January 1883
The First Presbyterian Church of Roselle, NJ, was selected by Thomas Edison in 1882 to be the first church to install and test his incandescent electric light fixture called an Electrolier. The fixture is a chandelier consisting of brass sections supporting 30 incandescent lights in an inverted dome formation with milk glass reflectors. It hung in the church’s sanctuary and provided illumination until December 16, 1949, when a fire damaged it and destroyed the chapel, which was later rebuilt.
The Electrolier was restored in 1968 and still hangs in the church’s choir area today.
Photo Courtesy of TapintoRoselle.
