1917. The property was officially taken over in 1922. For 50 years, Wardenclyffe was used to make photography supplies. Many new buildings were added, and the land became smaller, about 16 acres. But the original brick building, designed by Stanford White, is still standing today.
In the 1980s and 2000s, chemicals from the photography work were cleaned up. The site was then sold and made ready for new construction. A group of people worked hard to save the site. They successfully bought the property in 2013. Their plan is to build a museum there, dedicated to Nikola Tesla. In 2018, the property was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
Why Is Wardenclyffe Tower Important?
The Wardenclyffe Tower is important because it was Nikola Tesla's dream project. He wanted to create a global wireless communication and power system. Even though it was never finished, it shows Tesla's amazing vision for the future.
Efforts to Protect Wardenclyffe
People have tried for many years to protect Wardenclyffe as a historic site. On February 14, 1967, a group called the Brookhaven Town Historical Trust was formed. They chose Wardenclyffe as the first site to be saved.
On July 7, 1976, a special plaque was put up near the building's entrance. It was placed by people from Brookhaven National Laboratory and Yugoslavia.
The plaque read:
IN THIS BUILDING
July 10, 1976
DESIGNED BY STANFORD WHITE, ARCHITECT
NIKOLA TESLA
BORN SMILJAN, YUGOSLAVIA 1856—DIED NEW YORK, U.S.A. 1943
CONSTRUCTED IN 1901–1905 WARDENCLYFFE
HUGE RADIO STATION WITH ANTENNA TOWER
187 FEET HIGH /DESTROYED 1917/, WHICH
WAS TO HAVE SERVED AS HIS FIRST WORLD
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.
IN MEMORY OF 120TH ANNIVERSARY OF TESLA'S BIRTH
AND 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S.A INDEPENDENCE
Sadly, this sign was stolen in November 2009. Someone offered a $2,000 reward for its return.
In 1976, an application was made to list the main building on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This attempt did not succeed. In 1994, a group called Tesla Wardenclyffe Project, Inc. was created. Their goal was to get the building and the tower's foundation listed as historic sites. They wanted to save Wardenclyffe and find new uses for it.
Another application was filed in October 1994. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation checked the site. They agreed it met the state's rules for historic places. The site was finally listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
Building a Tesla Museum
In August 2012, there was a plan to buy the Wardenclyffe site for business use. This worried many people. A popular web cartoon called The Oatmeal started a fundraiser. They wanted to raise $1.7 million to buy the property. Their dream was to build a museum there.
Jane Alcorn, who leads The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, worked with Matthew Inman, the creator of The Oatmeal. They wanted to honor Nikola Tesla, who is called "the Father of the Electric Age." They started a fundraising campaign called Let's Build a Tesla Museum. They used a website called Indiegogo to collect money.
The project quickly reached its goal of $850,000 in just one week. They even raised more than they needed! The producers of a Tesla film also donated $33,333. Famous people like Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, Inc., also gave money.
The money raised in one week was enough to get a matching grant from New York State. This meant the state would give the same amount of money, up to half of the asking price. The total amount collected was over $2.2 million. The extra money will be used to clean and fix up the property. A documentary called Tower to the People – Tesla's Dream at Wardenclyffe Continues is being made about the project.
On May 2, 2013, The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe announced they had bought the 15.69-acre site. They plan to raise about $10 million more. This money will help them create a science learning center and museum.
On May 13, 2014, The Oatmeal asked Elon Musk for another $8 million for the museum. The next day, Musk said on Twitter that he would "be happy to help." On July 10, 2014, during Tesla's 158th birthday celebration, it was announced that Musk would donate $1 million. He also said a Tesla Motors supercharging station would be built at the site.
The center plans to offer many programs. These include events for science teachers, conferences, and field trips. They also want to work with science competitions. The museum will have exhibits about Tesla and interactive displays. On September 23, 2013, the President of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolić, unveiled a monument to Tesla at Wardenclyffe.
Where Was Wardenclyffe Located?
Wardenclyffe is located near the Shoreham Post Office and Fire House. It is on Route 25A in Shoreham, Long Island, New York. The property was once about 200 acres. Now, it is a bit less than 16 acres. It was divided into two main parts: the tower in the back and the main building.
Tesla's Related Inventions
Nikola Tesla had many patents related to his work at Wardenclyffe. Some of them include:
- "Means for Generating Electric Currents", U.S. Patent 514,168, February 6, 1894
- "Electrical Transformer", U.S. Patent 593,138, November 2, 1897
- "Method Of Utilizing Radiant Energy", U.S. Patent 685,958 November 5, 1901
- "Method of Signaling", U.S. Patent 723,188, March 17, 1903
- "System of Signaling", U.S. Patent 725,605, April 14, 1903
- "Art of Transmitting Electrical Energy Through the Natural Mediums", U.S. Patent 787,412, April 18, 1905
- "Apparatus for Transmitting Electrical Energy", January 18, 1902, U.S. Patent 1,119,732, December 1, 1914
Images for kids
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Tesla with his "magnifying transmitter" in Colorado Springs, 1899. This photo was a double exposure; Tesla was not actually in the room when the device was operating.
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An artistic drawing of the station when it was planned to be finished, including the tower.
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The demolition of the Wardenclyffe tower began in July 1917.
See also
In Spanish: Wardenclyffe Tower para niños
