National Historic Landmark

Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace

Milan, Erie County, Ohio
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000608

About this property

The Thomas Alva Edison Birthplace is a historic house museum at 9 Edison Drive in Milan, Ohio, Built in 1841, it was the birthplace of American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931), born on February 11, 1847. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. It is now the Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum. The Thomas Alva Edison Birthplace is in a formerly residential (now a museum complex) area north of downtown Milan, on the west side of North Edison Drive. It is a small 1+1⁄2-story brick building, with a gabled roof and two end chimneys. The main facade is five bays wide, with the entrance at the center, topped by a four-light transom window. The door and window openings are all headed by stone lintels. The downstairs interior includes two parlors, a sitting room, and kitchen. The sitting room, in which Edison was born, includes the bed in which his mother lay for the birth. The upstairs attic level includes two more bedrooms. The house is furnished with Edison family artifacts. The house was built and designed by Samuel Edison in 1841, on land purchased by his wife, Nancy Elliott Edison. His son Thomas was born here in 1847, and it remained the family home until 1854, when they moved to Port Huron, Michigan. The young Edison's early youth in Milan appears to have been unremarkable, the most notorious incident being his burning down a barn, described by one biographer as a "glorious experiment". The house was sold in 1854, but was repurchased by Edison's sister in 1894. After Edison's death in 1931, his wife and daughter worked to transform the birthplace into a museum in his honor. National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, Ohio Media related to Thomas Alva Edison Birthplace at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Milan, Erie County, Ohio
41.29995, -82.60496

Categories

INVENTION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace

This page lists Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Milan Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Lockwood, J. C., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Jenkins-Perry House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Mitchell Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Andrews, Ebenezer, House
Industrial
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Sandusky Tradition Conflict – Lake Erie Shore
1420Pre-Columbian
10.6 mi
Raid on Sandusky 1781
1781Early Republic
11.3 mi
Capture of Fort Sandusky (1763)
1763Colonial
11.5 mi
Battle at Fort Sandusky (1763 Pontiac precursor)
1761Colonial
11.5 mi
Battle at Fort Sandusky (1760)
1760Colonial
11.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace listed on the National Register?

Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace?

Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace?

The period of significance for Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Erie County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Erie County.

Explore ErieCounty ›

More historic places in Ohio

Browse all historic places in Ohio.

View Ohiohistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Ohio history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Ohiohistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Edison, Thomas Alva, Birthplace will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report